Clevedon Pier have teamed up with Somerset-based Rich’s Cider to release Pier Press, a brand-new apple cider available now for the tastebuds of locals and tourists.

The collaboration between the local cider maker and 2021’s Pier of the Year comes as both a celebration of Somerset heritage, as well as a way helping fund the pier for years to come.

Pier Press was released last Friday and is a wonderful golden, brown cider made from local apples, all sourced from within 50 miles of Rich’s cider farm.

The freshness of the ingredients because of their locality can really be tasted in the 4.8%abv medium cider, which delivers a crisp, refreshing taste that is synonymous with real Somerset cider.

As well as containing the drink itself the bottles are also branded with clean, colourful labelling that reflects the natural beauty of the pier and the untainted freshness of the drink.

North Somerset Times: The branding for Pier Press is a stylish tribute to the historic pierThe branding for Pier Press is a stylish tribute to the historic pier (Image: Samir Abraham)

Pier Press is available to buy now at the Clevedon Pier shop, the Glass Box restaurant, and the pagoda on the end of the pier itself at a price of £11.90 for three 500ml bottles.

Nicole Laken, business manager at Clevedon Pier, spoke on the release of the cider. She said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have collaborated with Rich’s Cider to develop Pier Press, a locally produced cider to sell to our customers all year round.

“We’re really excited to be doing it, it’s something we’ve never done before, and we’re really excited to support a local cider company.

“It’s a lovely, soft, cider with a fruity after taste to it, a real Somerset cider!”

As well as being a celebration of Somerset-ness the collaboration between the local companies will also be a way of bringing in extra income to support the historic pier.

After being originally opened in 1869 Clevedon Pier has had a turbulent life, collapsing in 1970, and then being reborn in 1998, but has since seen the opening of a 5-star restaurant, win three Pier of the Year awards, and host the filming of One Direction’s music video for “You & I”.

However, the upkeep of such a monument is not cheap and means that the staff over at Clevedon Pier have to find ways to raise over £125,000 a year to pay of vital maintenance.

Laken explained: “We have to think of different ways that we can bring the income in because of how expensive the pier is to maintain.

“We can’t just rely on tourists we have to think of other ways too and this is just one of them.”

Pier Press is available to buy now at Clevedon Pier in packs of 3x500ml bottled for £11.90.