May 12, 2017
Staff from Thatchers Cider have been planting 25,000 new apple trees this spring, in response to the growing demand for the Somerset cidermaker’s products.
This Spring, Thatchers has been planting two of its favourite apple varieties, Dabinett, a vintage bittersweet apple that provides richness and body to its ciders; and Jonagold, a crisp eating apple that provides a beautiful sweet juice. The Jonagold is an important ingredient in its cider Thatchers Haze, being the apple that provides the natural cloudiness in the cider.
Cider lovers throughout the UK are increasingly turning to regionally produced ciders from family cidermakers such as Thatchers for their quality and provenance. Thanks to this, many of the national supermarkets are now stocking a much wider range of Thatchers ciders, including Thatchers Gold, Haze and its two new ciders, Barrel Roller and Leaf Twister.
Martin Thatcher, fourth generation cidermaker says, “There’s a real recognition by the national supermarkets that shoppers are wanting to purchase cider brands that offer authenticity. We’ve been making cider at Myrtle Farm for four generations – you can have no more genuine heritage than that. The ciders that we produce are done so with a passion for a consistently high quality and great taste, and as a result they’re in rising demand up and down the country.”
Staff from throughout Thatchers always help with the tree planting, one of the most important times of the cidermaking year.
“This year we’re planting 25,000 new trees on new land and within some existing orchards,” explains Martin. “It’s always an exciting time of year when many of our Myrtle Farm-based staff help out in the orchards. This spring we’ve been aided by the mild and dry weather.
“We’ve been planting two of our favourite apple varieties this year. Dabinett which we use in a number of our ciders is a classic cider apple that brings richness and body. The second is Jonagold, which is a sweet dessert apple that our cidermakers love for its crispness.”
Martin, who planted his first apple tree at the age of 5 at Myrtle Farm, always joins the orchard team during planting. His children, Eleanor and Peter, are also keen to play their part during school holidays and weekends.
As well as cultivating apples in its own orchards, Thatchers has a number of long term contracts with specialist growers throughout the apple growing regions of the South West and Herefordshire.
“We have an extended family of specialist growers who provide us with great quality apples and have done so for many years,” continues Martin. “They all make a valuable contribution to our cidermaking process, helping us deliver sufficient quantities of apples into our mill at harvest time to meet the demand for our ciders all year round.
“Apples are very much like vines, in that different varieties of apples suit different soil types. For that reason we have growers in different regions who can provide us with the specific apple varieties our cidermakers need for our different ciders.
“Over half of all the apples grown in this country are used to make cider,” concludes Martin. “The contribution that the cider industry makes to the rural economy through its orchards is significant. But with apple trees taking six or seven years to start cropping fully, and orchards lasting around 40 years, planting orchards now is a long term commitment for the future and a responsibility that we here at Thatchers we take seriously.”
May 2, 2017
Westons is adding a new berry-flavoured variant to its hugely successful Mortimer’s Orchard super-premium cider brand as it adds further breadth to the top end of the cider market.
Mortimer’s Orchard – English Berry Cider is a sparkling, clear, berry-coloured cider made from a unique blend of bittersweet, sharp and sweet apples, which is matured in Westons traditional oak vats before being blended with berry fruits to deliver an exceptionally flavoursome and refreshing cider. The 4% abv cider is exclusively available on draught to the premium on-trade from May onwards. As part of an extensive launch programme Westons is working with Mitchells and Butlers to showcase the new cider in a number of its premium outlets over the summer months.
Tessa Holden, Mortimer’s Orchard brand manager, says: “We are really excited to be launching Mortimer’s Orchard – English Berry Cider in time for the summer. The launch follows our market insight and research which has identified that whilst draught fruit cider is growing spectacularly at 85% year-on-year*, there is a limited super-premium offering within draught fruit cider.
“Mortimer’s Orchard – English Berry Cider will help to establish a super-premium segment within draught fruit cider as well as further driving the growth of the Mortimer’s Orchard brand through a new product offering which will bring new consumers into the market.”
Mortimer’s Orchard was first launched in 2013 and is now listed in over 1,000 outlets and is growing at 30% year-on-year.
Apr 28, 2017
Brewers and cider makers from across the globe gathered at London’s Guildhall on 26th April for the unveiling of the Championship winners in the International Brewing & Cider Awards 2017. Trophies were awarded to nine brewers and one cider maker from three continents, with all bar one winning a championship for the first time.
In a reflection of the truly global nature of this competition, the Champion Cider went to Zeffer, from New Zealand, for their Cidre Demi Sec. In total, medals were handed out to 13 different countries, demonstrating the standard of cider making all around the world. The UK was represented by Sheppy’s, winning Silver for their Iwood Cider and Hogan’s winning Gold for their Killer Sharp cider. Greatest success went to Aston Manor who picked up a Silver and Gold medal for their Knights Malvern Gold and Knight’s Malvern Oak, respectively.
