Riverdale Orchard
While
craft beers, spirits and wines have long-dominated the liquor landscape in
Atlantic Canada, craft cider - a crisp concoction composed of high-quality
apples - it set to become the region’s new go-to brew.
Alex
and Anne Jamieson hope it is here to stay.
“We
are originally from the U.K.,” shares Anne via email. “Cider is a major player
in the industry there, and we had a feeling that it would become very popular
in Canada as well as an alternative alcoholic drink that pairs nicely with all
food choices or can be enjoyed equally on its own.”
Though
the couple spent most of their lives in Scotland, they relocated to the east coast
of Canada five years ago.
“Our
initial idea was to retire in Scotland,” recalls Anne, “but there was a slight
change of plans. We left Glasgow and landed as immigrants in July of 2014 in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, on our way to Prince Edward Island, where we had decided
to make our new home. We were looking for a new adventure and a change in
lifestyle.”
With
a background in the Tourism and Hospitality sector, Anne wanted to break into
PEI’s strong tourism market. The decision to get into the cider business came
from what she calls an “eureka” moment.
“I
turned to Alex while we were sitting at a large networking meeting and
listening to a keynote speaker who had mentioned orchards. I decided then that
we would make cider. We had made very small batches of cider in the U.K. and opted
to turn that hobby into a sustainable and evolving business. After a long
journey - both metaphorically and literally - we sold our first bottle of
cider.”
By
the summer of 2018, the duo had launched their fledging business - Riverdale
Orchard - and began to bottle their signature creation, 2 Scots 3 Apples.
The
process, Anne explains, was not an easy one.
“After
meeting with PEILCC (Prince Edward Island Control Commission) over 4 years ago
- when we had first decided make cider - we discovered that we had to have a
minimum of a 3-acre orchard adjacent to the production facility.
“Undeterred,
we bought 45 acres of farmland in Riverdale a few months later and prepared a
4-acre field for the planting our first orchard. While it
was growing, we completed a NACM (National Association of Cider Makers) at
Cornell University in the United States, before returning to the U.K. to
further developed our knowledge and skills by working with award-winning cider
makers there.
“We
are now quality craft cider makers, using only traditional artisan methods in the
making of our product.”
“We
decided that we would stick to our U.K. roots and make a crisp, dry, slightly
carbonated cider, containing no added sulphites” continues Anne. “2 Scots 3
Apples -named so because we are two Scots, using three apples - is made using
only the juice of three varieties of apples and nothing else. Our cider takes
between 4 and 5 months to make, as opposed to 6 to 8 weeks with different
methods and additives. We use cold fermentation and rely on the wild yeasts which
are naturally present in apples. Once fermentation has stopped, we rack off our
cider and let the flavour develop until it reaches the profile that we are
looking for, hence why it is a slow process. You cannot hurry nature.”
Since
its debut, Riverdale Orchard has numerous accolades and acclaim; the Atlantic
Canadian Beer Awards presented them with Gold Cider of The Year, Gold Standard
Cider and Perry, Gold Cider House of The Year and Gold New Cider House of The
Year honours.
The
biggest reward, however, has been appreciation.
“Seeing
the smile on our customer’s faces and hearing their fantastic compliments when
they have their first sample of 2 Scots 3 Apples Cider in The Tasting Room at
Riverdale Orchard is more than we could ask for.”
In
addition to adding more choices to their current cider menu, the pair also
hopes to grow their business by hosting more events throughout the year and exporting
their products further afield.
“At
the end of the day we want to be able to take consumers on a journey - from the
orchard right through to our end product, our cider.”
