Starting a new business at any time, is a difficult task, but starting one during a pandemic is even more frustrating. Supply chain issues, staffing and the uncertainty of the unknown, makes for very perplexing challenges.

That certainly did not stop Matthew Somerville from pursuing his dream. Along with partner, Andy, the twosome decided to open a cidery, in the village of Seagrave, just north of Port Perry, and known as Two Blokes Cider. 

Matthew was born in Port Perry, and attended a number of different elementary schools. I should mention it was not because of issues, but rather logistics. From kindergarten in Epson, to Greenbank for grades one and two, RH Cornish for the next two years, followed by SA Cawker, when that school opened. He then went on to Port Perry High.

Since the time he was 14, Matthew had numerous jobs throughout his school term. His love for animals, no doubt from growing up on a farm, helped in his job at a petting zoo. He worked at KFC, and had the treasured position of being a rink rat at the arena. For those of you unfamiliar with the term (as I was), a rink rat clears the path for the Zamboni, when it resurfaces the ice. The job also involves keeping the locker rooms clean after each use.

Hard work was not new to Matthew. Growing up on a farm, automatically comes with hard work, no matter what age. The family homestead grew cash crops and raised cattle. Affected by the recent mad cow disease, Matthew started thinking about an alternative business venture.

After high school, Matthew headed south to the University of Toronto. He majored in architecture, an industry where he saw himself and his future. After graduation he returned to Scugog, and ran for council, no doubt following in his mother’s footsteps.

Being from this area, and Matthew’s background in farming, made him think about urban planning and sustainability within the farming industry. He put his architectural degree to good use. His concern for the protection of greenbelt and food land, was in the forefront of his thoughts. Urban agriculture was something he wanted to develop within our area.

Matthew worked in the sustainable building industry, which is an up and coming area that looks at building with minimal water use, minimal energy costs and designs, which maximizes efficiency. The goal is to develop zero buildings, which are structures that do not impact the environment in a negative way.

After a couple of years in the industry, Matthew decided he wanted to focus more on urban planning, rather than individual structures. He attended the University of Metropolitan Toronto (Ryerson University). Upon graduation, he went to work for a firm specializing in heritage architecture.

Matthew was living in Toronto at the time, and some of the projects he was involved in were the Art Gallery of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum. His area of expertise lay in the saving of old buildings and integrating old structures into new builds.

It gave him a great opportunity to assist in planning, including his involvement in creating the heritage district in Port Perry.

With his interest in the future of farming, Matthew turned to alternative sustainability for the family farm, and decided the cider industry was one worthy of exploration. During his high school years Matthew visited the UK on rugby tours. He was introduced to the concept of cider there, long before it was popular here. He took a sabbatical from work, flew to England, and learned all there was to know about the cider industry.

I found it interesting to learn apples were not native to the UK, instead originating in Kazakhstan. The Romans brought them to Britain. Cider was a product enjoyed in the British Isles for many centuries before t began to make its mark in North America.

When Matthew returned to Canada, he met Andy and they decided to start a test orchard on the family farm. It took four years of investment of both time and money, all the while working. After the learning curve, Two Blokes Cidery officially opened for business.

They are currently producing around 40,000 litres of cider per year. They currently sell their products at the cidery, as well as the LCBO. What surprised me was the process time from tree to bottle, which is anywhere from six months to two years. 

Being co-owner of the winery is certainly a full time position, but Matthew also finds time to be part of the Scugog Chamber’s Board of Directors, where he brings an agricultural perspective to the table.

Take a drive north on Simcoe Street and visit Two Blokes Cider. The tastings will leave you wanting more.