Adelaide Hills Cider Company records double digit growth despite COVID-19

Business has been tough in 2020 but she’s been apples for one Adelaide Hills cider company, which has managed to post double digit growth.

It’s been a tough year for most industries but one South Australian business has managed to prevail where others have failed.

The Hills Cider Company has recorded double digit growth in sales throughout 2020, driven by local demand for craft beverages.

It’s a trend, company director Toby Kline expects to continue in the months ahead, as more people turn to cider to quell their thirst during summer.

“Australian produced cider with fresh apples or pears is in double digit growth as consumers are looking for better tasting alternatives that aren’t full of concentrates,” he said.

“So for us, it’s never been a more exciting time to produce ciders that are made with pure South Australian fruit and actually taste like apples.”

Toby Kline, director and founding partner of the Hills Cider company in the orchard at Lot100. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Kline said the uptake of locally produced cider has had an exceptional impact on the Hills economy.

“What makes it so exciting for the local economy and growers is that we’re using a resource that’s been previously undervalued,” he said.

“When you pick apples, a large proportion of your crop can’t be sold to supermarkets because they have blemishes but they can be used in ciders.

”So it’s given growers another outlet and has made the whole orchid industry more profitable by adding more jobs for picking, sorting and pressing fruit but also for shipping things around.”

Mr Kline said he encouraged consumers to support craft ciders on the menu this summer.

“Here at Lot 100 you can do cider tasting, along with wine and beer and it’s something that’s been quite successful,” he said.