Cider Tasting Masterclass - Market Place Theatre Armagh

If you want to understand what makes Armagh cider genuinely different from anything else produced on this island, this is the session to book. The Cider Tasting Masterclass at Market Place Theatre on Saturday 5 September puts two of the world’s most respected cider voices - Gabe Cook and Bill Bradshaw - in the same room as a carefully curated line-up of local ciders, and gives you the context to make sense of what you are tasting. It suits anyone with a passing curiosity about craft cider, not just connoisseurs; the format is guided and conversational, not a lecture.

What to expect

Gabe Cook (known in the trade as “The Ciderologist”) and Bill Bradshaw have between them judged, written about, and promoted cider at an international level for years. In this format, they walk a small group through a tasting of Armagh craft ciders, covering the flavours, the production methods, and the story behind why this particular corner of Ireland has earned PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status for its Bramley apple - one of only a handful of Irish food products to hold that designation. Expect to learn the difference between dessert and culinary apple varieties in a cider context, how fermentation and blending shape the final glass, and what sets Armagh cider apart from mass-produced alternatives. The masterclass is ticketed and intentionally small in scale, which means you can actually hear yourself think and get questions answered. Market Place Theatre - a 400-seat arts centre with a studio space and a theatre bar - provides a comfortable, unhurried setting. The session falls within the wider Armagh Food and Cider Weekend (3 to 6 September 2026), a four-day programme of more than 40 events celebrating the region’s food and drink heritage.

Getting there

Armagh city is roughly an hour south-west of Belfast on the A3 and about 90 minutes north of Dublin via the M1 and A3. Translink bus services run to Armagh from Portadown, Newry, and Belfast; the Goldline 251 connects Belfast Europa to Armagh directly. Market Place Theatre sits right in the city centre on Market Street, a short walk from The Mall and the city’s two cathedrals. Parking is available at several surface car parks within a few minutes’ walk of the theatre.

While you’re in Armagh

The Food and Cider Weekend fills the city with events across venues, orchards, and restaurants - it is well worth arriving early or staying overnight to take in the wider programme. There is more to see in Armagh and across Co. Armagh.

Good to know

• Date: Saturday 5 September 2026; time listed as “Various” - check the booking page for specific session times
• Price: ticketed; GBP pricing - see visitarmagh.com/festivals/food-cider/ for current ticket rates
• Booking: tickets via visitarmagh.com; advance booking strongly recommended as this is consistently one of the fastest-selling events of the festival
• Led by cider experts Gabe Cook and Bill Bradshaw
• Part of Armagh Food and Cider Weekend, 3 to 6 September 2026