Subject: News Release:Bristol Cidermaker Wins Global Recognition at International Cider Awards

Morning Steve, While our apples are grown in Dorset, Bristol is where the business is based and where we've built our community, so it's brilliant to bring this recognition home.

Bristol Cidermaker Wins Global Recognition at International Cider Awards A Bristol-based cidermaker is celebrating international success after winning two Silver Medals at the 2026 International Brewing & Cider Awards - one of the most prestigious competitions in the global drinks industry, where only one Gold, one Silver and one Bronze medal are awarded in each category.

Bristol producer Isaac Cider, founded by cidermaker Rollo Wood, secured the accolades following a rigorous three-day international judging process. Hundreds of ciders from countries including Sweden and Cambodia were blind-tasted by an expert panel of industry professionals.

Rollo works with estate-grown fruit from his orchards near Beaminster in Dorset, applying a craft-led, small-batch approach to production while operating the business from Bristol's independent drinks scene. Two of Isaac Cider's bottlings were recognised in the Tannin Driven Cider categories:

· Calculus - Silver Medal, Dry Category

· Anti-Gravity - Silver Medal, Medium Category

In the Dry Category, first place went to the United States, with Isaac Cider taking second place ahead of New Zealand-underlining the scale and international competitiveness of the awards.

Often referred to as the "Olympics of the cider world", the International Brewing & Cider Awards are judged exclusively by working cider makers and brewers, making them a significant marker of peer recognition within the industry. A panel of 43 international judges assessed entries through blind tasting and discussion, rewarding technical excellence alongside real-world drinkability.

Rollo Wood, founder of Isaac Cider, said: "Winning two silver medals in such a respected international competition is a huge moment for us. To have our ciders recognised by fellow cider makers from around the world is incredibly rewarding. While our apples are grown in Dorset, Bristol is where the business is based and where we've built our community, so it's brilliant to bring this recognition home."

The awards, which have a history spanning more than 125 years, are among the longest-running in the industry and are known for their rigorous judging standards and global reach.

The success also reflects the continued strength of Bristol's independent drinks sector, with local producers increasingly gaining recognition on the international stage.

Isaac Cider's can currently be injoyed around Bristol in the following pubs and restaurants:

Pubs:

- The Gallimaufry

- The Tobacco Factory

- The Christmas Steps

- The Swan with Two Necks

Restaurants:

- Bianchis

- Pazzo

- Cotto

- Pasta Ripiena

- Bravas

- Gambas

- Cargo Cantina

Bottle shops

- Corks of Cotham and Corks of North Street

- Grape and Grind

Images can be found HERE and if you would like to sample Isaac Cider's please do let me know with any delivery instructions

Best wishes

Rachel

Rachel Davey T: 07725118093 E: ku.oc.smmocrpysaekaeps@lehcar

Bristol & District CAMRA NEEDS YOU.   The CAMRA Bristol Branch is the fourth largest in the country with around 2500 members. We have a strong track record of promoting real ale and championing pubs in our branch area. Over many years the core activities of selecting pubs for inclusion in the Good Beer Guide, choosing the Pub of the Year, organising beer festivals and running social activities have been popular and enjoyable.


The branch has an active committee and it's the committee members who play a crucial role in shaping the branch's activities and events that support the local real ale culture. While we have capable and active members we now find our numbers are falling meaning that some roles are being stretched and that we have less people doing more. Planning ahead and being proactive, we are now looking for new volunteers to help continue that work.


Joining a committee is not a quick decision, so we are publicising the need now well ahead of this year's Annual General Meeting, although involvement can start anytime. This means that anyone who is potentially interested in a role will have time to think about it, talk to existing members at one of our social events or even attend committee meetings as an observer.


We will mention several roles below. While we currently have some of those roles filled we are able to re-shuffle them as needed in order to ensure that the best people end up in the right place that they want. Some job sharing and duplication with deputies would help with throughput and resilience as well; many hands make light work!


All roles have been around a while, are easily understood and are well supported by the wider group with the availability of advice and shadowing. We have quite a few tools at our disposal now to make the work easier: Email, social media, web and Zoom, so plenty of ways to get the job done with plenty of scope for creative approaches. While there are regular monthly committee meetings that take place, its not essential to attend all the meetings as long as people can stay in touch. You don't need prior experience—just an interest in real ale and a willingness to get involved. Whether you have a few hours a month or more to contribute, your involvement will be valued and rewarding and you will enjoy it.


We currently have openings for the following roles:


Social Secretary — organises socials, pub walks, and branch outings.


Good Beer Guide Coordinator — oversees the selection process for including local pubs in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide.


Public Transport Officer — champions accessible travel to pubs and events using public transport.


Young Members Representative — represents and helps engage younger members and bring fresh ideas to the branch.


Social Media Coordinator - manages a branch's online presence and engages with members and the public across social platforms.


Beer Festival Manager – oversees the organisation of the local beer festival in accordance with CAMRA's guidelines.


Pubs Officer – coordinates  pub‑related campaigning and helps protect pubs in the branch area from closure, harmful change or loss of heritage values.   

Member Without Portfolio – has no specific area to look after but participates in meetings and discussions. A good starting point.  

If any of these roles sound like a good fit, or if you'd simply like to find out more, we'd be delighted to hear from you. We encourage you to be in contact to ask any questions, and discover how you can help make a difference in Bristol's vibrant beer scene: We'd love to welcome you! In the first place please contact the Bristol branch secretary ku.gro.lotsirbarmac@engatreb.m or reply to this message.   Cheers!   Michael Bertagne Branch Sectretary

https://www.bristol247.com/food-and-drink/pubs-and-bars/cider-bar-pop-up-hopes-become-permanent/

The Cider Cellar on Frogmore Street is from the team behind BumbleBee Cider who are mostly serving their own ciders on tap within two former garages near the Hatchet.

