Sam Reid
A new executive committee has been elected at the recent Cider Australia AGM, with Sam Reid, co-owner of Tasmanian cider Willie Smith’s, taking the reins as president of the organisation.
Following the election, Sam stated that the focus for Cider Australia for the coming year would be lobbying for a strengthening of labelling laws and a look at ensuring that tax and excise was sustainable for the industry.
“The AGM confirmed our focus on ensuring the Federal Government’s taxation régime supports a sustainable cider industry in Australia, and strengthening the integrity of cider labelling laws,” Sam said. “Addressing these issues is crucial for the continuing sustainable development of a quality led cider category in Australia, which benefits regional economies around the nation.”
“Our goal is for consumers to understand more about cider production and the differences between ciders, and for the label to support consumer choice,” he continued. “At the moment, it is not possible to tell what is in a beverage labelled cider — a lot of popular ‘ciders’ contain nothing but artificial flavours and sweeteners, allowing them to be sold quite cheaply. It is important that there is credibility in the labelling laws to allow consumers to make informed choices on the products they drink.”
The new Cider Australia Executive Committee looks like this:
President — Sam Reid, Willie Smith’s Organic Cider (TAS)
Vice Presidents — Warwick Billings, LOBO Cider (SA) and Sean Pendergast, Bilpin Cider (NSW)
Secretary — Nyall Condon, Flying Brick Cider Co (VIC)
Treasurer — Karina Dambergs, Dickens Cider (TAS)
Marketing Manager — Rich Coombes, Batlow Cider (NSW)
Website Manager — Mark Ellis (VIC)