Strong Scottish Cider
Well it all started with Peter Stuart’s wedding...
Peter had wanted to be a commercial artist. He achieved his post graduate in art, but wasn’t able to feed his family on painting alone, so, had to augment his income. Peter was one of these artists who had to be there, absolutely no photos. To make some extra cash, he was helping a friend with lambing and met a cider maker taking a break, who, on hearing Peter was about to be married offered some traditional Somerset cider for the wedding party. This was a very special batch and was very strong.Needless to say the wedding party went with a bang.
That was in 2006.
Peter was hooked in more ways than one and decided cider was for him. He served an apprenticeship making traditional farmhouse cider on a farm in Hereford and started making cider on a small scale in the borders.
In October 2008 he came to Belhaven Fruit Farm looking for apples and started talking to the local farmer, Ian Rennie. Ian has always looked for ways to make the farm work harder, (there are now more people working on it than there was in the 30’s) and so they combined forces to make a Scottish cider that is pleasant to drink.
Thistly Cross Cider was able to try the cider out at Farmers Markets through out Edinburgh and the Lothians, in the spring of 2009, using the feedback to create the original Scottish cider. Thistly Cross Cider is 7.2% , but the strong kick is offset by an unique fruit flavour, which has proved very popular. Interestingly, we sell as much still cider as lightly sparkling cider. It seems to suggest, that newcomers really appreciate the simple flavour of traditionally still cider.
And now to the present day!
With plans for a range of fruit and flavoured ciders @ 4%, Thistly Cross are to launch a Strawberry cider and a Whisky cider. With Pear, Blackcurrant and Chocolate to follow... The fruit ciders are made using real Scottish fruit sourced from Belhaven Fruit farm. A Ginger cider, a 4% cider and a 1% cider will complete the range.
All of Thistly Cross ciders contain Scottish apples and, as they are made using farmhouse methods, take around 6 months to achieve their full flavour. To maintain year round production, some of the apples are concentrated, some sourced from over the border, and some ingredients, like the ginger, sourced from further afield. This is blended with real Scottish apple juice to create an East Lothian variation of the traditional English Farmhouse recipe.
Scotland would not be able to, as yet, sustain and build a cider industry on its current apple production - but Thistly Cross are working on it. Simon Russell, a spokesman for the National Association of Cider Makers confirmed Thistly Cross' status as the only commercial Scottish cider producer on the market. And he added that, from these humble beginnings, Thistly Cross could grow exponentially. 'Scotland is under-represented in the cider market but its cider production could grow as it did in Wales five or six years ago,' said Mr Russell. 'Today in Wales, it's absolutely flying with between 25 and 30 commercial cider producers. 'It is also doing a lot for the reintroduction of native apples.'
Cider drinkers can sample the local blend at Thistly Cross Beer & Cider Festival being held over the May Day Bank Holiday at Belhaven Fruit Farm.
