Funk Cider

55 Benara Road, Caversham
Ph: (08) 9377 4884
www.funkcider.com.au
 
The In-Cider Scoop
The Swan Valley is famous for wine, but it’s got more to offer if you know where to look. When I first visited Funk Cider, on the doorstop of the Swan Valley, I was immediately taken back by the relaxed vibe of the place. I had no idea how funky cider could be and the venue followed suit. The Michael Brothers started out making cold pressed juice, but have since expanded into the cider business. They specialise in making preservative-free, raw, and unpasteurised ciders, as well as a range of fruit infused, all natural ciders, that really need to be tried to be believed. My favourites are the Passionfruit and the Uncle Brett.
The Michael Brothers have teamed up with Paolo Butto, from Urban Food Mafia, who has put together a great menu that complements many of the crazy Funk Ciders. One of Paolo’s secrets is he uses the brothers’ cider in many of his recipes. The chili sauce used to cook the spicy wings, and the braised pork in the Funk Burger, are two such examples.
I’ve been to Funk Cider a few times now, and it’s worth noting they’ve got separate breakfast and lunch menus. Breakfast stops at 11:30am, and lunch starts at noon.  From the breakfast menu I’ve had the bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato and avocado (BELTA) sandwich, which is an enormous feed, and delicious start to the day, especially if you pick up some of their amazing cold pressed juice to wash it down.
The lunch menu is mostly sharing foods, but there are a number of slices and burgers as well. So far, I’ve tried the Funk burger and the Mafia burger. The Funk burger has a heat to it that is cooled by the slaw, and matches well with the Sex Machine cider. The Mafia burger is made with a beef patty and mushroom to add an extra meaty flavour and absolutely blew me away, as it’s probably the best burger I’ve had in Perth. I’ve yet to try their DON burger, which is the vegetarian option, but that’s what I’ll be getting next time I go.
The sharing menu features wings, chips, bruschetta, and fried corn, all of which are made to a high standard, and with a novel spin. The fried corn and spicy wings are my personal favorites from their sharing menu. There are also a number of vegetarian and gluten-free options, and most dishes come with a cider match recommendation that can really bring out the flavour of the dishes. If you decide to order a bunch of sharing dishes, one of the cider tasting paddles would be a good way to explore their range and see if you can find any matches of your own.
Funk Cider is family friendly as designated drivers and children can enjoy the cold pressed juices on offer. The atmosphere is laid back, making it a great place to go when the weather is fine, so you can sit out on the benches under the shade of the gum trees.
By Floyd Holmes
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