The British Cider Championships, held this year at the Royal Bath and West Show near Shepton Mallet, has awarded the title of Supreme Champion to Pips Cider Dry.

Created by the Phillips family in Herefordshire's Golden Valley, Pips Cider Dry garnered a unanimous decision from the panel of judges, subsequently securing the Rupert Best Trophy.

Presented by the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, this distinguished award acknowledges the Supreme Champion of the British Cider.

The family behind Pips Cider, David and Diane Phillips, along with their son Alistair, established their cider company in 2010. Their orchard, however, has a much richer history, being initially planted by David's father in 1959. Their cider, crafted with 100% pure juice from seven different cider apple varieties in their orchard, is distinguished by its compatibility with a range of foods.

"We couldn't be more delighted", said David Phillips, after being given the news.

"We are a family business –myself, my wife Diane and our son Alistair –and we have been making cider since 2010, from apples grown in an orchard planted by my father back in 1959.

"We specialise in producing ciders that will go with food, like a good wine, made from 100% pure juice from the seven different cider apple varieties in our orchard, some of them quite rare.

"Premium cider paired with food is an adventure which more and more people love to experience, and we are always looking for new ways to enjoy food with cider. To win at the British Cider Championships really validates everything we as a family have been trying to achieve since we started making cider. It will give our business a huge boost."

The honour of Reserve Champion was awarded to 'Starlight', a champagne-like cider created by Rull Orchard near Exeter. This particular cider, crafted via the methode traditionelle, stands at a robust 8% alcohol by volume, demonstrating the artistry involved in crafting top-tier artisan cider, according to the competition's judges.

With over 500 entries, farmhouse ciders dominated the competition. The Worshipful Company of Pewterers awarded a separate Pewterers Trophy for the Champion Farmhouse Cider. This year, the award was bestowed upon Alistair Smith, of Sisson and Smith Cider at Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, for his Farmhouse Medium.

"This has got to be the best day in my cider-making life", said Mr Smith, who started making cider as a hobby, using apples from a small family orchard. Over the subsequent ten years or so, the business has grown, using top quality cider apples purchased from Herefordshire and Somerset."We've been entering as many cider competitions as we could, learning as we went along", said Mr Smith.

"Now all of that hard work and travel has paid off, and I couldn't be happier."