BumbleBee co-owners Jess Higgins and Wesley Bodman hope to one day make their pop-up premises permanent, but for now are open when they are not busy making cider

The Drapers Arms Sunday Times Accolade: Gloucester Road's beloved micropub has officially been named one of the eight best micropubs in the UK by the Sunday Times Magazine. The review highlighted the pub as a refreshing antidote to corporate noise, praising its painstakingly sourced local beers and great conversational buzz. https://camra.org.uk/pubs/drapers-arms-bristol-113777.

WhatPub shutdown

WhatPub was shut down on Wednesday 10 December and all links from WhatPub pages were redirected to the CAMRA website. This should not have any effect on branch operations, but if there are questions or you think you've spotted a bug, please email ku.gro.armac@ti.

Good Chemistry Brewing finds new owners in World Famous Dive Bars Ltd.

Bristol, UK - 8 October 2025 - Contact: moc.dtlbdfw@selim.

World Famous Dive Bars today announced it has agreed to acquire Bristol brewery Good Chemistry Brewing, bringing one of the city's best-known independent breweries into the World Famous family. The acquisition will take effect later this month, with current Good Chemistry operations continuing from their St Philips' base and the brewery's team, brands and taproom to remain in place as the businesses begin an exciting new chapter together.

Good Chemistry Brewing has been a fixture on Bristol's beer scene since 2015, operating a brewery, occasional taproom and a small portfolio of local pubs while building a reputation for collaborative, community-minded brewing. The deal involves the brewery, its production facilities & taproom, but the pubs will remain in the hands of Good Chemistry's founders, Kelly Sidgwick & Bob Cary.

World Famous Dive Bars, a long standing Bristol hospitality group with a portfolio of well loved venues and a DIY, music-forward ethos, will operate Good Chemistry as a distinct brewing arm within its wider group while investing in capacity, route-to-market and local outreach to help the brewery grow.

"We've always admired what Good Chemistry has done for Bristol's independent beer culture - great recipes, genuine community ties and an obvious care for sustainability and quality," said Marc Griffiths, one of the Directors of World Famous Dive Bars. "Our plan is simple: keep everything that makes Good Chemistry special, and back it so it can reach more locals, pubs and beer lovers across the city and beyond."

"We've worked with WFDB for a number of years supplying their venues with our beer, so it's great to see them investing in the brewing side of the industry. We wish them all the best with Good Chemistry and are excited to see what they will achieve as it heads into its second decade," said Kelly Sidgwick, co-founder of Good Chemistry. "Bob and I would like to thank everyone who has helped us get the business to where it is today, and we hope Bristol's venues and beer drinkers will continue to support this independent local business."

Good Chemistry's co-founders publicly announced in September that they would be stepping away from the business after building the brewery over the past decade; the acquisition provides continuity for staff and customers while opening opportunities for reinvestment and growth.

Under the terms of the agreement, Good Chemistry's brewing operations, can shop and East Bristol premises will remain active, and World Famous Dive Bars has committed to maintaining the brewery's existing relationships with Bristol venues and independent retailers. The companies will work together in the coming months to expand the brewery's distribution, develop collaborative taproom events and strengthen Good Chemistry's role as part of the wider Bristol craft beer scene.

**ENDS**

Good Chemistry Brewing was set up by Bob Cary and Kelly Sidgwick to create good chemistry in its broadest sense – not just in the quality of the beer they produce, but using that to allow them to celebrate community and relationships across science, the arts, music, food, and social experiences, as well as beer & brewing. They have been up and running in their St Philips brewery since 2015, opened their first pub, The Good Measure, in Redland in December 2018, and their second, the beautiful and historic Kings Head, in central Bristol in November 2022. In addition to serving Bristol drinkers on draught and in can, Good Chemistry is increasingly reaching further afield. All their beers are suitable for vegans.

World Famous Dive Bars Ltd. isn't a chain, it's a scrappy Bristol outfit run by Marc Griffiths and Patrick Daly. We don't do velvet ropes or £15 cocktails - we do bars that actually feel like bars. Pubs where the lights are a bit too low, the music is loud, and the floor's seen better days, but you'll always find a good pint, a good price, and a crowd that feels like home. We've made our name by backing local music, giving a damn about the community, and keeping the bullshit out. Bristol knows us because we're not trying to be anything other than what we are: nights worth remembering (and some worth forgetting).

If you are a lady who loves beer then you might be interested in joining in with our activities. We are a group of CAMRA women who enjoy getting together for a few hours once every couple of months through the year to enjoy real ale and real cider. We are interested in organising beer and cider tasting, beer brewing and pub trips. We agreed that our pub trips would include places that served real cider as well as real ale, and that we wouldn't visit more than 3 pubs over an afternoon.

So, if you are one of the 22% of female members in Bristol and District (BAD) CAMRA, enjoy beer and great company, and like the look of our programme then please join us.

Our events take place on Saturday afternoons, normally from 14:00-18:00 unless otherwise stated. No need to book unless it's a special event. Just turn up.

If you have any queries about BAD Ladies, or if you need to know more find us on:

CAMRA Bristol and District Branch Diary: https://www.camrabristol.org.uk/diary.html

Instagram: @camra_bad_ladies

Contact Bianca on 07723 020223