Historic Cider

STEEPED IN HISTORY

SET ALONG THE HISTORIC BELLS LINE OF ROAD, THE BILPIN CIDER CO. SITS IN THE HEART OF TRADITIONAL APPLE-GROWING COUNTRY AND HONOURS THE REGION’S FOUNDING FAMILY WITH A SPECIALTY BREW. COMPANY CREATOR SEAN PRENDERGAST TELLS US MORE.

Interview: Lisa Doust. Photos: Bilpin Cider Co.

When was the Bilpin Cider Co. founded? After spending 20 years working for some of the world’s most famous beer brands, including Foster’s, Corona, Stella Artois and Beck’s, the inspiration for founding the Bilpin Cider Co. came in early 2011. The growth of the cider category was in its embryonic stage, and while driving up Bells Line of Road one day I was greeted by the ‘Welcome to Bilpin – Land of the Mountain Apple’ poster. It was this sign that spurred the creation of the company.

Why is Bilpin such a perfect place for producing cider? Bilpin is a well-established boutique apple-growing region tucked away in the heart of the World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains. The region’s fertile soil, mountain elevation and cool climate present the perfect conditions for apple growing. Apples, of course, provide the juice that is fermented and turned into cider. The creation of a craft brand with the eponymous name from the region was clearly an exciting proposition.

How is the history of Bilpin woven into the Bilpin Cider Co. range? As a recently created brand that has its roots in Bilpin’s history as an apple-growing region, we have embraced the anachronistic view of the village’s apple-growing traditions with a contemporary insight into the popularity of cider today. To this end we have created a variety called Bilpin Archibald, which acknowledges the founder of this area – Archibald Bell. Tell us about Archibald Bell. Archibald Bell was the son of Archibald Bell Senior, a revered figure in the government of the day who got caught up in the Rum Rebellion of 1808 – the only successful armed takeover of government in Australian history. The Bells owned extensive land in the Richmond area and, as a young man in 1823, Archibald, with the help of help of Indigenous trackers, founded what we know today as Bells Line of Road – an alternate route through the Blue Mountains to the Central Tablelands region. Several local landmarks are named after him, including the village of Bell and Bell Mountain. The history of Bilpin is also inextricably linked to Archibald. Originally named Bell’s Pin – as in the ‘pinnacle of Bell’ – over time it was abbreviated to Bilpin.

What can visitors expect from a visit to the Bilpin Cider cellar door? Following the formation of the Bilpin Cider Co., I purchased an old apple orchard on the corner of Bells Line of Road and Kurts Road. This had been one of the premium orchards in Bilpin during the 1960s and 1970s, but like many orchards in region it had been run down. Since re-establishing the farm as an orchard, over 1200 young trees have been planted and the Bilpin Cider Co. is thriving as a new business with an old soul. Our visitors love to relax in the grounds and sample our ciders.