Grown in the foothills of Somerset's picturesque Mendip Hills, the apples for Thatchers Cider's newest limited edition Cider Barn blend all come from one single orchard, its Classics Orchard.

The Classics is a full bodied, rich, golden cider at 8.4%, crafted from a blend of 26 different traditional apple varieties. The bittersweet and bittersharp apples are part of a trial being undertaken by Thatchers, that sees these heritage apple varieties grown for the first time along wires to increase the levels of sunlight received on the fruit.

Richard Johnson, Thatchers Head Cider Maker says, “Apples gathered from the Classics Orchard are a true window on the rich variety of cider's heritage. Grown along wires to capture the sunlight, these traditional cider apples, all new to our blends, are being raised in the modern Thatchers' hedgerow way.”

British cider maker Thatchers has pioneered the hedgerow style of planting apple trees in its orchards (as opposed to the more traditional bush orchards), where trees are supported on wires in a similar way to vines, so maximising sunlight on the fruit. Sunlight plays an important part in helping the fruit grow both in quality and quantity.

Family owned Thatchers is committed to research and innovation, trialling lesser-known varieties for their suitability to Somerset soil and climatic conditions.  

Since the 26 different varieties crop at different times throughout the harvest season, the apples have been picked at the right time for optimum ripeness, with the freshly pressed juice cold stored before being fermented and blended to make this unique cider.

Apples pressed into The Classics include Filbarrel, Broxwood Foxwhelp, Bloody Turk, White Jersey, Stembridge Cluster, Tom Putt and Cider Ladies Finger.

“With apples from our Classics Orchard raised within a few miles of Myrtle Farm, blended and packaged here at our mill, this is a cider that reflects the very heart of Somerset cidermaking,” continues Richard.

Thatchers The Classics is available price £2.35 per 500ml bottle, from www.thatcherscider.co.uk, or from the Thatchers Cider shop at Myrtle Farm, Sandford, Somerset.

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The 2021 Cider Barn Range from Thatchers

Thatchers The Classics, joins Thatchers Redstreak and Thatchers Grenadier in this year's Cider Barn collection. Thatchers Redstreak was voted top in a poll to choose the favourite Cider Barn blend of previous years to be crafted again for 2021.

Thatchers Redstreak is an 8.4% single variety cider made from freshly pressed local Somerset Redstreak apples. This traditional bittersweet apple variety is high in tannin and big on flavour, creating a bold, peppery cider with a spicy apple pie flavour, smooth feel and deep rich colour.

Thatchers cider makers use the traditional cuvage technique for Redstreak, where the apples are milled and then held for a day before pressing out the juice, so developing the best flavour for this variety.

As well as topping the poll in the Battle of the Cider Barns, Redstreak was named Supreme Champion in the International Cider Challenge 2017, and was also voted the World's Best Sparkling Cider in the same year.

Thatchers Grenadier was first produced in 2020.

A crisp, bright green eating apple grown in Thatchers' local Somerset orchards, the freshly pressed juice of the Grenadier apple is beautifully blended to create a gentle wine-like sparkling cider.

With its crisp finish, floral and fruity notes, Grenadier makes a perfect accompaniment to a meal - try it with fish, salads or perhaps an aromatic sweet chilli dish.