The Apple Thief wins Champion Cider at 2026 Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Show with its single-variety Kingston Black Cider capturing the top cider trophy
The town of Batlow is well renowned for its apple varieties, and The Apple Thief, the award-winning cider distiller, has won the Champion Cider trophy at the 2026 Sydney Royal Beer and Cider Show for its Kingston Black Cider.
The result celebrates a cider made exclusively from Kingston Black apples, allowing one traditional cider apple variety to stand on its own. Kingston Black apples are prized for the balance of bitterness, acidity and fruit character they bring to cider, and head brewer Campbell Meeks has crafted the cider to perfection.
The award also recognises the work of Glen, The Apple Thief's orchard manager, whose care and hard work in the orchard helped produce the high-quality Kingston Black apples used to make the winning cider.
“Winning Champion Cider with Kingston Black is all the more special because it is a single-variety cider. It allows the apple’s distinctive character to speak for itself. Glen has done an exceptional job in the orchard, and this award is also recognition of the quality of fruit his work has helped us produce,” said cider maker Campbell Meeks.
Limited release availability - The award-winning Kingston Black Cider is available to purchase directly from The Apple Thief Cider House in Batlow. Only a limited quantity is available, while stocks last.
This is the second year running The Apple Thief had won awards at this prestigious show, last year winning Best New World Cider for their Red Moon Rosé Cider and Best Perry for their William Pear Cider.
The Apple Thief continues to build its reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting cider producers. The awards recognise the unique characteristics of Batlow apples and the deliberate small-batch craft of The Apple Thief cider-making.
Visitors to Batlow can visit the Cider House, an impressive building set among the apple orchard at 4066 Batlow Road with a unique story of its creation.
The Apple Thief proprietor, David Purcell, created a wonderful setting: a venue with a restaurant, a bar, and cider tastings, with the interior lined with reclaimed timber from the devastating 2019-20 bushfires.
Describing the venue, David said it starts from the moment you drive in and enter the Cider House via the orchard, strolling among the apple trees making for the most unique entrance.
“Walking through the orchard with the hail nets, and then up into the building, it will feel like you are walking into a giant apple bin.”
For more information on visiting the Cider House, click here for the website.
