A Gwent cider maker is hoping that online sales and home deliveries will help to mitigate the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on its business.

Normally this time of year would see sales at Hallets Cider begin to rise as temperatures do.

But with social distancing measures now in place for the fifth week across the country, Hallets’ cider sales have instead fallen dramatically.

Ann Hallet, co-owner and co-founder of the business, is hoping that switching over to online sales and home deliveries will be a lifeline at this critical time.

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She said: “Like many alcohol producers, we have been hugely affected by the closure of pubs and restaurants, it has been devastating. Unusually for us, we are having to now focus on sales directly to the public, as being able to still get our cider into our usual customer’s hands will be absolutely crucial to our survival as a business.

"We are making our cider available for home delivery through a website called DiscoverDelicious.Wales. It offers a way for people to continue to support independent Welsh businesses like ours who are really feeling the pressure at the moment - and we are hoping it could help us to make it through to the other side of this.”

The rise in demand for food home deliveries has prompted DiscoverDelicious.Wales to launch a home delivery service for store cupboard items and fresh produce essentials – all sourced from a variety of independent businesses in Wales which are currently struggling to shift stock.

Other local businesses using DiscoverDelicious.Wales include Parva Spices, of Tintern, The Preservation Society, of Chepstow and Tudor Brewery, of Abertillery.

Discover Delicious founder Laura Pickup said: “When we launched DiscoverDelicious.Wales in 2018, the number one driving force was to support the incredible community of independent food and drink producers in Wales.

"These are the same businesses which provide local jobs and which reinvest their profits back into local communities. Many of them rely heavily on the hospitality industry, local farmer’s markets, and food festivals and to reach their customers and most of those are currently cancelled or closed.

"We are keen to hear from any Welsh brands which may currently be struggling to get their food and drink products into the hands of their customers, and we're waiving all commission fees for the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak."