A Somerset cider firm that saw home sales soar during lockdown has taken it a step further by launching DIY Wassail kits.
Home drinkers lifted sales for Harry's Cider Company after it lost around 70% of its trade sales overnight when the first lockdown forced the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants in March.
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But a then lifted overall figures back up to almost 75% of where they were before.
Now it has launched a DIY Wassail kit for lockdown 3 to encourage people to get out into their gardens this month and hold their own personal wassail ceremonies.
Traditionally held on 17 January, 鈥淥ld Twelvey Night鈥, the wassail ceremony involves blessing the orchards, waking up the apple trees from their slumber and scaring away any evil spirits in order to ensure a healthy crop.
Alison Chapman from Harry鈥檚 Cider Company, said: 鈥淚n previous years our annual wassails have been well-supported and great fun. Rather than throwing in the towel altogether this year, we thought it鈥檇 be a nice opportunity to encourage even more people to get involved in this ancient tradition 鈥 something that is still very much alive across our rural counties.
鈥淲hether or not you have an apple tree in your garden, it鈥檚 an evening鈥檚 entertainment that anyone can get involved with. Let鈥檚 face it, we鈥檙e all keen to ward off any evil spirits this year and hope that spring yields a good crop, in whatever shape or form that may be.鈥
Originally Harry鈥檚 Cider had been planning to host a series of small bespoke wassail ceremonies in their orchards for groups of up to five people but, with Somerset moving first into Tier 4 and then a few days later into a national lockdown, these plans had to be cancelled.
The 拢25 kit includes a step-by-step guide to holding your own wassail ceremony; printed copies of the words to the wassail carol and shout; a bottle of Harry鈥檚 Original Cider; a flagon of Harry鈥檚 Mulled Cider; and two mulled cider glasses.
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