Hawkes is excited to announce the launch of the Hawkes Cidery & Taproom, London’s first ever urban cidery, and the latest step in our mission to change the face of UK cider forever.
Located on the famous ‘Bermondsey Beer Mile’ just off Maltby Street Market, our cidery is now officially open and set to be the heart and soul of craft cider production in London.
Since 2014 we’ve been on a mission to drive a revolution in a craft cider category which has been needlessly left trailing behind the likes of beers and spirits. Launching on the back of substantial external investment into our brand, the new premium production facility will enable Hawkes to explore and push the boundaries of modern cider making in a unique urban setting.
The dedicated cider taproom will be offering our ever-evolving menu of craft drinks including our flagship Urban Orchard and Ginger Beer products, alongside a range of guest UK and world craft ciders. As well as that, our new venue will also play host to a range of unique experiences that will bring the world of cider alive, including:
- Exclusive cider making workshops and tours with our Chief Cider Maker, walking through every aspect of our cider production and finishing with a complimentary tasting
- A small batch, research and development range, curated on-site and experimenting with unique blends and flavours, barrel aging cider and pushing product innovation
- Matching cider to food with an exclusive menu of stone baked pizzas specially designed to complement the draught ciders being served on tap
Simon Wright, Chief Hawker of Hawkes said:
“Cider has spent too long in background, suffering an image problem versus craft beer and spirits. That needs to end now, and it starts with presenting cider in a totally new light. The design and layout of the Cidery has been fitted in our unique Hawkes style and, for the first time in London, people will be able to immerse themselves in cider, and get to feel, touch and taste it’s potential. We passionately believe that cider deserves its place at the craft drinks table, so there was no better place to start than in the middle of the iconic ‘Brewery Mile’, a location key to driving a new revolution for cider in the UK.”
As a key focus of the taproom will be scouring the world of craft cider to find the best partners to feature on our constantly changing draught and bottle menu.
Our cider journey began back in 2014, when we took unloved surplus fruit and apples donated by Londoners to create the very first bottle of our iconic Urban Orchard cider. The campaign to fight food waste remains a key part of the Hawkes mission today, and we remain committed to using as much surplus and donated apples as possible in our craft cider range.
Following the success of our ever growing #appledonor campaign, 2017 will see us form new partnerships and agreements with a whole host of social enterprises and urban gardens. Londoners can still play their own part by visiting us at the Hawkes Cidery & Taproom to donate apples and contribute to the unique blend of urban and country pressed apples that gives Urban Orchard its much-loved taste.
“As a new breed of urban cider maker, we feel the time is now to change the face of the cider industry. The world of cider is so wonderful and diverse. That’s why we are calling on other cider makers to work with us to educate the masses on how they use their orchards and distinct fruit varieties to craft their own ciders.
This is just the beginning, and we look forward to welcoming the public to the Hawkes Cidery & Taproom to play their part in the cider revolution.”