We are greatly saddened by the recent death of Simon Gibson, who will be known to many as the man behind the multi-award winning Simon’s Cider. Simon was a staunch supporter of our branch and its festivals. Not only did he spend the festival serving on the cider bar, helping drinkers find the ciders and perries that most suited their tastes, but he also spent many hours helping to set the festival up and take it down afterwards.
He was always keen to engage with people and during lockdown played a key role in our online beer festival producing mixed cider boxes and guiding people through an extended online tasting session. Simon’s skill and enthusiasm in producing and promoting cider and perry was recognised by CAMRA nationally when he was received the 2020 Pomona Award for promoting real cider and perry.