The orchard trail

Cultivating connections

If a broad portfolio is key to orcharding success, then Matt Tack and Coreen Ung of Our Mates’ Farm near Geeveston are onto a winner.

With around 10,000 trees, they grow a dazzling array of heritage apple varieties such as ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’, ‘Mutsu’ and ‘Spartan’, several different cider apples, and popular varieties such as Galas and Pink Ladies which are sold through an agent to a major supermarket.

“In the 10 years we’ve had the farm, Coreen and I have been on a massive journey,” says Matt. “What started as a neglected orchard is now totally diversified, certified organic, and home to some very spoiled sheep, pigs and cattle. All the juice pressings and apples that don’t make retail grade go to the pigs – unless the cows get there first.”

Matt and Coreen are renowned not just for their commitment to sustainability, but also for encouraging other small producers in Tasmania to adopt a similar approach. For Matt, it’s the best way to repay the kindness they received in their early days.

“It’s called Our Mates’ Farm because it’s not really just ours,” he says. “It’s a product of all the people who have helped and supported us along the way.”

Building Mr Bridges

Resilience is a common theme in agriculture, but few Tasmanian apple farmers have faced challenges as profound as the Groombridge family, owners since 1953 of Trial Bay Orchards. In 2019, Peter and Linda Groombridge saw decades of work erased when a fire destroyed their extensive apple packing and storage facilities. Rather than rebuilding the original business from scratch, the family brought on board son Gavin and daughter-in-law Alex, and pivoted to cider production.

“We actually got married in the orchard,” says Alex. “Gavin and I are both pilots, but we decided it would be a nice lifestyle to live here, start a family and figure out what to do with the fruit. Those conversations led to Mr Bridges.”

Launched in 2023, the Mr Bridges range includes a pear cider and a cloudy apple cider, the latter earning a bronze medal at the Australian Cider Awards that same year. Both are sold in cans featuring artwork by local designer and street artist Jonny Scholes.

“We wanted a distinctive Tasmanian design, and I love that we ended up with a turbo chook (also known as a Tasmanian native hen) on there,” says Alex. “We’ve got them running all over the orchard, so it ties in beautifully.”

Reviving royal traditions

Turbo chooks may rule the roost at Mr Bridges, but at Brady’s Lookout Cider in West Tamar the orchard is abuzz with all kinds of native wildlife – encouraged by the nesting boxes and insect hotels installed by owners Caro and Chris Brown.

Since purchasing the property in 2015, the Browns have transformed this former pear and walnut orchard into a heritage apple orchard, growing more than 85 rare varieties. They’ve set aside a third of their land for conservation purposes, including an Eastern Barred Bandicoot Program.

It’s not just a commitment to regenerative and closed-loop farming practices that sets Brady’s Lookout apart; Caro and Chris also adopt ‘méthode traditionelle’ (sparkling method) techniques.

“The ciders we produce are royal ciders, which is what was being drunk back in the 17th century in Charles I’s court,” explains Caro. “You need particular varieties to do that – to get the structure and flavour profile that you want – which is why we went down the pathway of purchasing the property and planting our own trees.”

Focusing on heritage apple varieties means that much of Chris and Caro’s time is dedicated to educating customers – whether they’re visiting the cellar door or exploring the unique offerings at Launceston’s Harvest Market.

“It’s a really important part of our job to help grow awareness that there’s more choice than just a red or a green apple – there’s a really amazing array of big ones, small ones and ugly ones that we would encourage people to look out for and perhaps even start to grow themselves."

From waste to wonder

Despite generations of experience in Tasmania’s apple industry – and ongoing research into pest control and crop improvement – there are still years when weather events, bushfires or market forces can send orchardists’ plans awry.

When that happens, Stuart Addison is the man you want on speed dial. At his Chigwell distillery, the former sommelier and founder of Salvage Drink Co transforms fruit waste and other by-products into unique white spirits – as well as an ever-evolving range of batch cocktails.

“We don’t want the nice apples,” Stuart says. “We want the ones that have fallen off the trees or been storm affected.”

Rather than a traditional Scottish whisky still, Stuart uses a column still which slows the distillation process to create a unique and highly concentrated product. The cider he makes, which is distilled into the base spirits, uses the whole apple – not just the juice. While Stuart is proud that sustainability is at the heart of Salvage Drink Co, this approach also enhances the depth and complexity of the final gin and vodka product.

“There are skins and solids in there, so you’re getting all the oils and the flavour,” explains Stuart. “It’s an utterly undrinkable cider that creates an absolutely magical spirit.”