Thatcher’s Cider Company

My days Thatchers know how to make a pint of cider.
A strong contender for the west countries finest!
The business is able to bring a diverse taste to my palette and from the moment that i had my first pint i had my hearts set on finding and tasting everything they have made. One thing i can tell you for certain is that they can make ciders that are streets ahead of anything you can find in the supermarket. Your would be an idiot not to wrap your lips round one of these pints!

As soon as I tried the lush crisp taste of Thatcher’s Cider I literally kicked myself for wasting my Uni years on Olde English and Woodpecker. Where the latter are made out of concentrate, water and chemicals which leave you with insane hangovers, the former is made out of actual apples. And that’s exactly the way cider should be made. What started off as a small family run business has become a big player in the cider world, helped by the image overhaul of the drink in recent years. It’s still, however, run by the lovely Martin Thatcher who uses Somerset apples and old Victorian casks. Boy can you taste the love and affection that goes into Thatchers compared with the cheap ciders that tramps use as a sleeping aid. Thankfully they serve it in a lot of pubs in Bristol and they have started selling it in supermarkets too. And it’s not just plain old cider on offer, Thatcher’s do a Katy, Katy Rose and a Pear Cider, which guess what? Yep, that’s it — is actually made from pears!

Pint of Thatcher’s? Yes please.
One of those reliable ciders you see in a bar and instantly go for. You can always rely on the quality of Thatcher’s, across the range, from the traditional cloudies to the stronger Katy. My personal favourite is Gold.
I am proud to live in a city that produces such good cider. You can find Thatcher’s wherever you go, and if they don’t have it, I’d think twice about having a second in there.

Bristol is home to many a proud cider drinker, myself among them. Thatcher’s probably take a sizeable chunk of my income every week, providing pint after delicious pint of appley merriment. Much better than Strongbow or Blackthorn, they’ve got a diverse couple of ciders, and are bound to have one to suit your pallet. I particularly recommend a bottle of Katy’s on a warm summers day.
To get the best experience of what they offer head to the brewery. You can learn all about the highly technical business of making cider and, more importantly, sample some straight from the barrel. The educational side is fairly interesting actually, and you can take a tour of the orchards, which feels slightly more wholesome than just drinking lots of cider. Once you’ve sunk a couple of pints you can then make a trip to the giftshop and buy some cider themed tat. All in all, an excellent day out.

The West country is famed for its cider. Thatcher’s is a success story and their appley alcohol goodness stands testament to local flavour.
If you have a taste for Thatcher’s, take a daytrip to their shop and visitor centre.
The pens, umbrellas and t-​shirts for sale are a bit superfluous, I say head straight for the bottles and kegs, tastier and cheaper than you can buy anywhere else.
They also do some quality fun days for families and tours extensive orchards, it makes you feel super appley!