Putting Scotland firmly back on the cider-making map was the ambition when entrepreneur Angus Morrison and fruit grower Andrew Husband joined forces back in 2017.
Husband’s East Adamston Farm in Angus has been farmed by six generations of the family, providing fruit to companies including Ribena. Orchards were first planted there in 2012 by Andrew’s father, Bill.
Together, the businessmen had a vision: to restore Scotland to the apple-growing and cider-making powerhouse of its 19th century heyday. And Lost Orchards Cider was born.
The business partners teamed with three other major Scottish fruit growers to plant more orchards in the Angus and Perth area.
A fruit press was installed at East Adamston which allowed apples to be pressed within an hour of being picked.
And then cider veteran Bob Chaplin was recruited from the heart of Somerset to teach the team how to make quality cider.
Acclaim came quickly, with Lost Orchards’ debut Scottish Pure Apple Cider winning the Gold trophy in its class at the International Cider Awards before the product had even officially launched.
“This was the first time a new entrant had ever won the award,” Angus recalled. “We went down to the black tie lunch awards ceremony at the Guildhall in London.
“I cheekily said that if the Japanese can apparently make some of the best whisky in the world then we shouldn’t be surprised that the Scots can make some of the best cider in the world. It split the room!”
The original Pure Apple Cider (4.5% ABV) was followed by two fruit ciders – Scottish Dark Berries and Scottish Red Berries & Lime (both 4% ABV) – as well as a low-alcohol (0.5% ABV) version of Scottish Pure Apple.
The fruit ciders are produced using fruit from the same growers as the flagship Pure Apple.
Angus said, with competition fierce, Lost Orchards is focusing on bars and restaurants with a focus on quality and provenance at a reasonable price.
“Consumers increasingly care about provenance and traceability,” he said. “They want to know where things come from, who made them and what they are supporting when they buy them.
“At the same time, independent drinks producers are under real pressure. Big global brands dominate so much of the market, but we think there is a real appetite for products that are independent, transparent and genuinely rooted in Scotland.”
The range is available to the trade through wholesalers that include Inverarity Morton, Dunns Food and Drinks, Tennent’s, Sutherland Brothers and JW Gray & Co.
And, as it looks to ramp up production, the company is now massively expanding its orchards, with the planting of thousands of new apple trees.
