Thatchers Cider

Thatchers Cider is a family-owned cider maker in Sandford, North Somerset, England.

"Thatchers" redirects here. For the episode of the TV series Sherlock, see The Six Thatchers. For other uses, see Thatcher (disambiguation).

Thatcher Cider
LocationSandford, Somerset, England
Opened1904
Owned byIndependent
Websitethatcherscider.co.uk

History
Thatchers traditional dry draught cider in a pint glass, as served in a pub

The Thatchers company was founded by William Thatcher in 1904.[1] His son Stanley Thatcher, born in 1910, began selling draught cider to pubs in Somerset and the company’s presence in the area grew. The company is still family owned and employs around 200 people.[2] In 1992 Martin took over from his father, John Thatcher, as managing director.[3][4]

It has 500 acres of its own orchard,[5] as well as using apples from other growers in the area. Alongside its bush orchards, Thatchers has pioneered a method of growing its apple trees in a hedgerow style.[5] Trained on wires, this enables easier harvesting and also helps to ensure the fruit has the optimum combination of sunlight and rain. It has also led to the development of a new bespoke harvester.[6] At the height of season, Thatchers can press 500 tonnes of apples per day. Thatchers also maintains an exhibition orchard in which over 458 different varieties of apple tree are grown.[5] Many of the traditional ciders produced at Myrtle Farm are matured in 100-year-old oak vats, which gives the cider a distinctive taste.[7]

Current brands
Thatchers Gold

There are several brands of Thatchers cider. These are categorised by the brewers as:

  • Single Varietal Cider, where only one type of apple is used. Examples have included Katy, Somerset Redstreak, and Spartan, many of which are old Somerset varieties.
  • Dual Variety Ciders, where two types of apples are used. Examples have included Somerset Redstreak and Katy, Tremletts Falstaff and Morgan Sweet & Grenadier.
  • Core Range, including Thatchers Gold and Haze.
  • Premium, including Thatchers Vintage, made from the best apples from each harvest.
  • Character brands, including Old Rascal and Green Goblin.
  • Super Premium, Thatchers Family Reserve which is a light sparkling apple wine, made from the first pressed juice of the Katy apple.
  • Ciders available on draught include TRAD, which is a hazy cider, Cheddar Valley, which has an orange colour and Big Apple, which is a traditional cider.
  • Thatchers also produce Cider Barn. These products showcase the artisan apple blending that takes places on Myrtle Farm. There are 3 variants to this range, Redstreak, Spartan and Morgan Sweet & Grenadier.
  • Thatchers have previously produced special variety ciders such as Thatchers 458, made from 458 different types of apples, grown in the exhibition orchard at Myrtle Farm.
Thatcher's cider shop in Sandford

Sponsorships

Thatchers Cider is available in many sports clubs and events across the South West. They are involved with teams including Winscombe R.F.C., Bath Rugby,[8] Somerset County Cricket Club, Bristol Rugby, Bristol City FC, Yeovil Town, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Bristol Rovers FC, Plymouth Argyle FC, and Exeter City.[9]

Thatchers are also involved in many local events and festivals including: Glastonbury Festival, GoldCoast OceanFest, Royal Bath and West Show, Bristol Balloon Fiesta and Cambridge Folk Festival.

Thatcher's lost their ongoing cider sponsorship of the Glastonbury festival in 2019 to Mallets cider.[10]

TV advertisements

Thatchers aired on national TV with Time Stops in 2015, with the concept of showcasing the 12:30 pm tasting that happens every Friday at Myrtle Farm.[11][12]

See also

References
  1. "A century of cider-making expertise at village company". Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  2. "Thatchers Cider". SomersetFood. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  3. "Thatchers, Sandford". Case Studies in North Somerset. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  4. "Thatchers". Somerset Live. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  5. "Thatchers, Sandford". Invest in North Somerset. North Somerset Council. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  6. "Made to measure – Thatchers new bespoke harvester cares for the apples". Farming Monthly. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  7. "Thatchers to give off trade drinkers pub experience with bag in box". Off Licence News. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  8. Green, Martin. "Thatchers Cider renews sponsorship of Bath rugby". Drinks Retailing. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  9. "Our Partners". Thatchers Cider. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  10. Pretty Good Digital. "Glastonbury Festival - Local company Mallets to supply cider at Glastonbury 2019". Glastonbury Festival - 21st-25th June, 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  11. ""Time Stops" – Thatchers unveils new commercial". The Grocery Trader. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  12. "Thatchers Cider Returns to Glastonbury". Glastonbury Festival. Retrieved 29 December 2017.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.