Global Vegan Awards 2021

www.lux-review.com Page 11 LUX 2021 Global Vegan Awards Sussex based cider company, Ascension Cider Co, provides naturally produced 100% apple ciders. A passion for cider and core values of ‘keeping it natural’ has made the company and its products very popular with the ever- growing vegan market. We speak to Co-Founder, Matthew Billing, to find out more. Ascension Cider Best Vegan Cider Producers – UK Oct21591 Ascension Cider Co (Ascension) has been making cider for nearly four years now and, in that time, has grown to become a well-respected cider producer with a comprehensive range of not only apple ciders, but also both standard and seasonal flavoured ciders. Ascension is run by a son and father team, Matthew and Martyn Billing, with Matthew being the prime person in the business, managing the production of the cider, including the all-important blending to achieve the taste required, handling local deliveries to maintain customer contact and market feedback and sales activities. Being based in Sussex means the firm is an Eastern Counties cider producer which means that, in the main, Ascension ciders are made using eating apples, rather than cider apples, and so have a less sharp taste without the dryness of the tannin. Indeed, all the ciders are actually made by fermenting the cider and then blending with apple juice to bring the ABV proof figure to the right level. It is this that gives the Ascension Cider a very fresh and natural apple taste. The company supplies its products directly to pubs, bars, bistros, restaurants, and licenced cafes, plus some farm shops and garden centres across the South East directly. It also has wholesalers across the country who are representing and distributing the ciders, plus it sells directly to the public online from their website. “Within our distribution are lots of vegan and vegetarian outlets,” explains Matthew. “Many people like the fact that the cider is made completely with apples and fruit juices or concentrate for flavourings, all of which are vegan-friendly, gluten free and contain no chemicals used for preservation etc.” Matthew has been making cider for nearly ten years. Over this time, his cider making has grown somewhat from making batches in his Mum’s shed, but the recipes, experimentation, and general process is still pretty much the same. From taking out a book on homebrewing from the local library and experimenting with fermenting everything from store-bought grape juice to tropical “fruit and barley” squash, experimentation in the name of alcohol production and alchemy has always been part of the game. “In early 2017, we pressed 3,000 litres of juice and fermented what would be our “Pilot” batch,” Matthew enthuses. “After a couple of launch parties, great feedback and the thumbs up from friends, family, and publicans, we jumped into it with both feet, developing a couple of new ciders along the way. Our second batch really took flight.” The company’s unique selling points have to be the unique taste of the cider, with its fresh and fruity apples, but also the natural method in which the cider is produced, ensuring its pure taste and making it eminently suitable for drinking by everyone, including those that are vegan, vegetarian, have some form of allergy or similar. Recently, Ascension Cider was voted Best Vegan Cider Producers – UK in the LUXlife Global Vegan Awards 2021, something that Matthew and Martyn are “honoured” to have received. Regarding the future, it seems there is no slowing down for the son and father team and Matthew tells us more about their plans. “Ascension has just reached something of maturity and our reputation is spreading to the point where we are now receiving a regular flow of new enquiries and customers, They are attracted to the nature and flavour of our ciders plus the brand and what we stand for. We hope to further capitalise on this next year. We already supply into Italy, and we hope to expand our export activities. Moving forward we will always be looking to make something out of the ordinary, away from the normality and mundane traditional ciders that are typically on offer and hope you develop as much of a passion in tasting our ciders as we do in making them.” Contact: Matthew & Martyn Billing Company: Ascension Cider Web Address: www.ascensioncider.co.uk