Considering he makes cider in a building that used to be an abattoir, it’s only fitting that Mitchell Hawse decided to put the word ‘slaughterhouse’ in the name of his Prince George cidery.
Making cider started out as a hobby but Hawse soon became obsessed with it. He found a business partner, Sam Shenk, and together they built a business plan and applied for a winery licence. Slaughterhouse’s Traditional Dry cider uses 16 varieties of apples and the experimentation process of finding the perfect blend is ongoing. Hawse is always on the lookout for apple growers in and around the city who don’t have a use for their apples and he will gladly come by to pick them.
The 60-foot by 40-foot building where cattle used to be led to meet their final fate is where they make and bottle the cider and mead. The building’s history as a place to butcher animals serves Hawse well in his cidery, where cleanliness is of utmost importance. It has a good water supply, plenty of sinks, floor drains , washable walls and a robust power supply.