Boss Martin Thatcher explains why creating quality cider is the apple of his eye
Who are you and what is your job title?
Martin Thatcher, fourth generation cider maker at Thatchers Cider.
What’s your brand’s story? When was it founded and what are its goals?
Thatchers is a family cider maker, founded by my Great Grandfather William back in 1904. William was a Somerset farmer and made a name locally for producing the best cider around.
Generations of our family since then have continued his tradition, every step of the way dedicated to crafting the very best, tastiest cider – sustainably.
This belief in better has led us to become the number one family cider maker in the UK, with our nationally sought-after premium brands such as Thatchers Gold, Haze and Blood Orange, all crafted with such care and attention to perfection.
Describe the production process.
An essential element of premium cider is its provenance. We always say that the best cider starts in the orchard and here our apples are nurtured throughout the year to be harvested in the Autumn.
It’s at this point that the apples make their way to our mill, where they are pressed, fermented, matured and blended, before being packaged. Our cider is tasted every day – ensuring it’s exactly as we want it to be!
What’s a typical working day like for you?
I like to get out and about meeting customers, talk to them about their particular retail needs, and help them understand the rapidly changing cider market.
It’s my job to ensure that our cider range stands out from the crowd, appeals to shoppers and works hard for our retail customers, most importantly that every cider leaves the farm in absolute perfect condition. At every step of the way quality is our number one goal.
What’s your favourite flavour/variant and why?
It has to be our flagship cider Gold. It’s got the perfect balance of fruitiness, tannin, sweetness and acidity, and is a cider for all year round, to be enjoyed with a barbecue, just as with a warming roast dinner.
Cider is clearly moving away from the seasonality it’s traditionally been associated with and this presents endless opportunities for retailers, in fact Gold has seen the most volume growth over the last three years than any other apple cider.
What do you think sets Thatchers apart from its rivals?
Our range holds a style for all tastes. Whether it’s a consumer exploring cider for the first time, attracted by exciting innovations such as our Blood Orange which was the most successful BWS innovation in 2022; connoisseurs who are enjoying the blossoming premium crafted cider category, with our single variety Katy, and classic Vintage; or our best-selling and much-loved flagship brands Gold and Haze, favourites all year round.
And if alcohol-free is the shopper’s preference, our award-winning Zero is the UK’s #1 alcohol free apple cider. Crafted sustainably, supported by high profile marketing, and working hard for retailers, we have a premium range of ciders to suit all consumer tastes.
How can retailers make the most of your brand?
Keep your cider shelves and chillers stocked up over the summer and be prepared for the bank holidays. We’ll be keeping our brand front of mind with shoppers through high profile marketing, helping you drive sales.
Thatchers Gold should be at the heart of your offer as the apple cider with more shoppers than any other.
Our new Price Mark Pack for our 4x500ml can packs of Gold, is a must stock for convenience stores, communicating value for money to shoppers.
And as your customers look for value in larger multi-packs this summer season, our Gold 10-pack is a must stock also, being the top selling apple 10 pack across the off trade.
