How do you save the history of cider from being lost? This was the question a group of cider enthusiasts faced when they decided to establish the Hereford Cider Museum Trust.
Founding the Museum
Bertram Bulmer and Norman Weston were both born into cider making families. They also both feared the history of the cider industry was being lost. So, they decided to do something about it. Together, they embarked on an ambitious project to establish the Hereford Cider Museum Trust.
The Trust was founded in 1973 and the board of trustees quickly grew. Staff and volunteers began collecting and documenting cider objects and archival material. The Trust set up shop in Hereford City centre where they raised money and awareness for the future museum.
The Museum of Cider was opened in 1981 inside the old Bulmer’s cider factory. Today, the Museum continues to collect and preserve the story of cider for future generations.
Reviving cider brandy
In the 1980s, Bertram wanted to revive a craft that had died out in Georgian England 250 years ago: distilling cider into brandy.
This wasn’t easy. Customs and Excise refused to grant Bertram a distilling licence. Officials from the European Economic Community objected to the term ‘brandy’ for a drink that wasn’t grape based. They asked him to use ‘spirit’ instead, but eventually backed down when Bertram refused. After a two year battle, Customs and Excise granted Bertram the license in 1984. The distillery was housed in the museum and named The King Offa Distillery. Bertram equipped it with a pot still made in 1905 from Normandy.
Though the Distillery no longer operates, it still stands at the museum. The last remaining barrels of Bertram’s legacy are still being bottled for sale in the museum shop.
