- published: 20 Oct 2015
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Thatchers Cider is a cider producing company based in Sandford, in North Somerset, England.
The founder, William Thatcher, first started making cider for his own farm workers in 1904. As the 20th century went on, he started to sell the ciders to outsiders, and eventually to pubs and clubs. The company is still family owned.
Traditional cider is produced here from locally grown apples. The apple trees are trained on wires, like grapevines to enable easier harvesting and also to ensure the fruit have the same combination of sunlight and rain. Over 25,000 tonnes of fruit are processed each year, though some of this comes from external orchards.
Most of the ciders are matured in oak vats, which gives the cider a distinctive taste.
There are several brands of Thatchers cider. These are categorised by the brewers as:
In April 2007 Thatchers produced a special Wurzel Me cider in honour of local musical group The Wurzels.
Thatchers produce ciders for other companies, notably Black Rat, available as a sparkling or cloudy draught cider, and sold under the name of the Moles Brewery in Melksham, Wiltshire.