"The Best Cider in The World"

In 1989 Susan and I signed a piece of paper and took possession of 106 acres of rolling hills near the historic copper mining town of Burra. We planted apple trees, the vision was to sell apples and make cider. The apple trees are all heritage - Cox's Orange Pippin, Bramley Seedling and Egremont Russet and they thrive on Burra's cold winters. We also planted cider apples - Fox Whelp, Kingston Black, Sommerset Red Streak and Yarlingotn Mill and it was with cider apples that our dreams came to fruition.

As the apple trees bore fruit we started making cider and it became apparent that the more traditional methods we used the better the cider. 1999 saw Susan and myself getting up at the crack of dawn and going to bed at sun down working all hours because on the 13 July the Deputy Premier of South Australia arrived, drank some cider and declared Thorogoods Cider open for business. Thorogoods cider now has outlets throughtout Australia. It has been exported to Texas, Vancouver, the UK and even the Australian Antartic Station. One New Zealand customer described Thorogood's cider as "The best cider in the world" and another affectionado has described Thorogoods as 'Truly the best cider ever!'

Thorogoods Ciders have won manny awards including: 2000 - Federal Government Innovation Award, 2001 - SA Great Small Business Award, 2003 - SA Government Food Award. 2005 - Gold Medal and Ribbon for the best wine in the show, Perth Royal Show, 2006 – International Ratebeer Gold Medal for Billy B’s Golden Apple Beer, 2007 - Best apple wine of the show, Australian Fruit Wine Awards, 2007 - Churchill Fellowship awarded to Tony to research cider around the world, 2009 - Gold Medal Vogue Entertaining and Travel Produce Awards. Thorogoods Cider has frequently been showcased on television including ABC Landline – ‘Oak Rules at the Burra Cider House,’ first shown 7/5/2000, Channel 9 Postcards – ‘Thorogoods Farmhouse Cider,’ first shown 15/6/2000, Channel 10 Leyland’s Australia - first shown mid 2001, ABC Landline – ‘Cider House Rules,’ 6/4/2008. And in 2009 Tony's first book Cider Drink it Make it Cook with it was published.