Merrydown
A UK cider made from eating and culinary apples.
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Merrydown is a UK cider brand that started life at Horam Manor near Heathfield, East Sussex. The business was launched in 1946 by three friends: Jack Ward, John Kelland-Knight, and Ian Howie. Each put in £100 to turn Ward’s home winemaking hobby into a proper venture, and they named it after his house, Merrydown.
The first batch of Merrydown Apple Wine was made from 450 gallons of apple juice, pressed using a 300-year-old oak cider press borrowed from a local farmer. Within a year, production had already outgrown Ward’s garage in Rotherfield, and nine years later the partners bought Horam Manor, along with seven acres of land. By 1955, they were producing 400,000 gallons.
In the 1980s, Merrydown was sold in 1-litre bottles, with a dry version (silver label) and a sweet one (gold label), both at 8.2% ABV. During the late 1990s, the strength was cut to 7.5% to avoid higher duty costs. The brand and brewery were bought by the SHS Group in 2005—a privately owned food and drink company based in Belfast, worth around £400 million, which also markets Shloer, bottlegreen, and WKD. In 2004, Merrydown closed its own factory and began contracting production out to other cider makers.
Today, Merrydown comes in 750ml glass bottles, 440ml cans, and 500ml bottles. All of it is still made to the original 1946 recipe, using eating and culinary apples for a distinct appley taste. It contains no artificial flavourings or sweeteners, is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and is gluten-free. Instead of cider yeast, it uses yeast from the Champagne-Ardennes region, which gives it a slight sparkle.
Lore & Background
Merrydown was founded in 1946 by three friends who pooled £100 each to start a business based on Jack Ward's home wine-making. The first batch used 450 gallons of apple juice pressed on a borrowed 300-year-old oak cider press. The operation quickly outgrew Ward's garage in Rotherfield, and nine years later the partners purchased Horam Manor with seven acres of land. By 1955, production had reached 400,000 gallons.
During the 1980s, Merrydown was sold in 1-litre bottles as either dry (silver label) or sweet (gold label) with an ABV of 8.2%. In the late 1990s, the strength was reduced to 7.5% due to potential excess duty costs. The cider and brewery were acquired by The SHS Group in 2005, a privately owned £400m food and drink company based in Belfast that also markets Shloer, bottlegreen and WKD. In 2004, Merrydown decided to close its factory and contract out production to other cider manufacturers.
Reader's Guide
Merrydown is notable for its distinctive production methods and consistent recipe. All Merrydown is still made to the original recipe first developed by the founders in 1946, using eating and culinary apples, which gives it a unique appley taste. Instead of using cider yeast, the fermentation uses yeast from the Champagne-Ardennes region, resulting in a slightly sparkling cider. The cider is free from artificial flavourings and sweeteners, is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and is gluten-free.
Merrydown is available in 750ml glass bottles, 440ml cans, and 500ml bottles. The brand's history reflects a shift from small-scale home production to a commercial operation that eventually outgrew its original premises, and later moved to contract manufacturing after closing its own factory in 2004. Its acquisition by The SHS Group in 2005 placed it within a larger portfolio of beverage brands. The reduction in ABV in the late 1990s illustrates the impact of duty costs on product formulation.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Merrydown (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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