Frightened Rabbit drummer launches cider festival
Musician Grant Hutchison, known for being in the band Frightened Rabbit, will be launching a cider festival in Edinburgh next month. But what can visitors expect? Learn more here.
The former drummer, who stepped back from touring in 2018 following the death of his brother and bandmate Scott Hutchison, and later opened a cider shop in Anstruther in Scotland with his wife Jayne, will launch the Ubhal Cider Gathering on 28 March in Leith.
The event is set to bring together 15 independent producers from Fife to Herefordshire for two 100-capacity tasting sessions.
Helping craft producers
The couple have said that the festival’s goal is to tackle cider’s “perception problem” and help craft producers get the credit they deserve.
Speaking about the venture, Hutchinson said: “Music is precarious and I was always thinking ahead to what I’d do in my forties. I probably would have opened some sort of cider shop or bar regardless, I just didn’t realise it would happen in quite the way it did.”
Hutchison is known for having played countless festivals during his music career – including Glastonbury, T in the Park and Coachella. With this new move, the Frightened Rabbit drummer is preparing to launch his own with the focus specifically on cider.
Five years after opening the cider shop Aeble and 20 years after the release of Frightened Rabbit’s debut album Sing the Greys, the pair are now taking their passion to a new crowd.
Incredible cider
Describing how it all began, Hutchinson explained: “When we were touring, especially in places like Bristol, I’d bring cases of cider back up with me because you just couldn’t get the good stuff in Glasgow. I’d see this whole world of small producers making incredible cider and then come home and find none of it on the shelves: it was always just the usual suspects like Strongbow and Bulmers. There was such a gap there. People didn’t know what they were missing.”
The Hutchisons moved from Glasgow to the East Neuk fishing town of Anstruther during the pandemic and, having spotted a vacant shop with a for-rent sign in April 2021, they decided to “take a punt” and open Aeble.
Before opening Aeble, Hutchison had already established a wholesale cider distribution business supplying bars and restaurants in Scotland. But relocating to Fife made servicing the central belt impractical and he had been forced to rethink the situation.
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Hutchinson pointed out that “with wholesale you drop the cases off and that’s it. I wasn’t getting to see who was actually drinking it. I love standing in the shop, talking to someone about what they normally drink, guiding them through the different styles and making sure they leave with something they’re going to enjoy.”
Ubhal Cider Gathering
As a response to giving cider the platform it needs to be reconsidered, the Ubhal Cider Gathering will take place on 28 March at Custom Lane in Leith, Edinburgh and is set to “tackle cider’s perception problem”.
The event will bring together 15 producers – 10 from Scotland and five from England – across two tasting sessions limited to 100 tickets each.
Hutchinson lamented that: “people think they know what it is because they drank it when they were 16 in the park. But what we’re talking about is something much closer to natural wine”.
He added: “The UK drinks more cider than anywhere else in the world, but culturally it’s not treated with the same respect as wine or whisky. That feels strange to me because the craftsmanship is absolutely there. It should be one of our national drinks. I hope this is the start of tackling cider’s perception problem.”
Jaye Hutchinson highlighted how “you can walk into some wine shops and feel too intimidated to ask a question. We’re the opposite. We talk to every single customer one to one, we explain the different styles and producers, and we make sure it feels open and friendly”.
She said: “We are winning over the locals and get everyone from cider aficionados to people who live round the corner and just want a chat to Frightened Rabbit fans who’ve made the trip especially. We love the idea of doing one thing really, really, well.”
What to expect
What can visitors expect? She added: “Guests will get to try a diverse range of ciders and hear about the blend of art and science that goes into creating a cider. The one thing that connects every cider available on the day is the fact they have all been made with care, patience, and a deep respect for tradition and the customs around the drink. We want to provide a platform for these brilliant makers – from Herefordshire to Fife and Kent to Ayrshire – who care deeply about the land and the process. As people are more environmentally conscious and interested in drinks that are more natural, and lower alcohol, cider’s at a tipping point. We want this to grow and become something we can build on year after year, so people need to be able to jump on a train and come for the day.”
The cider festival, which is supported by Food and Drink Scotland, is being held in Edinburgh rather than Anstruther to make it easier for people to attend. Tickets will be limited to 100 per session and will be available via the Aeble webshop.
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