Duntroon Cyder House: An Old-School Cydery with Modern Values

Duntroon Cyder House in Simcoe County combines the old-school cyder methods of crafting traditional English varieties using heritage apples on their working organic farm to produce great-tasting cider sustainably.

A Brief Introduction to Duntroon Cyder

Duntroon Cyder is located on the property of Dunridge Farms - a working organic farm that was purchased by the Schneider family back in 2002.  

The land was not worked on until the first plantings in 2013 and has since grown everything from corn and garlic to (of course) apples, that go into Duntroon Cyder’s infamous beverages.

In 2015, after travelling through the UK, owners Kim and Tim Schneider decided they wanted to produce the same kind of delicious, traditional cyder they’d been trying across the United Kingdom at home. And so, they set out to do so and were selling their first batches by 2016. It was quite the turnaround if you ask us!

Since then, Duntroon Cyder House has been a mainstay for visitors and locals alike to Simcoe County. They’ve also created a market on-site for local producers as well as themselves to showcase the many products grown and produced across the region.

Think you’d like to visit? They’re located in the village of Duntroon, about 10 minutes outside of Collingwood.

Sustainable Practices at Duntroon Cyder House

With greenwashing becoming more and more of a problem in the food and beverage industry, Tim and Kim wanted to make sure they weren’t just talking the talk but also walking the walk.  

On a journey to net-zero, not only has Duntroon Cyder created one of the only net-zero cyders on the market but they’ve employed a number of other creative and meaningful tools to ensure the farm gives back to the environment.

 The farm itself (as we recently stated) is organic and the cyder house is carbon-neutral. Their on-site pond is part of a natural water program that helps native species thrive.

On top of being an organic farm, Kim and Tim also employ bio-dynamic farming practices which focus on maintaining great soil health through rotational grazing techniques for their animals as well as by using compost on the land.

This is just the beginning though. Other initiatives are taking root on site. For example, when it comes time to mow, cut, weed or blow, Dunridge Farms has forgone the gas-powered tools in favour of a fully electric fleet. They’ve also reduced their waste by providing pomace from the cyder-making process to local farmers for feed as well as mixing it into manure to re-spread on the land.

 We can’t wait to see where their sustainability efforts bring them next!

The Cyder

So let’s talk about what sets the cyder from Duntroon apart from others on the market (and what the heck is up with that ‘y’?).

The “Y” indicates a traditional, English cyder and highlights the methods used to create it. Given Kim and Tim’s dedication to crafting this premium style, it tracks!

Harvesting all of their apples by hand in the late fall, Duntroon Cyder grows ten different varieties of heritage Ontario apples. Using about 80% juice from their own apples and about 20% from neighbouring farms within 15km, they’re able to hone in on consistency and deliciousness in each batch (if that’s a scientific measurement, we’d like to be the testers).

After being harvested, the apples are washed and ground. Then, using a hydraulic rack and cloth press, the apple pulp is pressed to get all those delicious juices out carefully.  

Then it’s time for fermentation where yeast is added and monitored. Duntroon’s cyders are all slow fermented at cool temps (just one of the traditional methods that earn them that ‘y’). Next, it’s all about aging the cyder, packaging, and pasteurizing! You’ll notice preservatives and additives like sulphites never come into play here.

Source Some Cyder

We love this spot so much we decided to host a Feast On® the Farm event here in 2022!

So! Think you’d like to serve some at your restaurant or business? Email the farm or set up a call to source some yourself! Think you want to try ti first? Duntroon is also a staple at most LCBOs or you can visit the farm