Full-Time cider mill with a farm shop

Pubs, bottle shops, farm shops and delis, plus visitors, festivals and online customers.

Wholesale to pubs and shops, direct sales of bottles and bag-in-boxes, and tastings or tours, with some contract pressing for others.

• Production know-how and consistent quality
• Selling to trade customers
• Running accounts, stock and duty paperwork

• Alcohol duty registration and records, check HMRC's current rules, including warehousing and bonded premises options
• Premises licence for selling or tastings on site, and a personal licence holder where needed, check with your council
• Planning permission or business rates for farm buildings, check with your council
• Food business registration, labelling and allergen rules
• Public liability, product liability and employer's liability once you take on staff
• High upfront costs for the mill, press, tanks, bottling and fit-out, and months of waiting for cider to mature before sales

Startup costs are typically around £80,000 to £300,000, depending on the mill, press, tanks, bottling equipment and premises fit-out. Cider also needs months to mature, so you may wait a while before sales cover those costs.

Monthly revenue is typically around £3,000 to £15,000, depending on your trade customers, visitors, festivals and online sales. The estimate assumes roughly 30 hours a week at minimum, and results will vary with your output and sales routes.

Things to check: alcohol duty registration and records with HMRC, a premises licence for on-site sales or tastings, planning permission and business rates for farm buildings, food business registration, labelling and allergen rules, and insurance including employer's liability for staff.