The Fizz: Sean Turley on Apples and Cider

| Posted in General News

For this week’s edition of The Fizz Margot Mazur has an extensive conversation with Sean Turley about Maine’s history of apple agriculture, its budding cider industry and the challenges/opportunities for the industry as it moves forward.

Cider is a local product that reflects a place. You can get into a conversation around terroir and other parts of it that are really interesting, but you don’t get those conversations if everyone’s just taking dessert fruit and putting it in cans and selling it like a cool, goofy, mango habanero or something. Then people think oh “cider is only this thing you buy in cans and crush”. Cider can be a really interesting and conversation driving thing to drink. That’s what I’d like to see.

Dylan Webber, 31

| Posted in People

Dylan Webber, the co-founder of Definitive Brewing, has passed away at the age of 31.

We are deeply saddened to share the news that our co-founder, creative mastermind, and friend Dylan Webber has passed away suddenly. We join his girlfriend Laura, his mother Katie, father Chuck, and the rest of his family in mourning his loss, and celebrating his remarkable life.

See today’s article in the Press Herald for additional reporting.

2nd Annual Backyard Cider Project

| Posted in Events

Anoche (website, instagram) has announced plans for the 2nd Annual Backyard Cider Project. This exciting community-oriented initiative will be gathering apple donations from the public, and work with Après Cider House (website, facebook, instagram) in East Bayside to press, ferment and bottle a “unique cider that showcases the terroir of Maine”.

All across our state, apple trees abound on public and private property, and a large portion of these apples go to waste. With the apple harvest being upon us, we are asking any and all who have access to apple trees to bring us your fruit! SO, bring whatever you can:

Blemished apples, small apples, crabapples, you name it! Because cider apples don’t typically taste good to eat—the more bitter and sour, the better! You can drop your apples off at Anoche any day of the week from 4pm to 9pm, or at Après Thursday through Sunday from noon to 8pm.

If you bring a bushel or more (40+ pounds) you’ll qualify for our raffle. The winner will receive an apple tree from a local nursery so that we can keep the tradition going for years to come!

Drop-off Schedule: Apples for the Project can be dropped off at Anoche 4 pm – 9 pm daily, or at Après noon – 8 pm (Thursday through Sunday).

As in 2020, Anoche will be noting down the harvest locations of the apples so when the cider is released we can see the unique geographic fingerprint of where the fruit came from. The 2020 Backyard Cider Project cider is expected to be released later this year.

Maine Heirloom Apple Guide

| Posted in Farming

September has arrived and with it the leading edge of the Maine apple season. Take a look at the updated Maine Heirloom Apple Guide for detailed information on where and when to find dozens of heirloom apple varieties grown at fourteen outstanding Maine orchards.

The guide is a coproduction of Portland Food Map and The Righteous Russet (instagram). We hope this provides you with all the information you need to go out for a self-directed exploration of Maine orchards and the many heirloom apples they offer. Use it throughout the fall to go exploring so you can take advantage of the entire season.

Ben St. Jeanne

| Posted in People

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about chef Ben St. Jeanne and his business the Big Bad Food Truck.

Five years ago, owner and chef Ben St. Jeanne woke up in a hospital bed to doctors telling him he would never work in a kitchen again. St. Jeanne and his girlfriend, Molly, who is now his wife, had been in a head-on motorcycle accident while on vacation in Canada.

Before the accident, St. Jeanne’s star was rising in the seacoast New Hampshire food scene. He had recently been hired as executive chef of the now-closed Mambo in Portsmouth.

Food Trucks: Eat It & Beet It, Clam Bar, Knitting Nook

| Posted in Under Construction, Openings

The new food trucks keep coming. Here’s some information on three more:

The Clam Bar (instagram) is getting ready to open. The business is located at 199 West Commercial St. They will initially be opening with a food truck kitchen while the brick and mortar restaurant is still under development. September 1st is the target open date.

The Knitting Nook (instagram) in South Portland has expanded on the existing cafe offering with a food truck serving breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays.

A new food truck called Eat It & Beet It (instagram) is under development. Founder Lea Andrukaitis Verrill plans to serve a menu of gourmet beef and vegan/vegetarian burgers which will feature a beet burger she’s developed. Verrill hopes to open in late 2021 or early 2022. Verrill has worked the last few years as a pastry chef at Botto’s Bakery.

Plate The State

| Posted in Under Construction

A new Maine cooking show called Plate the State (website, facebook, instagram) is currently taping their first set of episodes which are expected to air Sundays on News Center Maine at 11 am starting on October 3rd.

The show is co-hosted by former Union chef Josh Berry and Maggie Knowles who will be “sharing the stories of where our food comes from and how to enjoy it at home”.

The season premiere opens with a fly fishing adventure in Rangeley then how to make a trout dinner over a campfire at Cathedral Pines Campground. Throughout the 11-episode season, viewers will visit The Honey exchange, Slack Tide Sea Salt, The Apple Farm, and Mousam Valley Mushrooms amongst many others.

Maine Scallop Aquaculture

| Posted in Fisheries

The New York Times has published an article about scallop aquaculture in Maine.

You certainly couldn’t tell that, just below the waves slapping against the hull, there were hundreds of thousands of sea scallops, swimming, squirting and cavorting in a series of nets, all part of Mr. Brewer’s aquatic farm.

Mr. Brewer and his son, Bob, pulled up a long algae-covered net and scooped scallops into a bucket of seawater, where they zipped around, moving a whole lot faster than you’d think bivalves could. Most would go to Glidden Point Oyster Farms. The rest were about to become lunch.

Belleville on Forest Ave

| Posted in Under Construction

Belleville (website, instagram) has leased this building at 767 Forest Ave where they plan to build out a production bakery. The new bakery will nearly quadruple the size of their production space. A rotating rack oven and proofing equipment are on order and expected to arrive later this year. Belleville hopes to be back in full swing by the holidays and will keep up their occasional pop-up series in the meantime.

The new bakery will allow them to produce more baked goods more efficiently to meet the ever growing demand for their croissants, pizza and other foods.

The Munjoy Hill location will continue to be the retail shop for Belleville. However sometime in late 2022 or 2023 they may open a second retail location at the bakery on Forest Ave.