18th May – 30th June 2024
The blackShed Gallery hosted a free cider (and apple juice) tasting event on Saturday 15th June , accompanied by live folk band The Old Time Trio.
The gallery teamed up with Sussex cider producers Bignose and Beardy to celebrate Martin Brockman’s exhibition Free as the Fields, at the gallery and surrounding woodland.
Bignose & Beardy make real vintage Sussex cider and vinegar using local waste fruit.
Their ciders are wild fermented, slow matured, unfiltered and unpasteurised. They produce small batches which change in profile with each year, depending on the source of the apples and the weather. Everything is done by hand and ciders are left to mature for at least a year and often longer, resulting in complex flavours.
They held a tasting event and talk with a variety of ciders, apple juices and their apple cider vinegar, all available to taste, buy and take home. They also shared stories of their triumphs, failures and fascinating people they have met making cider with enthusiasm!
All this was set against the backdrop of Free as the Fields by Martin Brockman, an exhibition centred around 12 birds on the Red List for Birds of Conservation Concern.
Featuring original woodblock prints, a series of new drawings and handmade locally foraged clay pots for the tree saplings; all of which will be planted after the exhibition.
‘The Old Time Trio’ are a local folk band who serenaded guests throughout the event! It was a perfect afternoon, art, cider, music and great chats.