Cider & Perry Months
May and October are Cider & Perry Months!
CAMRA supports and campaigns for cider and perry throughout the year, and we spotlight it with celebrations in October and May.
Why May and October?
Unlike real ale production, which can happen at any time of the year, real cider and perry is generally a seasonal product and can only be made when the fruit is ripe. Production is tied to a natural cycle of the apple and perry pear trees found in orchards around the country.
The month of May was chosen because it is when the orchards come into bloom and fruit begins to set. Cider and perry production from the previous year reaches maturity in May and can start being enjoyed so it’s also a time for celebration of the fruits of cider makers labour!
October is an equally busy time in the cider makers calendar, when fruit is harvested, milled, pressed and stored for fermentation and cider and perry production is in full flow.
Perry Month
This October, CAMRA is holding its first ever Perry Month.
CAMRA’s championing of cider and perry over the last 50 years has been credited with playing a significant role in keeping perry alive and now the Campaign is going further to promote this traditional drink.
Lovers of cider and perry will have a chance to be part of bringing a world first publication to bookshelves with an October KickStarter campaign to support ‘Perry: A Drinkers Guide’ – slated for publication by Adam Wells and CAMRA Books in 2024.
Drinks writer, presenter and founder-editor of Cider Review, Adam Wells is a key voice in the cider scene, and his work will represent the first time a book about perry has been published for consumers, rather than a technical audience.
Despite falling out of fashion in recent years, perry is making a comeback with producers creating both new and traditional perries to great acclaim. CAMRA will be celebrating the perry renaissance, the environmental value of ancient pear trees, releasing new online content, celebrating the work of key producers and campaigners in the cider and perry world, and highlighting some of the most exciting events throughout the month. Some tastings and events will need to be booked in advance so make sure to look ahead to avoid disappointment! You can join the celebrations on social media too, just use #PerryMonth, or find us using the buttons below.
October 1-7
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Happy Perry Month! This October is CAMRA’s first ever Perry Month celebration, but what is perry? Join our friends at the Burum Collective for a quick explainer. |
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It wouldn’t be Perry Month without a way to take your perry knowledge to the next level! Check out the exclusive offers and goodies available with the launch of CAMRA Books Kickstarter for Perry: A Drinker’s Guide – the worlds first consumer guide to perry! |
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This is a great time to join the campaign and see everything CAMRA membership has to offer! We’ll even have brand new content, available only to our members, published throughout October on our award-winning Learn & Discover platform. Click the link to join now! |
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Is perry the elixir of life? We can’t go that far, but we can suggest that you head over to our friends at the Hartpury Heritage Trust to read about the myths and reality of the perry pear. |
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There are cider and perry celebrations taking place up and down the UK as fruit ripens, and production begins. Why not head to one of the biggest as Hereford is taken over by the city’s annual AppleFest? Click to find out more! |
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Tax isn’t always the most interesting subject in the world but it has a big impact on what kinds of drinks are available to us as consumers. Read about how CAMRA is campaigning to improve quality and choice. |
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Double up with a two-part story this weekend, and learn about how easily perry heritage can be lost. Head to Cider Review and join Barry Masterson as he tells the story of the Swiss Tree Murder. |
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October 8-14
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Part two of Cider Review’s deep dive into the loss of Switzerland’s perry pear heritage, from writer Barry Masterson |
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The story of perry in the UK is far more hopeful than that of Switzerland, as consumers rediscover everything this drink has to offer. See previous CAMRA Campaigner of the Year, Gabe Cook tell the story of perry. |
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Perry pears don’t just create a delicious drink, they also provide unique habitats for our wildlife. Head to CAMRA’s Learn & Discover to join author of the upcoming Perry: A Drinker’s Guide, Adam Wells, to find out more. |
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Fancy taking a harvestime tour, to see orchards for yourself but not sure where to start? We have you covered with our guide to cider and perry tourism. |
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Catch a perry masterclass as part of Hereford AppleFest, hosted by Adam Wells. |
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Do you know your Stinking Bishop from your Flakey Bark? It’s not autocorrect gone wild, head to CAMRA Learn & Discover to read more about perry pear varieties. |
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Fancy showing off your newfound perry knowledge? Check out the pear varietal t-shirt exclusively available with Kickstarter copies of Perry: A Drinkers Guide |
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October 15-21
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Find out about the ‘slow food’ movement, and why it’s championing perry as a drink in need of saving. |
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While perry and many perry pear varieties are under serious threat, there is also amazing conservation work taking place to safeguard them for future generations. Read more about the National Perry Pear Centre. |
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We’ve got brand new content from CAMRA Learn & Discover today, as Adam Wells takes a look at whether labelling requirements are giving consumers all the information they need. |
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Want to find out more about CAMRA’s cider and perry campaigning? Head to What’s Brewing and read about how we’ve responded to a changing industry. |
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CAMRA’s Campaigner of the Year 2022 might be known as ‘the Ciderologist’, but Gabe Cook is a fan of perry too! Click to read what he has to say. |
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Head into the weekend with a long-read from Cider Review. CAMRA defines real cider and perry as being “not from concentrate” but as early as 1662 there was “a sort of perry ten years old… boiled till two thirds were wasted and having a muscatel taste.” Click to read more. |
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Speaking of real ‘not from concentrate’ cider and perry – don’t forget that you can find local makers using our comprehensive map. |
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October 22-28
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CAMRA celebrates cider and perry twice a year, but our campaigning is all year round. Find out about our work promoting cider and perry. |
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Check out CAMRA’s Pubs. Pints. People podcast episode, recorded live from the Great British Beer Festival earlier this year. Regular host Alison Taffs speaks to Pete Brown about the Drink Cask Fresh Campaign, Des de Moor about his brand new book “Cask” and Adam Wells about his forthcoming book about Perry |
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Want to know more about Perry: A Drinker’s Guide? Check out all the details of this upcoming title from CAMRA Books, and Adam Wells. |
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It’s probably a myth that Napoleon called perry ‘the English Champagne’ but one of the oldest surviving cider glasses might give some clues to the confusion. Click to find out more about the Scudamore Flute. |
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Adam Wells, author of the upcoming CAMRA Books title Perry: A Drinker’s Guide sat down with Country Life to make his top five perry picks. Click to find out more. |
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93% of people say the preservation of traditional orchards is important to them – but don’t take our word for it, head over to The Orchard Project website to read more about the benefits of traditional orchards. |
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Feeling inspired to get involved with your local orchard? Check out this guide from The Orchard Project to restoring old or neglected orchards. |
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October 29-31
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Find your local community orchard with this handy map from the People’s Trust for endangered species. |
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Unlike real cider and perry, ingredients used by some of the largest manufacturers can be a Halloween horror! CAMRA believes consumers should know what’s in their pint, read more about our campaign for better labelling today. |
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Today is the last chance to get your hands on exclusive Kickstarter rewards, and back the publication of Perry: A Drinker’s Guide! Don’t miss out! |
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Find events near you
CAMRA branches, cider and perry makers, pubs, museums, and social clubs all run events to celebrate cider and perry throughout October.
You can see events that have already been submitted on our Events Map. If we’ve missed an event taking place near you that celebrates cider and perry this October, then let us know about it using the form on the events page and we’ll add it to the listings!
More resources
CAMRA campaigns for real cider and perry throughout the rest of the year too! Head over to our ‘Promoting real cider and perry page’ to find out more.
If you’re a CAMRA member and you’d like to celebrate Perry Month, and support the publication of Perry: A Drinkers Guide in your branch area, then you can find a Campaigns Pack with everything you need to get started over in our Members Area.