I DON’T know if there is anything better than finding a product you love to then find out that its been produced locally and with the Taste of the West Awards shining a light on some brilliant products from across the area, now we know what is truly the best of the best when it comes to local produce.

One of those who’s excellence has been thrust into the spotlight is Bude based cider company Crackington Cider. When Jon and Sam Miles planted 30 cider apple trees given to them by Jon’s father, Eddie back in 2011, they could never have imagined that their orchard would now be home to 1,100 trees and award winning cider.

At this year’s Taste of the West Awards, Crackington’s Farmhouse Cider and Rum Barrel Aged Cider received gold awards. Speaking to The Post about this achievement, Jon Miles said: “We only started making cider five years ago and we started selling in 2019 but its quite nice to know you’re at the top of the tree.”

Of course, making an award-winning product isn’t easy: “The farm house cider takes about nine months from pressing until it’s ready and the rum aged takes nine months and then a further nine months for it to infuse inside the rum barrels”, explained Jon.

However, despite the long process, Jon believes that awards such as this not only shine a light on his work but also the cider industry across Cornwall. “It really helps raise the profile of cider made in Cornwall. There are lots of people popping up down here who are making wonderful ciders from local apples and people are starting to take notice.”

Jon says however, the key to an award-winning product is patience: “First of all, you’ve got to have the right fruit, when we started we were using dessert apples and that makes for a very acidic cider but there is lots of trial and error and of course, patience is key.”