The cider category almost doubled in terms of number of entries, with six cider judges spending three days assessing the ciders, selecting the winners through a consensus approach. Ruth Evans, director of competition organisers BFBI, said, “The fact that our entries this year were up once again, with participation from producers and brand owners around the world, shows the respect that the Awards command in the international cider community.”
Apr 28, 2017
The Cider world is currently bursting with activity, as NACM members gear for the summer ahead. Here’s a roundup of the latest news.
Merrydown launches its new Crisp Apple cider to complement a new branding for its Vintage Cider.
Aspall releases its new 4.5% Aspall Cyder to the world, and in a first fo the company will be released in can.
After a year of waiting, Sheppy’s spectacular Apple Bay restaurant and bar finally opens to the public.
Cornish Orchards tap into the trend for 330ml cans with the releases of the 3 of their brands in this format
Old Mout, the New Zealand inspired cider from Heineken, receives £5 million support for the On Trade
Bristol shows its love for Thatchers with these top 10 facts
Mar 24, 2017
So it’s official: its spring! Time to dust off the shorts, sandals and summery dresses. Well, maybe not quite yet but it won’t be far away. The world is cider is similarly bright and bustling with activity. Here’s the latest in case you’ve missed out.
Family cider maker, Sheppy’s, is nearing the completion of its Apple Bay restaurant, where cider takes centre stage and is set to be presented as the perfect accompaniment to its menu.
The opportunity for a cider lover’s dream job is available with the growing Cornish Orchards cider makers.
A 46 year old bottle of Pomagne has made its way home after Bulmers put in the top bid at auction, and all in aid of St Michael’s Hospice.
Mar 23, 2017
Somerset cidermaker Thatchers is introducing two new canned ciders as part of a rejuvenation of its traditional craft cider range. The range, which comprises cans, bag-in-box, and draught ciders, has been given the name Stan’s, in honour of second generation cidermaker, Stan Thatcher.
Two new, gently sparkling ciders, packaged in 330ml cans, are named Leaf Twister and Barrel Roller.
Leaf Twister (5.0% abv) is a softly-rounded and medium-dry cider crafted with local bittersweet apples including Somerset Redstreak and Dabinett, reliving the joy of Stan’s orchards. Light gold in colour, Leaf Twister has a delicate fruity-floral aroma with a hint of spice.
Barrel Roller (6.0%), which recreates one of Stan’s traditional cider recipes, uses local bittersweet apples including Tremlett’s Bitter and Dabinett to craft a robust, smooth, cloudy cider. Golden-straw coloured, Barrel Roller is high in smooth tannin fullness.
Three of Thatchers best loved traditional ciders are included in the Stan’s range in both bag-in-box and draught formats for the on-trade:
Trad. (6.0%) is Stan’s traditional cider. Mellow from the time it spends in our oak vats, naturally hazy from the bittersweet apples carefully chosen for the blend, and full on flavour thanks to controlled fermentation.
Cheddar Valley (6.0%), with its distinctive orange hues, this smooth, robust, naturally cloudy cider is a Somerset tradition. For those who like their oak-aged cider medium dry, our cidermakers choose apples including Tremlett’s Bitter for its tannins, while Dabinett brings a rich, full body.
Big Apple (5.0%) is crafted from vintage bittersweet apples including Tremlett’s, Dabinett and Somerset Redstreak. Thatchers Big Apple is a traditional cider full of flavour and big on personality. Medium dry, this still cider bursts with apple flavours and has a depth of character that only comes from generations of experience.
Stan, grandfather to Martin Thatcher, grew up on Myrtle Farm in Somerset, and was a true artisan cidermaker. But what he loved most was sharing a pint or two of his lovingly crafted cider with his friends and customers in his cider shop.
Martin Thatcher, fourth generation cidermaker say, “I’m sure my Grandfather would be very proud to have his name on this range. He was a true artisan cidermaker and many of the skills and traditions we still hold dear today originated with him.
“He was also a pioneer, and it’s therefore fitting that we are introducing our first two canned trad ciders in his name. These are two great tasting bittersweet ciders that have been made with Stan very much in mind, using the skills and craftsmanship that he made sure to pass down through the family.”
Martin continues, “Apple cider is still the most dominant flavour within the category in both the on-trade and off-trade, and craft continues to attract much attention. Thatchers is all about the apple, and this range is demonstrating not only our belief in this very special fruit, but also the craft credentials that come from a long line of cidermakers here at Myrtle Farm.”
