The Story of Frank's Cider

Frank’s Cider owner Naomie Clarke-Port is proud of the fact her family has been farming here for six generations

Born in 1894, Frank was the third generation of the Clark family to tend the orchards at "Woodside", Franklin, in Tasmania's scenic Huon Valley. His grandfather was the area’s first permanent white settler. The trees, first planted in 1838, flourished in the rich soil on the banks of the Huon River

The main apple variety used is the old fashioned Golden Delicious, which has crisp sweet flesh. Heritage apples such as Cox's Orange Pippin are also added to the blend. The pears are traditional varieties with high tannin content and produce a pear cider (or perry) with great complexity. The cherry ciders use sweet, dark cherries from neighbouring properties.

Pears from one tree have been growing on the edge of Clark's Rivulet since the 1830s and might possibly be the oldest pear trees in Australia.

The Huon Valley’s cool climate allows fruit to mature slowly and develop excellent rich, flavour.  Frank often used to say "apples are no good until they've had a few good frosts on them!", says Naomie. 

The fruit that goes into Frank's Ciders is tree ripened for maximum flavour and some are even harvested from trees he planted over 100 years ago as a war veteran and an old recipe found by the family proved he enjoyed a home brewed cider back then. Where other ciders may have had to compromise for volume, Frank's maintains its traditions of tree-ripening and entertain thousands of travellers each year exploring the Huon Valley,.

Frank used to call Franklin "The Centre of the Apple Universe". These days there are no horses working the orchards, and the pit saws hang on the walls, but the spirit lives on. Naomie’s family is proud to call their cider Frank's and be able to share it all by literally giving people a taste of the Huon Valley’s history.