Perry’s success is in its uniqueness, not its ubiquity
The perry category is in growth and has gathered pace over recent years. Jessica Mason looks at why restaurants and independent bottle shops are stocking it as a discerning low-alcohol choice for those who seek the finer things in life.
Perry’s recent success may have flown under the radar for those only looking at supermarket shelves. But its growth has been documented far and wide, with its route-to market aligning more with gastronomically-sophisticated retailers and restaurants.
Describing how its reputation has flourished, Adam Wells, author of Perry: A Drinker’s Guide, explained: “There have never been more countries making perry than there are today. The best perries ever bottled are on shelves right now.”
The sentiment was echoed by Herefordshire-based Little Pomona founder James Forbes who admitted “perry has become a significant part of our production, rising to about 30% from nothing in 2017”.
At Little Pomona, the total production of cider and perry is 60,000 litres on average and the perry portion fluctuates depending on the growing season.
The Three Counties Cider & Perry Association (TCCPA) chair who is also the director of Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company Albert Johnson said: “The TCCPA has more members than at any time in our 32 year history”.
Most sustainable and historic of British drinks
Johnson revealed that, among these members, there are “more of those producing perry than any time before” and added: “We can’t produce perry fast enough to keep up with demand. We buy as many perry pears as we get offered but it still doesn’t keep up with the fantastic level of interest drinkers have in this most sustainable and historic of British drinks.”
For those who want to get their hands on some of the best perry being made, orchard-owners are warning that this year is the time to try since the quality is high and many flavour aficionados have already been hunting out the best bottles. Getting your hands on a piece of British heritage made from perry pears has become quite the trend.
Cambridgeshire-based Blue Barrel Cider director Emma Jordan said: “We’ve nearly sold out this year for the first time due to growing demand. At a time when so many traditional orchards are being lost, perry stands for resilience, craftsmanship, and connection to the land. With rising sales, dedicated International Perry Championships, and a hugely successful Perry Day at the Museum of Cider, its future is bright.”
Artistraw Cider co-founder and deputy chair of the TCCPA, Lydia Crimp explained that the reason perry has become so sought-after is also because of the fact that it chimes well with many people’s lifestyle cues. For instance, consumers are much more conscientious these days and understand and value both smaller independent businesses and the slow food movement in terms of the quality of the product. This calibre of selective shopping actually appeals across all age-ranges, she notes. People want to make more considered choices.
Crimp said: “With increased consumer interest in provenance and sustainably produced drinks, perry is proving itself well placed to reach a whole host of new fans.”
For true food and drink appreciators
This has meant that many perry-maker’s route-to-market has been to sidestep the grocery retail arenas and instead align itself with where more discerning shoppers can be found.
Herefordshire-based Oliver’s Cider and Perry founder Tom Oliver explained that there is no plan to pander to the supermarkets and admitted: “I don’t see perry being in the grocery segment” primarily because perry’s best home is with “restaurants and independent bottle shops”.
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Oliver highlighted how, instead, “bottles continue to mirror the overall trajectory of the sharing/food 750ml offer and [this means that perry] finds new drinkers and outlets on a slow build basis”.
Agreeing with this, Devonshire’s Find & Foster founder Polly Hilton said: “For a retailer or venue, stocking a perry signals confidence, curiosity, and a commitment to integrity, sustainability, locality, flavour and craftsmanship. It’s also a conversation starter — something that sparks interest and delight once people taste what real perry can be.”
Oliver added: “The ability for perry to stun people when tasted means that it is a tremendous weapon in the armoury of any producer/distributor. The regionality of production is seen by many as a ‘problem’ where any true food and drink appreciator will see it as an ‘attribute’.”
According to Little Pomona’s Forbes, this placement is what makes seeking perry out such an enticing thing for food and drink lovers.
He explained: “Perry by its very nature is rare. Even though we are in one of the world’s perry heartlands, there are basically not that many trees, not when you compare it to apples or even grapes, so the fruit is hard to come by. Disease pressure with climate change is another issue that has impacted it. From a production point of view, it’s actually quite difficult to make a good perry. Every step from harvest to packaging is fraught with danger.”
With its rarity in mind, he added: “I think of it as a delicacy, in exactly the same way I think of truffles as a delicacy. Something seasonal, rare, special, valuable, delicious and utterly unique in its flavours and unique to its place of origin.”
Approach it as you would a fine wine
Find & Foster’s Hilton also highlighted how “perry made with 100% perry pears growing on ancient trees in the UK is a beautiful drink for so many reasons”. She urged: “For those who haven’t yet been won over, I’d say: approach it as you would a fine wine. It’s complex, textural, and capable of incredible nuance — orchard aromatics, gentle acidity, grip and structure”.
Hilton added: “it has provenance, expressing the character of ancient pear varieties and the soil they grow in. When made with care — from unsprayed, traditional orchards — perry can be elegant, delicious, complex and is utterly unique.”
But what can people expect from a well-made perry? Oliver explained that people should consider its “citrus character” and pointed out that there is plenty of “citric acid holding sway (rather than the more tart and direct malic of apple in cider)”. Plus, he observed, there are plenty of opportunities for it to be discovered “as a still, dryer drink (for those who enjoy white wines like Sauvignon Blanc)” and insisted that it is a revered choice for any “celebration and food pairing” and has the benefit of being “lower alcohol than wine too”.
Forbes said: “It’s hard to get your head around just how amazing perry is, and how privileged we in the UK are to have these rare trees living amongst us. The first perry we ever made was from an orchard in which the trees were planted in the late 18th century. So, we weren’t just working with varieties of fruit that were a couple of hundred years old, but working with plants that have been in the ground since the reign of Mad King George himself – the immortality of the trees is mindboggling, it’s like walking about on Mount Olympus – and add that to the fact that it’s a really delicious to drink and the story is quite compelling.”
Hilton agreed and suggested that anyone looking to play a part in appreciating the land, or tasting something that is embedded in history and nature should seek perry out. She added: “Championing perry isn’t just about pouring a delicious drink — it’s about helping preserve an extraordinary agricultural and cultural heritage that’s teetering on the edge of being lost. The trees that produce these pears can live for centuries, they shouldn’t be forgotten.”
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