“The Cider Drinker” Arrives at The Big Bear

The Big Bear Cider welcomes a new recruit; after years of working in retail, Rikki Lovett AKA The Cider Drinker, has landed his dream job at The Big Bear Cider Mill.

Rikki said “I worked in retail for over 17 years and felt that now was the time to find a new venture in life. That’s when I came across the job advertisement for The Big Bear Cider Mill. I went for an interview and a taster day at the mill, to get a feel for the job, and now, here I am as an assistant cider producer!

I have been reviewing ciders on my YouTube channel for over 10 years now, with over 500 reviews under my belt so far, with plenty more to come.

Cider has been a real passion of mine, so I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to get stuck into it, and join the team over at Big Bear Cider, to make my dream a reality!

The UK has one of the most diverse ranges of apples, ciders and cider producers in the world, so to become a part of one of them and become a member of the cider community is a real privilege!”

Mark Hughes, founder and the inspiration for the brand says “We are delighted to have Rikki on the team, his knowledge of cider and his experience working in retail has been a brilliant fit for us.  To formalise his knowledge, Rikki has recently passed with flying colours, the foundation course at the Beer & Cider Academy.  The course is run by Gabe Cook AKA The Ciderologist, the resident cider expert on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch.”

Mark went on to add “ Wonderful apples can be grown in Essex and brilliant cider can be made in Essex – that is our mission”