Asahi & Cornish Orchards: Making Cider with Renewable Energy

On World Cider Day 2025, 3rd June, People and companies come together to celebrate the diverse styles of ciders, the production community and the orchards responsible for the cider.

Cornish Orchards announced a milestone moment this World Cider Day,  its cider farm in Duloe, Cornwall, is responsible for cider production fully powered by renewable energy. 

Asahi, which has begun the process of acquiring Fuller’s Beer Co., sees Cornish Orchards as a brand of the future, valued for its premium potential, local roots and genuine commitment to sustainability.

This announcement reflects the cider maker’s no-compromise approach to carbon reduction and biodiversity restoration, offering a model for how local producers can drive real environmental progress.

100% renewable produced cider

Cornish Orchards has replaced all fossil fuel use at its site with a combination of renewable electricity and plant-based biofuel. 

A newly installed combined air and water heat pump system, powered by solar energy sourced directly from a Somerset solar farm, has replaced its diesel boiler, cutting future site emissions by up to 94%. 

The final steps involved switching the last diesel inputs for farm equipment and heating to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

Cornish Orchards is creating this climate conscious step without any offsetting. 

The company’s strategy is entirely focused on real emissions reduction at the source. 

“When making our cider the things we prioritise most are quality and authenticity,” says Chris Newton, Head Cider Maker at Cornish Orchards. 

“We aim to make the best tasting cider with quality ingredients that our drinkers can trust. 

“For me this goes hand in hand with sustainability; true quality should transcend

 the product itself includes the positive impact it can have on the planet.”

Regenerating nature

Cornish Orchards’ commitment to sustainability goes far beyond carbon. 

The brand is actively restoring nature on its land. 

To date, it has planted four acres of woodland, sequestering seven tonnes of CO₂ annually, with plans for another 21 acres this year. 

A wetland has been created to clean water and support wildlife, while bee boxes and swallow houses reflect a deeper ethos of environmental care.

The team has also partnered with Cornwall Wildlife Trust as a Reserve Guardian to support pollinators across the county. 

This collaboration helps shape Cornish Orchards’ biodiversity strategy and ensures every step taken on the farm supports native species and local ecosystems.

“We take an honest approach with everything we do; we do not use any apple concentrate when making our cider, and now we don’t use any fossil fuels either!” explains Chris.

“Our founder’s ethos was, ‘doing simple things, to natural ingredients in a way that is kind to the environment’ and that still stands true today.” 

Industry leadership 

This nature-first approach aligns with the wider sustainability goals of Asahi, whose Carbon Zero initiative targets net zero CO₂ across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2040. 

Asahi has set 2025 targets of a 40% reduction in Scopes 1 and 2, along with a 70% reduction by 2030. 

The company’s goals are SBTi-certified and it has committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2040.

“We are delighted to demonstrate how a small rural farm can show innovative leadership in renewable technology and lead the way on sustainability,” says Sam Goodenough, Sustainability Manager, at Asahi UK.

“The team have worked hard over the years to make the farm a haven for nature, from woodland planting to organic certification at the site and now we have applied that same mindset to our cider making. 

“We’ve learnt a lot on the journey, and we are excited to be taking this new leap forward in sustainable cider production.” 

What’s the bigger picture?

Asahi’s broader sustainability roadmap includes switching to reusable or fully recyclable packaging by 2030.

The company also plans to use more than 50% recycled content in glass and aluminium packaging by 2025 and reduce plastics by 25% by 2030. 

“I think we have a great advantage of being naturally circular from the early years,” says Drahomira Mandikova, Group Chief Sustainability Officer of Asahi, in an interview with Sustainability Magazine.

“I think it's part of the natural way of doing this business, being sustainable and being more on target towards net zero.

“We are progressing very well as an industry. I think the majority of the brewers stepped into this space and started to ensure that renewable electricity is part of our operations."

Asahi is also targeting responsible water use across its manufacturing operations to support healthy watersheds.

Cornish Orchards represents a powerful example of these priorities in action, delivering transparency, tangible results and local impact. 

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