It has been big year for Orange’s Small Acres Cyder. Our local cider producer has scored another huge haul of awards at two of Australia’s key cider shows, including being named Australia’s Most Successful Small Producer for the third year in a row.

“To take out best small producer in Australia at the Australian Cider Awards is an awesome award — especially winning it three years in a row, because that award is all about choosing the most consistently high-quality cider cider producer in Australia,” said James Kendell, who along with his wife Gail, founded Small Acres some 12 years ago.

Small Acres has picked up over 130 industry awards since they first started producing in 2007. But given the passion James puts into his products, the recognition is still welcome.

“I suppose I’m most proud of the fact we took out Champion Cider for our Cat's Pyjamas at the Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Show this year. Now we've always got medals, but this year we took out Champion for the Methode Champenois class with the Cat's Pyjamas — that is certainly a high point for me.”

Small Acres 2017 Sparkling Perry was also named Best Perry in Australia at the Australian Cider Awards, another proud moment for James.

“It was a pretty good set of show winnings so that was great,” he said. “And this year it was the highest number of entries in the Australian Cider Awards with nearly 300 entries.”

Small Acres’ success is the result of twelve years’ hard work and the vision of founders James and Gail Kendell. At the time they first began to discuss the concept back in 2003, James and Gail were both working corporate roles in Sydney but looking to make a tree change and find a better work/life balance.

Introducing Australia to the cider styles they knew and loved from their time in Europe seemed to be opportunity they were looking for.

“My wife Gail grew up in Bristol, so Somerset, southwest UK, which is cider capital of the UK…  I had been working in the UK for six or seven years. I was in the beer industry, but obviously in the UK you get exposed to cider,” said James.

“And travelling through places like Germany, France and Spain and seeing all the different style of cider that they produce and the culture surrounding it; when we came back to Australia there was none of that here. There was none of these champagne styles that we do, or the apple wine styles that you see in Germany, and we just thought there was an opportunity.”

After doing a bit of market research and assuring themselves there was place for a premium cider range in Australia, they took the plunge.

“And that’s what we've been doing ever since,” said James, who has been pleased to see a growing appreciation for the tradition cider styles that they focus on.

“Our main focus is on doing the large bottle format Methode Champenois style ciders and the apple wines, which are created much more along the lines of how a winemaker would create a grape wine, exactly the same processes and equipment, we are just using a different fruit,” he said.

“These sorts of styles, to me in any case, have more of a place at different occasions like matching with food or celebrations and they are just more complex, more depth of flavour and more interesting styles of cider rather than your average, everyday mainstream cider.”

When Small Acres began there were just a handful of craft cider makers in Australia, but that number is now well over 100 and growing each year — as is the appreciation for cider in Australia.

“We are still educating the market, but certainly when we started there was one other product on the shelf and we were coming in with styles of cider that the bottle shop manager and the restaurant sommelier had probably never seen before,” said James.

“Since we started the industry has grown tenfold and it is now part of just about every Australian’s regular repertoire. And we get a lot of cider enthusiasts these days who specifically come and see us, that's the who reason they come to Orange.”

AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS 2019

Small Acres Cyder 2017 Sparkling Perry – Gold Medal and Best Perry in Show.

Small Acres Cyder 2016 Appscato – Gold Medal and Best in Class.

Small Acres Cyder 2016 Sparkling – Silver Medal.

Small Acres Cyder 2015 The Cat’s Pyjamas – Silver Medal.

Small Acres Pomme – Silver Medal.

Small Acres Cyder 2016 Somerset Still – Bronze Medal.

Small Acres Cyder 2011 Pommeau – Bronze Medal.

Most Successful Small Producer 2019 – Small Acres Cyder (3rd year in a row).

ROYAL SYDNEY BEER & CIDER SHOW  2019

Small Acres Cyder 2015 Cat’s Pyjamas - Gold Medal and Champion Bottle Fermented Cider or Perry.

Small Acres Cyder 2016 Sparkling – Silver Medal.

Small Acres Cyder 2017 Sparkling Perry - Silver Medal.

ROYAL SYDNEY FINE FOOD AWARDS  2019

Golden Knot Apple & Cherry – Gold Medal.

www.smallacrescyder.com.au