Aston Manor Cider

Last updated

Aston Manor Limited
Aston Manor Cider
FormerlyAston Manor Brewery Company Limited (1983–2017) [1]
Industry Brewing
Founded1981(43 years ago) (1981) in Aston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Headquarters Witton, Birmingham, England, UK
ProductsCider
Website astonmanor.co.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Aston Manor Limited, trading as Aston Manor Cider, is a former brewery and current cider maker and bottling company in Aston, Birmingham, England. Having started out as a beer brewery, the company now produces exclusively cider and perry. In 2008 it was the third largest cider company in the UK by market share, and the fourth largest in the world. [2] In August 2018 Aston Manor cider was acquired by French co-operative Agrial.

Contents

Management

It was managed by Peter Ellis, son of Doug Ellis, [3] [4] [5] [6] until 2013, when Gordon Johncox took over as managing director. [7] Peter Ellis remained as executive chairman until his death in December 2017. [8] Peter's son, James Ellis, is financial director. [9] Cider production director is Rod Clifford. [10]

Products

Its products include the Frosty Jack's brand of white cider, [11] Kingstone Press Cider, Friels First Press Vintage [12] and Hop Infused Cider [13] Knights Malvern Gold, [14] Crumpton Oaks [15] and 3 Hammers. [16]

In 2017, the business won 29 awards for its products and manufacturing. [17]

History

The company was formed in 1981 by four former employees of Ansells, after Ansells closed its Aston Cross brewery. A new brewery was opened in nearby Thimble Mill Lane. [18] In 1984, Herefordshire hop farmer Michael Hancocks, one of the company's suppliers, bought into the business. By 1998, Aston Manor was reporting profits of over £1million, with 70% of its sales being cider. Because of a slump in the market and strong competition, by 2001 profits had fallen to £740,500, [4] [6] [19] but by 2009 had risen to over £3 million, due to a large rise in demand in the UK. [20] In 2009 the company took over the Devon Cider Company, based in Tiverton, Devon and has expanded the manufacturing facilities on that site. [16]

In spring 2013 the company planted of 1,000 acres of new orchards, using 350,000 trees, on sites in Worcestershire and Herefordshire. [21] [22]

In the autumn of 2013, a new fruit processing and pressing facility was added in Stourport-on-Severn in Worcestershire. [23]

In July 2014 the company moved to a new head office and logistics facility adjacent to the M6 motorway at Witton in Birmingham. [24] [25]

In August 2018 Aston Manor cider was acquired by French co-operative Agrial. [26]

Industrial sabotage plot

In 2001, Michael Hancocks, then managing director [27] and a major shareholder with 12% of the shares, and whose family owned 44% of Aston Manor, organized a conspiracy to contaminate the cider products of the company's rival, H. P. Bulmer. He recruited a former Aston Manor employee, chemist Richard Gay, to produce a yeast that he planned to introduce into Bulmer's production line, recruited his daughter's partner, Paul Harris, to transport the contaminant, and paid a Bulmer's employee, Russell Jordan, £16,000 to introduce the contaminant. Jordan did not introduce the contaminant, but reported the plot to Bulmers and to the police, and the plot was foiled. If the plot had succeeded, anyone drinking the contaminated cider would have suffered diarrhoea and nausea. [19] [27] [28] [29] Following his conviction for conspiracy to defraud, Hancocks was jailed for 18 months [27] and dismissed from the board of Aston Manor. [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston</span> Human settlement in England

Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diageo</span> Multinational alcoholic beverages company

Diageo plc is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. Distilleries owned by Diageo produce 40% of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Old Parr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strongbow (cider)</span> Brand of cider

Strongbow is a dry cider produced by H. P. Bulmer in the United Kingdom since 1960. Strongbow is the world's leading cider with a 15 per cent volume share of the global cider market and a 29 per cent volume share of the UK cider market. Bulmer's is a subsidiary of Heineken International, the multinational Dutch brewer who also own the sustainable cider brand Inch's.

Scottish & Newcastle plc was a brewing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, which expanded from its home base to become an international business with beer volumes growing almost tenfold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. P. Bulmer</span> British cider-making company

H P Bulmer Limited, trading as Bulmers, is a cider-making company founded in 1887 in Hereford, England.

Bulmers cider is one of a number of brands owned by British cider maker H. P. Bulmer of Hereford, an Heineken subsidiary, It is one of the biggest selling British bottled cider brands in the UK because it has the highest concentration of apples, with a number of variants including Bulmers Original & Pear. It should not be confused with Bulmers Irish Cider, sold outside the Republic of Ireland as Magners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babycham</span> Brand of sparkling perry

Babycham is a light, sparkling perry invented by Francis Showering, a brewer in Shepton Mallet in Somerset, England. The name was owned by Accolade Wines until December 2021 when it was bought back into the Showering family business Brothers Drinks Limited. The brand was particularly popular during the 1960s and 1970s. The new owners are planning a major rebrand and relaunch of the drink.

C&C Group plc is an Irish manufacturer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic drinks, particularly cider, and soft drinks. It has production facilities across Ireland, Great Britain and the United States, and its products are sold around the world. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

Hogs Back Brewery is a hops-growing brewery in Tongham, United Kingdom. In 2013, Miles Chesterman was the head brewer and Rupert Thompson was the chairman.

