Keen to increase its portfolio of local, artisan suppliers, The Red House Hotel, based in the small Perthshire town of Coupar Angus, has announced that it is now stocking award-winning Lost Orchards Cider.
The cidery was established in 2019 by fourth generation farmer, Andrew Husband and his business partner, Angus Morrison. The cider is produced by master cider maker and head of product development, Bob Chaplin, at East Adamstown Farm near Dundee.
There are three varieties of Lost Orchards Cider: Pure Scottish Apple, Dark Berries and Scottish Red Berries & Lime, which is available in bottles at The Red House Hotel, The Dalmore Inn and Number 31 in Blairgowrie – Red House Hotel’s sister businesses.
Commenting on the new partnership Alan Bannerman (whose family has run The Red House Hotel for 40 years) said: “We’re delighted to have introduced Lost Orchards’ quality range of ciders to the bar at all of our businesses.
“It’s been very popular with customers so far… and even better when you can support a local family business at the same time, one that takes great pride in what it does.”
Lost Orchards Cider’s co-founder Andrew Husband said: “Our thanks go to Alan and his teams at all three of his businesses in the beautiful Vale of Strathmore.
“We are really pleased they are getting such a positive reaction to our cider. We’re building up stockists all the time as word grows about the quality of our products.
“Alan is supplied through his relationship with Tennants who deal with the trade on our behalf. They have been fantastic helping us grow our customer base throughout Scotland.”
The inspiration to start producing cider came in a lightbulb moment, as Andrew explains: “It was whilst watching my 80-year-old father pressing apples for apple juice on an old wooden press, that the penny dropped.
“I planted the first orchard in 2012 and as a keen cider drinker, I felt there was a lack of quality premium ciders on the market and I wanted to develop our own. I also wanted Lost Orchards to reflect the taste and freshness of Scottish produce.
“I harvest our apples at their optimum ripeness and they are pressed in our on-site cidery within 24 hours, to capture the full flavour and aroma.
“We have invested heavily in purchasing state-of-the-art pressing equipment for the cidery and are continuing to look at new product development.”
East Adamston Farm, which the Husbands’ have farmed since the 1940s, already grows and supplies blackcurrants for Ribena and produces Katy apples from their apple orchard.
For further details on Lost Orchards Cider: www.lostorchards.co.uk