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Biography – Peter Mitchell

Summary

Drawing from well over 35 years of practical experience, Peter is a highly qualified and internationally recognised authority in cider and perry production. He is a professional trainer and presenter, acts as an advisor to clients across the world, is an EU (CiderWorld), UK and USA competition judge, an author and an award-winning producer in his own right.

In 2015, he received the prestigious American Cider Association (ACA) award for Significant Contributions to the Cider Industry.

The highly regarded Cider & Perry Academy is the primary trading component of Mitchell F&D Limited, established by Peter in 2003 as a specialist training and consultancy business. Up to September 2018 and at the Orchard Centre at Hartpury, Gloucestershire, UK, Peter had his own demonstration commercial production facility (Hartpury Process Limited) producing Out of the Orchard products. This facility, which incorporated an analytical laboratory, was operated as a model of best practice and was also used as an ‘incubator unit’ to assist clients with business and product development work. After the production facility was sold in 2018, the company re-invested into a ‘state-of-the-art’ laboratory and pilot production facility to focus on research work in cider production.

Peter has twice been Chairman of the Three Counties Cider & Perry Association (TCCPA) in the UK and a founding member and Vice President of the Cider Institute of North America (CINA). Up to 2023, he also served on the Technical Committee of the UK’s National Association of Cider Makers (NACM) and, previously, its Training Group, where he took the lead role in developing and establishing the acclaimed NACM Foundation Certificate in Cider & Perry Appreciation.

As Vice President of the Cider Institute of North America (CINA), he helped steer the organisation in taking a lead in the development and operation of certificated training courses for the Industry in North America and for other countries throughout the world.

http://www.cider-academy.co.uk/    https://www.ciderinstitute.com/

Work and Employment

  • Current position: Owner and Director of Mitchell F&D Limited - a business that operates a specialist and unique service for and within the Cider Industry. The primary trading component of the Company is:

  • The Cider & Perry Academy (CPAC) which provides training, consultancy/advice and practical support to current members of the Industry in addition to new business ventures. From the autumn of 2018, CPAC has also commenced research work in cider production fermentation control.

  • Past roles:

    • Head of Core Food & Drink – A Centre of Excellence for the Cider, Food & Drink Industry. Based at Pershore Group of Colleges, Worcestershire, England.

    • Head of The Hindlip Centre for Cider, Food & Drink Industries. Based at Hindlip, Worcestershire, England.

    • Head of Cider Production and Food Technology, Worcestershire College of Agriculture, Worcester, England.

    • Hartpury Process Limited & Out of the Orchard: To September 2018, Peter also managed his own small-scale demonstration commercial production facility based at The Orchard Centre, Hartpury, Gloucestershire, UK, incorporating fruit processing, fermentation, downstream processing, packaging and laboratory analysis facilities. A range of fruit-based products are made for sale – jointly branded under Out of the Orchard - including fresh-pressed juice drinks, cider, perry, fruit wines and vinegars.

Qualifications

  • MSc. (Distinction) Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology (Food) – Wolverhampton University, England. Research thesis: Malo-lactic Fermentation in Cider. Research dissertation: Hydrogen Sulphide Production in Cider and Perry and its Control

  • BSc. (Hons) Physiology and Biochemistry – Reading University, England

  • Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (Distinction) Further Education; Science – Wolverhampton Polytechnic

Cider Making and Technical Experience

  • Commenced cider making in 1982.

  • Founder, part owner and manager of Hindlip Cider from 1993 - Commercial production and packaging of ciders and perries.

  • Founder and manager of Avonbank Ciders & Perries from 2000 to 2002 – based at Core Food & Drink, Pershore, England

  • Lecturer in Cider Production. Includes development & management of web-based Internet ‘learning tools’

  • Cider Industry consultant: UK, Europe, USA, Canada, China, Lebanon, South America

    • Clients include: Angry Orchard, Bulmers, Heineken, Gaymer Cider Company, Diageo, Aspall Cyder, Thatcher’s Cider Company, Henney’s Cider Company, H Weston & Sons Ltd, R J Sheppy & Son plus a number of business start-up and small/medium scale cider and perry companies based in the UK, USA, Canada, Asia Middle East and eastern and western Europe.

  • Research: Application of Malo-lactic fermentation in cider production. Characteristics, effects and control of Saccharomycodes ludwigii. Pasteurisation of cider. Application of cross-flow filtration for cider. Yeast selection and management for cider and perry production. General production methods in cider making. Mechanisms of support and skills and technology transfer mechanisms for small and medium cider makers. Feasibility studies for the production of cider in non-traditional regions of the world.

  • Author: Mitchell’s Science, Practice and Quality Assured Production of Cider and Perry. 2023, Cider & Perry Academy ISBN 978-9935896-2-1. “Out of the Orchard – into the glass”. The official textbook for the NACM’s Foundation Certificate in Cider & Perry Appreciation. 2010, NACM and Mitchell F&D Limited. ISBN 0-9551033-0-4. “Cider Making Technology”. 2004, China Light Industry Press. ISBN 7-5019-4268-4/TS.2524. “Malo-Lactic Fermentation in Cider Production: The Application of Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria Starter Cultures to Induce and Carry Out a Malo-Lactic Fermentation in Cider”. 1996. MSc. Thesis, University of Wolverhampton. “Cider & Perry Production – A Foundation” The Official Text Book for the North American Foundation Certificate in Cider and Perry Production. 2016, ISBN 978-0-9935896-0-7

  • Competitions and Awards: Overall Champion – Hereford Cider Museum International Cider Competition, 1998 and 2011. Overall Champion - Royal Three Counties International Cider and Perry Competition in 2011 and 2019. CAMRA Pomona Award, 1998. Best in County (Gloucestershire) 2014, 2017, 2019. Numerous 1st prize/Gold and Silver awards in UK national and international cider competitions from 1996 to date. Presented with the American Cider Association (ACA) award for Significant Contributions to the Cider Industry in 2015

Other Relevant Work & Activities

  • Lead developer and founder-chairman (1988) of the Three Counties Cider & Perry Association, England. Chairman 2008 – 2010.

  • Member of the National Association of Cider Makers’ (NACM) Technical Committee 2000 – 2003 and from 2018 to 2023. Plus, a member of the Executive Committee 2008 - 2010.

  • Led development for the Guild of Craft Cider Makers Quality Mark scheme

  • Involved in political lobbying for the Cider Industry at regional and national level in the UK

  • Member of NACM’s Training Group and led development of the NACM Foundation Certificate in Cider & Perry Appreciation

  • A lead developer & founder member of the Slow Food Three Counties Perry Presidium.

  • Nationally (UK) and internationally recognised “Industry Champion”

  • From 2016, Vice President and founding member of the Cider Institute of North America (CINA)

 

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