Cider is becoming trendy! Cold cider was a popular drink during the scorching summer but evidently more cider is being sold in bars and clubs making sales soar.

This of course must be good news for Kent as the county still produces approximately 50% of all apples grown in the UK, although it’s fair to say that Kent is not particularly known for its cider. This has not always been the case as some of the earliest records of cider making are from Kent and in medieval times cider making was an important industry in Kent.

The crab apple Malus sylvestris is native to Kent but it was probably the Romans who brought the cultivated apple and they established the first orchards. A cider-like beverage was drunk by people in Kent at this time. Monasteries re-established orchards after the downfall of the Roman Empire and a manuscript (circa 1165) of part of the plan of the garden of Canterbury Christ Church monastery shows an apple garden, consisting of apples and pears for eating and apples for cider making. The first record of cider making in the UK comes after the Norman Conquest (1066). They introduced many types of apple and the Pearmain was particularly valued for cider making. However, Kent like all eastern counties traditionally used its surplus culinary apples for cider whilst in the West Country apples were produced specifically for cider. The mass production of cider from factories did not happen until the 20^th century.

Why not help your local producers of cider by purchasing a bottle or two. Local producers are listed below but you can also find local products in Farm Shops and some Pubs. All the producers below will also make apple juice.

01227 730573

01227 765632

Biddenden Vineyards

01580 291726

01795 532043

01795 535286