Chris Carr, managing director of Merrydown Cider enjoyed being served a pint over the new bar at the Evening Star in Brighton today – a bar made from the very old oak timbers from vats that once made the classic Sussex cider. 
Prior to Merrydown’s relocation in 2005, their cider was made in huge 40,000 gallon oak vats in Horam, East Sussex. Whilst sadly nothing remains of the Horam operation now, some of the oak was salvaged and it’s that oak which now finds itself enjoying a second life at the iconic Brighton pub.

Chris had mixed feelings at seeing the oak refashioned and given a new life: “It was a sad day when Merrydown had to relocate its production out of Sussex, though to this day we still continue to use the same traditional cider making ingredients and methods that can be traced back to the time following our misunderstanding with the Normans, back in 1066. The Evening Star is another great Sussex tradition, prized by so many lovers of fine ales and ciders and I’m sure they will appreciate every knot and grain of history in the wood.”