HOW WE MAKE CIDER For us cider making is a family affair, a perfect blend of tradition and innovation over four generations. At 12.30pm every Friday we have the Family Taste Test. And unless each cider is perfect it doesn’t leave the farm. STRAIGHT FROM THE ORCHARDS Our apples are harvested to ensure the highest quality flavours arrive in your glass. That includes quality testing before picking. The apples are then delivered and rolled into our apple bays; weighed, quality checked and graded. CIDER MILL The apples are rolled into the mill, washed and mashed. The mash is pressed to extract the fresh juice. We have five Bucher Guyer presses that benefit from the most advanced technology to ensure we produce the best quality juice.. They’re the same type of presses many winemakers use. Back in the day, Stan Thatcher would manually press two tonnes of fruit a day. By the 1970s five men could press up to 40 tonnes a day. Now it’s considerably more! FERMENTING During fermentation, our special yeast is added to the apple juice, to turn sugar into alcohol. Our fermentation tanks are controlled by a bespoke system which allows us to make consistent quality cider to our exacting standards – bringing out all the luscious apple character and flavours. The cider stays in the fermentation tanks for 8 days. MATURING AND BLENDING We have 11 oak vats, each over 150 years old. These historic wonders are over 30 ft. tall, constructed from three-inch oak staves, bound with thick steel bands that have to be regularly tightened. Coopers handcrafted the vats from English oak, each one with its own special character. The largest holds around 135,500 pints of cider! THE THATCHERS CHARACTER Each of our ciders has its own distinctive character. After fermentation, the cider is separated from the yeast. It’s then matured for around six weeks. Here the tannins gradually become soft and smooth, enhancing the mellow and rich tones of the cider while it matures. TASTING Our ciders are tasted every Friday by our cider makers. Only when they say it is ready – and only then – is the cider blended ready for packaging. It’s not an exact science so we may leave it to mature for a bit longer to make sure it’s perfect. That’s why we call it a craft. OUR CIDERS Meet the family SEE ALL FARM SHOP Cider, clothing and merchandise POP IN SITEMAP HOME VISIT MYRTLE FARM CAREERS TRADE ABOUT US NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION SHOP BUY ONLINE DELIVERY INFORMATION RETURNS CUSTOMER SERVICE RAILWAY INN VISIT THE RAILWAY INN BOOK A TABLE HOW TO FIND US LEGAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS PRIVACY COOKIE POLICY MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT CONTACT GET IN TOUCH HOW TO FIND US Order anytime from our online farm shop COPYRIGHT © THATCHERS CIDER 2021 THATCHERS CIDER COMPANY LTD, MYRTLE FARM, SANDFORD, SOMERSET BS25 5RA Are you over 18? This website requires you to be 18 years of age or older. Please verify your age to view the content, or click Exit to leave. I'M OVER 18 EXIT By entering this site, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understood our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy. Thatchers Cider Company Ltd, Myrtle Farm, Sandford, Somerset, BS25 5RA