A REFRESHING NEW START FOR ORCHARD VIEW CIDER

Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame has teamed up with Somerset’s oldest family cider maker Sheppy’s to refresh its popular Orchard View cider.

Orchard View (4.5% ABV) was launched by Shepherd Neame in 2017, blending several apple varieties, to create a lightly sparkling, crisp, mid-golden cider.

Three years on from its launch, Shepherd Neame was keen to update the brand’s look and also refresh its flavour profile to reflect the tastes of contemporary cider drinkers, and approached Sheppy’s to work with them on the project.

Both Shepherd Neame and Sheppy’s are long-standing family businesses and their partnership celebrates the best of British craftsmanship and produce. 

The refreshed cider recipe uses a new selection of dessert, culinary and cider apples, with key varieties including Falstaff, Michelin, Dabinett, Harry Master, Browns, Jonagold and Taylors. This has resulted in some subtle changes to Orchard View’s colour, aroma and flavour profile. The cider is now a bright, light straw-colour boasting a fresh, rustic apple orchard aroma complemented by a well-balanced, crisp palate and gentle, drying finish.

To reflect this subtle update to its recipe, the cider has a new look on its bottle and keg lens design, retaining its eye-catching apple logo and introducing a new, bolder colour scheme and craft accents.

Jonathan Neame, Shepherd Neame’s Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Sheppy’s. Our businesses share many similarities, including our commitment to create distinctive, high quality products using expert craftsmanship refined over time and handed down through generations. We have combined our skills to produce a truly outstanding cider.”

Sheppy’s Master of Cider David Sheppy said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Shepherd Neame on the launch of their new Orchard View cider. Our two brands have a lot in common, as long-running British family drinks businesses with strong heritage and a passion for ongoing innovation. We can’t wait for cider drinkers to get to try the new Orchard View blend, which we’ve worked with Shepherd Neame on for several months to perfect, and feel confident it will be very well received!”

The new Orchard View is available in 50l kegs now, and will be available in 500ml bottles from the end of September. 

For more information visit www.shepherdneame.co.uk/cider/orchard-view