Magners Irish Cider is a brand of cider produced in County Tipperary in Ireland by the C&C Group. The product range includes the cider varieties: Original, Light, Berry, Pear and Rosé. The cider was originally produced as Bulmers Irish Cider and continues to be sold under that name in the Republic of Ireland, it is sold as Magners in all other markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. Le Coq</span> Estonian brewery

A. Le Coq is an Estonian brewery. The company was founded in 1807 by a Prussian family of the same name, who were descendants of the Huguenots who had fled France in the 17th century. The company was bought in 1997 and is currently owned by Finnish company Olvi. It produces many types of drinks including beers, long drinks, ciders and soft drinks. The best known beer is the A. Le Coq Premium, which is the most popular beer in Estonia, according to the latest AC Nielsen results in October 2008. A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn was named after the beer.

Brothers Cider is a brand of fruit cider originating in Somerset in South West England. Originally available at music festivals, it is now sold in pubs, bars, and stores across the United Kingdom and internationally in countries such as Thailand, Singapore, and China.

3 Hammers is a strong white cider made in Tiverton, Devon, England by the Aston Manor Brewery. Before 2009 it was made by the Devon Cider Company, until that company went into administration in 2009 and was taken over by Aston Manor. The cider is named after a small village near Tiverton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Lightning (cider)</span> Discontinued UK white cider brand

White Lightning was a brand of English white cider produced from the early 1990s to 2009.

Merrydown is a brand of cider manufactured in the UK. It was originally brewed at Horam Manor near Heathfield, East Sussex, England by the Merrydown brewery.

Devon Cider Company was a company founded in 1999 in Devon, England, which produced cider. In 2005 it moved to a former Whitbread brewery in Tiverton, which it purchased from brewer InBev. The company went into voluntary administration in 2007 and was restructured as a group of three companies: Devon Cider, Devon Cider Brands and Devon Commercial Property.

References

  1. ↑ "Aston Manor Limited overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House . 15 February 1983. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  2. ↑ Dennis, Mike (7 April 2008). "Cider increases share of throat, but Magners lags". talkingretail.com. Nexus Business Media. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
  3. ↑ "Toasting success: Aston Manor raises a glass to First Quench deal". Birmingham Post . 10 May 2003.[ dead link ]
  4. 1 2 "Cider is rosy as Manor tastes record pounds 1m profit". Birmingham Post . 3 August 1998.[ dead link ]}
  5. ↑ Ned Halley (2005). The Wordsworth Dictionary of Drink. Wordsworth Editions. p. 239. ISBN   1840223022.
  6. 1 2 Philip Williams (17 April 2003). "Aston Manor showed rivals it had the bottle". Birmingham Post . Archived from the original on 4 October 2007.
  7. ↑ "Aston manor raises a glass to new MD". Insider Media Limited.
  8. ↑ "Peter Douglas ELLIS's Obituary on The Times". The Times. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Emma, Wilson. "Interview: James Ellis, Aston Manor". www.icas.com. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  10. ↑ Steven Morris (16 September 2012). "Apple growers face grim harvest with worst yield for 15 years | Life and style". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  11. ↑ Dennis, Mike (19 May 2008). "Frosty Jacks ramps up comedy sponsorships". talkingretail.com. Nexus Business Media. Archived from the original on 20 May 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
  12. ↑ Day, Record Store. "Record Store Day UK Launch official Cider with Friels First Press Vintage - Record Store Day". recordstoreday.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "Hop Infused - Friels Cider". Friels Cider. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "World Class Cider from Knights | The National Association of Cider Makers". cideruk.com. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "Crumpton Oaks". Aston Manor Brewery - From Orchard to Glass. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  16. 1 2 "£8m rescue cider firm set to invest further £4m in Westcountry plant". This is Devon. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  17. ↑ "ASTON MANOR CIDER TRIPLE TOP TO ROUND OF A RECORD BREAKING YEAR - Grow Exeter". Grow Exeter. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  18. ↑ 52°29′56″N1°52′22″W / 52.4989°N 1.8728°W
  19. 1 2 "Bad apple brewed cider plot". BBC News . BBC. 7 August 2003.
  20. ↑ "Sales soar by almost half at family firm Aston Manor". The Birmingham Post (England). 13 October 2011.[ dead link ]
  21. ↑ "Aston Manor continues to invest in "challenging" cider market" . Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  22. ↑ "Aston Manor in £2.5 million orchard investment - Off Licence News - The Voice of Drinks Retailing". drinksretailingnews.co.uk. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  23. ↑ "UK: Aston Manor Cider readies new processing site". 7 November 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  24. ↑ Jones, Tamlyn (3 July 2014). "Aston Manor Cider to build new warehousing hub". Birmingham Post . Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  25. ↑ Mullen, Enda (7 July 2015). "Aston Manor Cider moves into new offices and warehouse". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  26. ↑ French, Phoebe (3 September 2018). "One of the UK's largest independent cider producers bought by French firm - The Drinks Business". The Drinks Business.
  27. 1 2 3 "Jailed brewer's appeal dismissed". BBC News . BBC. 18 December 2003.
  28. ↑ "Cider rival's contamination plot". BBC News . BBC. 16 April 2003.
  29. ↑ "Plot to poison Bulmers cider". Beverage Daily. Decision News Media SAS. 22 April 2003.
  30. ↑ "Michael Hancocks was suspended as managing director of Aston". Publican's Morning Advertiser. 24 April 2003. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.