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This
document is for information only, no liability is
accepted for the contents. You should always check
with Customs and Excise for the most up to date
information before proceeding - remember, to contravene
their regulations is a criminal offence.
UK
tax regulations allow anyone (company or private
individual) to sell up to 70 hectolitres (1,540
UK gallons) of cider or perry each year without
having to pay duty. Many smaller producers take
advantage of this regulation, and now homebrewers
can do so too. One of the first to delve into the
realm of selling his homebrewed cider was CAMRA
regular, Roy Bailey who nows sells his own cider
made from apples produced by his one and only Dabinette
apple tree growing in his back garden. He trades
under the title Lambourne Valley Cider.
So
how do you go about registering? Well firstly look
up your local Customs and Excise office in the telephone
directory. Ring them up and ask for a copy of Notice
162. This document will detail all of the requirements
you will need to fulfill to become a registered
producer and even includes an application form.
Remember that the Customs and Excise people are
there to dispense advice as well as enforce the
law - you will find their help invaluable.
You
will also need to register with the local planning
office and contact your trading standards office
and environmental health office to find out any
peculiarities of local regulations before
going ahead with your production. Don't be put off
- it is nowhere near as daunting as it sounds.
If
you live in the Three Counties cidermaking region
(Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire)
you can apply for a PGI certificate. PGI stands
for Protected Geographical Indication and is the
British equivalent to the French Apellation Controlee
status. To qualify you must source all of your apples
from within these counties, the apples must be bittersweets
and you must use freshly pressed juice, not concentrates.
Details can be obtained from the Three Counties Cidermakers' Association.
All
you need to do now is to sell your produce. Contact
your favourite local pub, you may well find that
they can sell more than you can produce. And last
of all, Good Luck!
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