Apple growers launch new ciders in Northern Ireland

Northern Irish apple growers Long Meadow Farm has launched two new cold pressed ciders. Medium and sweet ciders are the outcome of a farm diversification project by an Armagh family at the heart of Northern Ireland's 'orchard county'. Long Meadow Cider has developed the two-strong range of bottled ciders.

Behind the development is father and son team Pat and Peter McKeever on the McKeever family farm, near Loughgall in county Armagh. The ciders are being supplied in 500ml bottles. The company also plans to supply the ciders in 330ml bottles.

The McKeever family, who have been growing apples for more than 50 years on the Armagh farm, are hoping that the move will not only help sustain the existing apple growing business but will lead to further job creation as demand increases for its newly introduced range of ciders.

"We are absolutely delighted with how our ciders have been received," says company director and cider maker Pat McKeever. "We had a soft launch just before Christmas when we introduced the new Long Meadow Medium and Sweet Ciders to family and friends. We have since developed business with over 50 outlets in Northern Ireland.

"We have since followed that up with listings being obtained in bars, restaurants, hotels and off-licences right across Northern Ireland. We've also sent samples to potential distributors in the Republic and hope that business will develop there soon."

The cider project began four years' ago. "We saw it very much as a natural progression. We were growing apples for the processing and packaging markets and also supplying apples to a number of cider producing companies in the South and thought it would be nice if we could start producing our own brand of cider and so we started looking into that."

The McKeever family grows and harvests apples from a total of 120 acres, 30 of which are on the home farm.

"Over the last two years we have planted new brambley trees and sweet apples along with dwarf trees, including the fruit wall system, to provide a better quality of fruit that is both easier managed and harvested. We are hoping to maximise the EU PGI status accorded recently to Armagh bramley apples."