AN AWARD-winning Herefordshire cider company is sparkling with success after it landed a contract to supply a major supermarket chain across England and Wales.

Cheyney Lodge Cider, of Bishops Frome, near Bromyard, has just struck a deal with Tesco to supply Frome Valley Dry Cider to 165 of its largest stores.

Cider makers Mike Henney and Beth Leadbeater have been selling their cider to six Tesco stores, local off licences and pubs for the past 18 months.

The new contract means a leap from a lucrative hobby to a full time business venture for Mike.

"This is a major coup although it was always in our plan and demonstrates the potential of locally-grown produce," said Mike, who started the part time business two years ago.

"Our ambition is to extend our distribution base into other large supermarkets and hope to get one more on board by Christmas. We face our biggest challenge because getting the product to the shelf is one thing - now we have to perform against the other competition.

"Our intention is to have a successful local brand and use evidence of that success to persuade national retailers to take it on."

All the apples are sourced locally from Herefordshire orchards and harvested between September and December.

The couple use traditional techniques and modern equipment to produce the cider which is made from 100 per cent fresh pressed juice, although it is bottled by expert bottlers.

The Cheyney Lodge press processes around half a tonne of apples an hour. The juice is fermented for up to three months in storage tanks.

It is then left to mature for six months before being transported to the bottling plant.

The pair won the Flavours of Herefordshire food producer of the year award in 2001.

Heart of England Fine Foods also welcomed the contract.