Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse

Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse (Sea Cider) are a family-owned orchard and ciderhouse that makes award-winning organic ciders.

The company produces a range of organic ciders with various profiles made primarily from Vancouver Island apples,including: wild english, derived from the spontaneous wild yeast fermentation of english bittersweet cider apples grown at Sea Cider, which is ultra-dry, robust and earthy, with distinctive tannins in the traditional Herefordshire style; Pippins, a “sharp” style cider, featuring pineapple and  confectionary notes; the ultra-dry Flagship, a German-style cider that is one of few commercial ciders in the world free of added sulphites, with crisp herbaceous notes framed by soft tannins and lively acidity; as well as additional styles including Bittersweet, Kings & Spies, Bramble Bubbly, and various limited release ciders.  Their farm and many of their ciders are certified organic by the Pacific Agricultural Certification Society, and they are Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points compliant to ensure food safety.

Established in Saanichton in 2007, Sea Cider is owned by Kristen Needham, a sixth-generation farmer who  inherited the orchard, with a background in environmental management and international development. Once she took over the orchard, she replanted it with English bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples, and then expanded the business, acquiring further orchards and adding several hundred more trees, comprising over 60 varietals of cider apples and heritage varietals. Since then, the company has grown to an annual cider production of over 7,000 cases and is still growing, while also providing cider  experiences on site, including tours, tastings and workshops.

Sea Cider is committed to environmental sustainability, as  evidenced by their certified organic products and promotion of local agriculture.