Our story

Daylesford Cider company’s story began in 2003 with the grafting of select heritage cider apple varieties onto dwarf rootstock.  Fast-forward to today, our orchards are well established and proudly Australian Certified Organic (ACO).  

Across our organic orchards we grow bittersharp, sharp, sweet and bittersweet cider apples. Some of these are full of tannins, others high in sugars and some providing acidity. Our impressive range of ciders owe their depth and diversity to these attributes of each apple variety.

Clare and Jon Mackie’s story officially began in 2015 when they took over the business and it’s recently built English-style tavern cellar door and beautiful landscaped gardens. 

In the early days we produced 4 ciders; now, we craft more than 12 styles, including unique seasonal ones and limited releases.
We remain committed to our core values of creating authentic craft cider inspired by European traditions. Our pride lies in using 100% fresh juice rather than concentrates, sugar, or unnecessary dilution.
We also minimise the use of sulphites wherever feasible.
Our ciders are naturally gluten-free and vegan, with the exception of our Spiced Cider.

For Jon Mackie, owner and cider-maker, it’s all about the seasonality of traditional cider making; one apple harvest, one ferment, one chance, once a year. This means each year’s vintage is wonderfully unique and never exactly the same.

It has been a labour of love over the years, growing our small business to where it is today. With the help of a fantastic team behind us, our cellar door, bar and restaurant is now consistently open 7 days.

Daylesford Cider have received great recognition over the years, receiving a number of medals, trophies and awards including Winner of the Business Achievement Awards 2021 and Best Australian Cider 2025 and Most Successful Small Producer 2025.

We are grateful to share our craft and family friendly venue with visitors year round.
We look forward to welcoming you here soon.

Cheers! Clare and Mackie