RICHARD & SARAH MATLOCK

LA ROBELINE CIDER CO LTD hi there! what got you into this?

The Cider Maker (Richard) was idly looking at a French property magazine and saw an advert to spend some time in Normandy learning how to make traditional Cidre Bouche. He needed a break so took himself off to France and came back enthused and told Sarah that he had asked his tutor to look for a suitable press. A few weeks later, he was off to France with a trailer to dismantle a very old, traditional press from a Normandy barn! In the autumn of 2005 we made 1200 bottles of Cidre de Jerri which we launched at a party in the summer of 2006. We sold out in six weeks and thus, La Robeline Cider was born.

Jersey Skin is a business, like many others who have recently become Members of Genuine Jersey, which was born during lockdown 2020. Here owner Benjamin Martin tells us more about how the business started and most importantly how it’s developing.

Tell us about your production process?

We have planted several orchards around the Island over the years and each autumn, we harvest the cider apples and bring them back to La Petite Robeline where they are washed, crushed and pressed. The cider is monitored very carefully and filtered when required (to remove some of the natural yeasts). After a few months, the cider is bottled. We leave a small amount of yeast in the cider so that it can do a secondary fermentation in the bottle (like Champagne) which gives it the distinctive fizz associated with traditional Cidre Bouche

What do you enjoy most about creating your own product?

There is a certain satisfaction in harvesting apples in the Autumn and, over a few months, turning them into a delicious and refreshing drink that is enjoyed by so many Islanders. And, of course, some of the cider is distilled on our mobile still and left in oak barrels for a few years to mature into our rich, amber nectar, L’Esprit d’Jerri which is beautifully smooth and apple-y.

What is your signature piece or favourite thing in your range?

All of it! We particularly enjoy the medium cider and Prestige L’Esprit d’Jerri which has a rich and intense flavour of apples - delicious enjoyed after a good dinner.

We’re going to tailor the questions to fit you crafty folk and foodie folk so...... What are the ingredients that make your product unique?

Local Cider Apples - that’s all that goes into our cider!

Which Jersey produce do you like to cook with? (besides the ones you create) Fish, seasonal vegetables, dairy items, eggs, fruit - in fact all local seasonal produce!

What is your favourite foodie childhood memory?

Richard remembers trying new exotic dishes when on family holidays in France and Sarah remembers eating lobster in Sark on a day trip to the Island with family and friends when she was about 8! The rest of the party had sandwiches apart from her sister who had beans on toast! We both grew up in families who were interested in food and farming and who liked to experiment with “new” ingredients.

If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Richard - steak, Sarah - Jersey oysters

Where can we buy your products?

From ourselves, through our website www.LaRobelineCider.je and Corkscrew,

Waitrose and the Co-Op (with more stockists being added to the list in 2022)

How do you relax when you’re not meticulously making your work?

Richard likes to make and play accordions. Sarah likes to garden, quilt and read. We both like to walk the dogs and spend time with our daughter and her puppies.

Where’s your favourite hidden corner in Jersey?

La Petite Robeline.

Where would you go on a date night? Into our courtyard, light the barbecue and enjoy the garden.

You’ve got visitors over for the weekend and are taking them for your perfect Jersey day out, where do you go?

We would spend the morning at Durrell followed by lunch at Green Island then a walk with the dogs up at Les Landes before settling down with a glass of cider on St Ouen’s beach to watch the sun go down.

What’s the one gadget you couldn’t live without?

Richard - a chain saw. Sarah - my iPhoneI run the business from that miracle box in my pocket!

Is there anything coming up over the next 12 months we should be looking out for?

More of our cider in pubs, restaurants and cafes! We are researching new equipment which will allow us to bottle into smaller bottles - something the hospitality industry has been asking for for years!

Each month we feature some of Jersey’s creators and let them share their creative visions and handmade goods with you lot, our island consumers. If you like what you see, check out genuinejersey.com and hunt them down to support our local industries!