Cider in running for award

Plum and Ginger, a cider which is rosé in colour with delicate bubbles, is produced by Mac Ivors Cider Co in orchards on the family farm at Ardress.

Greg MacNeice, a fifth generation apple grower, said, “To win an Irish Quality Food and Drink Award would be a huge accolade for Mac Ivors Cider Co especially for Plum and Ginger which has hit the market quite recently.

“It is a busy marketplace and we are very lucky in that we are attracting a new generation of cider drinkers as well as satisfying the appetite of people who have been drinking cider for a much longer period of time.

“Mac Ivors Plum and Ginger cider is the outcome of our continued commitment to create deliciously different ciders to provide new taste experiences, and, based on tastings in bars and supermarkets as well as at major industry festivals in Belfast and Dublin, the feedback is amazing.

“Plum and ginger are two fantastic flavours in their own right but combine them with the taste of real County Armagh apples, and you have a winning combination. The plum provides a rounded,fruity flavour while the ginger adds a subtle amount of heat to the finish.”

The awards will take place at The Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin on September 8.

The MacNeice family has been growing apples for over 150 years on over 100 acres of orchard.