Purbeck Cider based near Corfe Castle in Dorset, is launching a zero alcohol bottled cider to take advantage of a growing market for guilt-free drinks – and one of the first chances to try it will be at the Swanage Carnival at the end of July 2025.
Purbeck Zero, the first alcohol-free drink from the company, will be aimed at drinkers who want a genuine cider taste, as well as enjoying a healthier lifestyle without alcohol.
Joe and Kate Hartle run Purbeck Cider from Lower Bushey Farm near Corfe Castle
Summer festivals to feature Purbeck Zero
With the new drink being pressed, fermented and matured like any other craft cider before having its alcoholic content removed, the company says Purbeck Zero still retains all the taste of the original beverage.
First bottles of Purbeck Zero are now available from Purbeck Cider’s farm shop at Lower Bushey Farm near Corfe Castle and can also be ordered online through its website.
The zero alcohol option will soon be rolled out through local stockists including some of the most visited pubs in Dorset such as the Square and Compass at Worth Matravers and The Greyhound at Corfe Castle.
And summer festivals across the county which have Purbeck Cider’s premium drinks on sale will also be featuring the new Purbeck Zero.
The latest star in Purbeck Cider’s premium range is teased in a spring photo shoot
“Part of our five year growth plan”
Founder and managing director of Purbeck Cider, Joe Hartle, said:
“The zero alcohol market is in real growth and there’s an opportunity for strong sales with zero drinks – one third of all adult pub visits are now alcohol free.
“With the rising cost of going out, people are drinking less alcohol but still want an experience, and part of that can be a zero alcohol beverage with a pub meal.
“Zero is part of our five year growth plan, it’s a product that the sales team has seen a massive demand for and we were always going to slot it into our portfolio.
“But we very much felt that the cider zero market as it stood was a little bit lacking, so we wanted to bring the best option forward that we possibly could – our whole ambition as a company is to produce everything we do to the highest possible standards and Zero is no different.”
Like all Purbeck Cider products, Purbeck Zero starts with Dorset apples from local orchards
“It’s a true cider”
Joe added:
“Purbeck Cider Zero has gone through rigorous development to get it to where it is, and we have started with the best possible liquid as a foundation.
“The better the fruit you put in, the better the base liquid, which leads to the best final product. It’s a true cider, not a concoction and we have gone through a slow, pressurised fermentation with the best Dorset apples to give us as much taste as possible before extracting the alcohol.
“We have gone through a large number of blends before we reached our perfect zero free cider, it has been benchmarked against our existing products and against other people’s products.
“We are pretty chuffed with the end result. It’s been a team effort to get it right and we are very much looking forward to hitting the market hard and growing into that demand for it.”
Joe Hartle pictured with Purbeck Cider’s new apple press
One of the company’s core products
Purbeck Zero will be marketed in the flagship Dorset range of Purbeck ciders and will become one of the company’s core products.
Zero alcohol drinks – legally, the term covers any drink with less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume – have never been more popular and even brewery giant Guinness now sees a third of its draught sales from its zero alcohol stout.
No and low alcohol drink sales, which now cover everything from wine to whisky and cider to sambuca, have been growing steadily since 2016 with a steep rise since 2022 as more and more adults look to reduce alcohol consumption and as the taste of zero options continues to improve.
Purbeck Cider managers are considering blind tasting sessions with Purbeck Zero to see whether consumers can actually pick out the drink which has no alcohol in it.
Enjoy a cold cider at lunchtime without worrying about alcohol consumption
“People know and trust what we do”
Sales manager Joe Harrison said:
“More than half of our customer base have requested a zero option cider from us, because they know and trust what we do. There was a lot of research and development to get it to a product that tastes like cider rather than a fruity drink.
“It gives us an opportunity to speak to a younger audience as well as our existing audience and also allows us to tell our story of where we are from.
“It’s a drink that suits daytime drinking, you can pause your day whether you are cycling, rock climbing or working, and have a refreshing cider without the alcohol.
“We supply Swanage Carnival and other big summer events and would love to get Purbeck Zero into events like these where there is a real demand for it, to service those customers who want a cold cider without having to worry about the alcohol.
“And we are also looking forward to marketing Purbeck Zero during dry January to give a real option to millions who are trying to start a new year without alcohol!”
Kate and Joe Hartle have been holding apple blossom tours at Lower Bushey Farm
Best apple blossom sets
Purbeck Cider employees are also keeping their fingers crossed for a bumper apple crop in 2025, with the early signs looking good.
Dabinett trees, the variety which provides apples for a third of the UK’s cider market, have responded well to some winter frosts which have been missing in the past few years, and a warm spring has helped to produce some of the best apple blossom sets in recent years.
Apple blossom tours have been held at Lower Bushey Farm as part of British Cider Week celebrations, and the company is now considering other public events to tie in with Apple Day in early autumn.
Lambs on the farm are another sign that spring is well and truly here
Further information
- Discover more about Purbeck Cider on its website
