Pint-Sized Chats: A Q&A Tapping into New Zealand’s Cider Festival
On November 1, 2025, more than twenty-five elite cider producers will gather at Founders Heritage Park in Nelson to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the New Zealand Cider Festival.
On November 1, 2025, more than twenty-five elite cider producers will gather at Founders Heritage Park in Nelson to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the New Zealand Cider Festival. Expect taps to flow and glasses to clink as over 100 cider varieties take the spotlight.
As part of the lead-up, we spoke with the folks bringing the flavor and passion to this year’s celebration, featuring Carmen Gray of Elemental Cider, the team at Zeffer and Shelley Haring of Nelson Events & Venues.
Carmen Gray, Founder of Elemental Cider
TFword: How did your cider-making journey begin?
Carmen: It really came down to two excellent motivations: I owned land and I like a drink. I started making home-brew cider from my apples, which was great fun until I realized YouTube tutorials weren’t going to turn me into a master fermenter. So I went back to university and studied winemaking, because cider is technically apple wine. Then I got properly hooked, spent years travelling the world making wine for other people… and finally came home to make the good stuff from my own fruit. Full circle, but fizzier.
TF: Which three ciders from your range would you most recommend festival-goers try, and why?
Carmen: Dry As: No sugar, no nonsense. It’s cider in its birthday suit. Perfect for people who say “I don’t like cider”, because what they actually mean is “I’ve only ever had fizzy apple syrup.”
Totally Oaked: Think pét-nat meets chardonnay. It’s sultry, a bit bougie, and makes wine drinkers question their life choices.
Pohutukawa Flower: A traditional apple cider infused with native pohutukawa nectar. It’s floral, berry-ish and still bone dry. It tastes like a kiwi summer!
TF: What do you enjoy most about being part of the NZ Cider Festival?
Carmen: Cider people are my kind of people; curious, slightly rebellious, and willing to try anything poured into a glass. I love watching someone take a sip, pause, then go “Wait… that’s cider?” It’s also the one time all us producers get to escape our sheds, compare stories, and raise a glass to doing things the hard way. It’s part tasting event, part reunion, part group therapy.
Zeffer, Hawke’s Bay
TFword: How did your cider-making journey begin?
Team Zeffer: Zeffer started in 2009 when our founder came home from working overseas and saw a gap for a premium, drier-style cider in New Zealand. What began with pressing apples in a small shed has grown into a Hawke’s Bay–based multi-beverage company surrounded by some of the best orchards in the world. The name Zeffer is a playful twist on zephyr—a gentle breeze. We felt it perfectly captured freshness, lightness, and that relaxed, outdoorsy Kiwi spirit we wanted our ciders to embody.
TF: Which three ciders from your range would you most recommend festival-goers try, and why?
Team Zeffer: We are taking all our ciders to try, plus a few extra beverages we are launching this summer. From our cider range, we would recommend people to try:
Crisp Apple Cider: It’s the heart of who we are – made from freshly crushed Hawke’s Bay apples, clean, balanced, and full of flavor that you can only get from using fresh apple juice.
Hazy Passionfruit Cider: This one is bold, tangy, and just the right amount of sweet. We have left it unfiltered for a naturally cloudy finish.
Peach & Berry Cider: If you are wanting something a little different, then go with our newest cider, Peach & Berry. Juicy peaches with a burst of berries make this a perfectly balanced cider.
TF: What do you enjoy most about being part of the NZ Cider Festival?
Team Zeffer: The festival is such a great celebration of the cider community — from catching up with fellow cider makers to pouring the Zeffer classics for festival-goers. We also love the chance to introduce our latest creations to people who are always eager to discover new flavors.
Shelley Haring, Managing Director at Nelson Events & Venues
TFword: What inspired the launch of the Cider Festival ten years ago, and how has the festival evolved since its first edition?
Shelley: The festival is supported by Cider NZ, they represent the Cider producers who are members of the NZ Fruit Wine and Cider Association (FWCMA). The aim of Cider NZ is to promote the many styles of cider available in NZ through the annual NZ Cider Awards and through supporting The NZ Cider Festival. When we launched the very first NZ Cider Festival back in 2016, it was because we knew cider deserved its own stage. Craft beer already had festivals dotted around the country, but cider sales were climbing fast — in fact, they were outpacing beer! We saw the need for a national celebration where cider lovers could come together, discover new styles, and meet the makers behind the magic.
Every year since, we’ve created a day that’s all about celebrating the incredible diversity of cider in Aotearoa. From crisp, traditional apple blends to bold, experimental New World flavours, there’s something for everyone to taste. I love watching festival-goers wander between the stalls, chatting with cider makers, sampling the latest creations, and pairing it all with delicious local food. Add some great live entertainment, and it’s the perfect mix of flavour, fun, and community.
And honestly, Nelson couldn’t be a better home for the festival. With its sunshine, beaches, mountains, and creative vibe, it sets the most beautiful backdrop for the day. The heritage venue gives the event a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere — the kind of place where you can kick back, soak up the vibe, and just enjoy yourself.
For me, that’s what this festival is really about: sharing the story of cider in New Zealand and giving people the chance to taste just how diverse, exciting, and downright delicious it can be. If you love cider — or even if you’re just a little curious — I’d love for you to join us and be part of the celebration.
TF: How would you best describe New Zealand’s current cider scene?
Shelley: I would describe it as growing and an exciting industry to watch! Cider Apples NZ are doing great things with cider apple development and the industry is focused on growth, with a goal to become a billion-dollar export market by developing premium apple varieties and establishing a dedicated national cider day. The industry is highlighted by events like the upcoming festival and a newly established NZ Cider Day on March 8, 2025, both of which promote the quality and diversity of New Zealand cider.
We are also seeing an increase in low and zero alcohol Cider options along with some interesting flavour combinations!
TF: What are you most excited about for the 2025 festival?
Shelley: See it all come together on 1st Nov! A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes to put together a festival and its all worth it on the day, when thousands come through the gates at Founders Heritage Park. We have a line-up of 5 local and national bands that I can’t wait to hear and seeing all the familiar Cider Producers – its really fun catching up every year! Just seeing everyone enjoy themselves and have some delicious NZ Cider makes me excited!
Grab your tickets to The New Zealand Cider Festival in Nelson at Founders Heritage Park via Ticket Fairy
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