Nestled in a tiny fold of Dorset countryside is a village hall that hosts one of the friendliest little cider festivals going. Powerstock is the location of this super little event, and it has been run for 11 years by local resident and cider maker Nick Poole.

This is a day that simply has to be experienced – it’s a charitable event so it has a lovely relaxed feel, but it’s great fun with music, crowds and of course loads of different ciders to test. Cider makers from all over the South West and beyond donate their cider to be sold to a varied and interesting evening crowd numbering 500 cider enthusiasts, with all proceeds being donated to the village hall.

Before that, though, the makers gather for a relaxed lunch and a cider competition. There are only three classes to enter – Dry, Medium and Sweet – but the key ingredient that makes this a useful indicator of quality is that the judging is carried out by all the other makers who have entered. This year we were honoured to win Second Prize in the Dry category.

Then the evening swung into life. A raucous blend of cider makers, Scrumpy and Western band Skimmity Hitchers (click the link to see more pics) and a horde of 500 thirsty drinkers slurped, talked and danced through the rest of the evening.

An excellent day – and once again we’d like to thank Nick Poole and his team for a great effort on getting the organisation bang on for another year. See you there next year!