A family business which has been producing cider in Suffolk for three centuries is seeking to grow its operations and boost its public profile.
Aspall Cyder said it was exploring a number of “fantastic opportunities” to expand the brand, which has been part of the Chevallier family for eight generations.
Company chairman Barry Chevallier Guild said: “We want to keep growing the business.
“There are some fantastic opportunities to keep investing on both the brand itself and also the factory site, to ensure we can keep up with demand.”
Mr Chevallier Guild said the business had “invested heavily” to create a new apple press at its factory site, in Aspall, near Debenham, last year, adding that further phases of investment were now being considered.
The company is seeking finance to bring new machinery to its factory and reinvigorate its publicity campaign.
“We want to put a new push behind the marketing front to raise or profile even more,” Mr Chavallier Guild added
“We already have a high profile and are a big brand in the cider world, but we are looking to develop that further.”
As part of last year’s planning application to expand its operations, the company told Mid Suffolk District Council that it would help increase levels of production to compete with European imports.
People living in the village had suggested that an expanded factory site would be more suited to the Food Enterprise Zone (FEZ) in Stowmarket, which they said had better transport connections.
However, Mr Chevallier Guild said the company had no plans to relocate from the hamlet it is named after.
The further investment in the existing site is hoped to safeguard the jobs that Aspall provides and create new employment opportunities.
Mr Chavellier Guild said discussions were ongoing with a number of possible sources of investment but no decision had yet been made.
Aspall Cyder has been operating from its Suffolk site since 1728. Over the past three centuries, its product list has grown to include around a dozen varieties of drinks, as well as several vinegars.
The company has won various food and drink awards for its products.
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