History
The founder, William Thatcher, first started making cider for his own farm workers in 1904. 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 75 people. The current managing director is Martin Thatcher, which is the fourth generation in the family to run the business.
It has 360 acres of its own orchard in Somerset, 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. 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. Over 25,000 tonnes of fruit are pressed each year. Thatchers also maintains a special exhibition orchard in which over 500 different varieties of apple tree are grown. Many of the traditional ciders produced at Myrtle Farm are matured in 100-year-old oak vats, which gives the cider a distinctive taste.
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