La Robeline Cider

Down a narrow lane in the depths of St Ouen on the Island of Jersey lives a man with a passion for steam engines, melodeons and cider.  A marine engineer with a successful boat business, he wanted to learn how to make a French style “cidre bouché”.  After spending some time in France learning the art of cider making, he found a very rusty eighty year old cider press in a barn in Normandy and La Robeline Cider Company was born!

Installed in the old pig sty at his 300 year old granite property, the restored press enables Richard Matlock to make his medium and dry cider (using local apples) which is sold at farmers’ markets (from "the cider shack", also crafted by Richard and designed to be towed behind one of his steam engines), most of the farm shops in the Island and many other outlets.

From an initial 1,200 bottles available in the summer of 2006, there were approximately 12,000 bottles for sale during 2009 and draught cider in some local pubs.  Awarded a “High Commended” prize (coming 4th out of 87 entries) at the Royal Bath & West Show in 2007, Richard was delighted to win first prize in the International Cider Class 2009 for “the best bottled cider presented to the retail trade”. 

If visiting the Matlocks in the Autumn, you don’t need directions to the house, just follow the smell of apples!

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