Vinegar and cider producer Aspall has appointed Peter Moore as MD as it bids to double the size of the business over the next five years.

Moore joins from PJ Smoothies, where he was also MD. The position at Aspall has been newly created in light of the company's expansion plans, said Barry Chevallier Guild, joint company director.

"We have decided to accelerate Aspall's development plans and set some ambitious growth targets over the next five years," he said. "Peter brings extensive experience in business expansion and his skills will help us achieve our goal, while taking our workforce with us and maintaining focus on quality."

Chevallier Guild said the company's plans included consolidating production facilities under one roof, trip­ling the speed of bottling lines as well as increasing vinegar and cider storage and production facilities.

Sourcing sufficient supplies of apples in the UK was also a priority for the company, he said.

"Sourcing from abroad is never an option for us as we believe in using the best ingredients of sound provenance, minimising food miles," he said.

Aspall is currently in talks with local farmers to plant more apple trees and is also considering expanding its own organic orchards.

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