Thatchers launch new ciders so exclusive they are only available in one pub

They make some of the most popular ciders in the country, with one of the products the most pulled pints in South West pubs - but now Thatcher’s Cider have launched three new ciders to its range - but they are only available to drink in one pub in the world.

The new Thatchers ‘Cider Barn range’ harks back to the origins of the North Somerset cider-making family - the original William Thatcher first began making cider on his farm near Bristol in 1904 as a bonus wage for his farmworkers, and it was only available from the farm itself.

And that’s how the new Cider Barn range is available more than 120 years on - with the three different new ciders in the range available from the Thatcher’s Cider Shop at Myrtle Farm, and at the cider-maker’s own pub, the Railway Inn on the main road in front of the factory in the village of Sandford.

The three new ciders are part of the firm’s long-standing tradition of making ‘small-batch, experimental ciders’, and they are called ‘Oak-aged Redstreak’, ‘Thatchers Scrumptious’ and ‘Thatchers Heritage’.

“The Cider Barn range holds a special place in our hearts,” said Martin Thatcher, the fourth-generation of the family. “As we celebrate 120 years of cider-making here at Myrtle Farm, innovation remains as important to us now as it was back in 1904. These small-batch ciders represent the passion of our expert cider makers and often serve as a scratch pad for new ideas and flavours,” he said.

While Thatchers Gold is the most pulled pint in pubs in the South West, selling more than 15 million every year, only a few thousand bottles of the three new drinks are available in the pub, the shop and if people ask for it to be delivered to their homes.

Richard Johnson is the head cider-maker at Thatchers, and he said they have used oak vats that are older than the firm itself. “It is such a joy and a privilege to be able to have the freedom and space offered by the Cider Barn to simply create,” he said. “It is our unique place to experiment with varieties, fermentation and blending to uncover new and exciting styles of cider.

“Each cider tells a story about the apple varieties, the orchards they come from and the craftsmanship behind every bottle. This year I have enjoyed working with traditional bittersweet somerset apples, rediscovering their unique characteristics, and using our 175-year-old oak vats to infuse depth and flavour,” he added.