The social hub of the Huon Valley, Willie Smith’s Apple Shed draws fans of apples in the form of fine ciders and spirits, served on the fourth-generation farm where they’re produced.
The Apple Shed’s conviviality is infectious. The light-filled space starts to fill from opening time at 10:00am, living up to its rep as a social hub and creating a welcoming vibe for locals and visitors alike.
Inside, the tables are made from upcycled pallets, while the bar, flanked by a few stools, is crafted from original timber salvaged during the renovation. The walls, even in the bathrooms, are adorned with genuine relics of the site’s past.
The Shed opens onto a generous timber deck that looks out over lawns and landscaped gardens. Fire pits and undercover areas allow the outdoors to be enjoyed year round, as long as you rug up. Kids are catered for with a cubby house (made of pallets, of course) and plenty of room to run around, and your four-legged pals are welcome, on leads, in the outdoor space. Punters gather at picnic-style tables or stools at barrels and linger over the cider, or perhaps over the family’s Charles Oates apple-based spirits, small-batch distilled on site. Seated in the Shed, you can see the copper still where apple cider is transformed into French-inspired apple brandy.
A tasting paddle is a great way to start a visit to the Shed. Featuring four of Willie Smith’s core ciders – Organic, Bone Dry, Traditional and Wild – it allows you a taste across the spectrum before committing to your favourite. Occasionally, limited-release ciders will also be available on a tasting paddle.
The cocktails and drink specials change regularly. You might find a barrel-aged Apple Spirit Negroni or a Wattleseed Highball, also made with Charles Oates apple spirit and mixed with wattleseed cordial and soda. For those after a straight-up taste, the spirit paddle serves up the apple spirit, apple brandy and pommeau, a French-style apple spirit. Mulled cider provides a warming hug-in-a-cup during the cooler months.
Wider Tasmania is also celebrated on the drinks menu. The likes of Hobart Brewing Co and Mona’s Moo Brew cater to the beer drinkers. Among the wines, all available by the glass or bottle, standouts include the Kate Hill Shiraz, made just over the highway, and Shiny Wine’s pinot gris from the Tamar Valley. Heaps Normal non-alcoholic beer and house-made sodas ensure the non-drinkers and designated drivers are covered.
Once you’ve tried, you can buy – the ciders and spirits are available to take away.
The menu leans casual, but it’s serious about championing Tasmanian producers. The cheeses on the share boards are all from the Apple Isle, bolstered with the likes of local cured meats and house-made chicken-liver pâté spiked with apple spirit.
While the menu is seasonal, the roasted Tassie potatoes are a constant year round, served with a tangy red-pepper romesco sauce and sharpened with pecorino cheese. Unsurprisingly, cider and apples are put to good use on the menu, as seen in the cider-braised pork belly, from Scottsdale, with a cider-poached apple and walnut salad. For a sturdy snack, meanwhile, the toastie with Cygnet’s renowned smoked ham and Wicked smoked cheddar on local sourdough hits the spot – cider mustard optional.
And what sort of apple shed would it be without a pie? Slabs of the Apple Shed Famous Apple Pie, served with Van Diemens Land vanilla-bean ice cream, fly out of the kitchen.
