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The Taunton Cider Company was a cider producer, based in Norton Fitzwarren, north west of the county town of Taunton, Somerset, England. The company is best known for being the developer and producer of Blackthorn Cider, now produced by Gaymer Cider Company, a subsidiary of C&C Group plc of Ireland.
In 1805, a local farmers co-operative had formed to produce cider at Norton Fitzwarren. By the early 1900s, the Reverend Cornish had started producing cider from these locally produced apples and pulp at the Heathfield Rectory. In 1911 the priest and the co-operative set-up the "Taunton Cider Company" in Norton Fitzwarren, to commercially produce his cider. [1]
After World War I, producing only non-sparkling cider in traditional wooden barrels, the methodology only allowed the products to be distributed around the wider Taunton area, and hence the company choose only to supply public houses. [1] Becoming a private limited company in April 1921, the structure of the company changed again after the UK Government introduced the Purchase Tax on cider in 1923, [1] but the company managed to continue to produce their basic recipe. After World War II, in the 1950s the introducing of pasteurisation gave the cider a much longer shelf life, allowing the drink to be marketed nationally. Mastering this process allowed the company to purchase local competitors Quantock Vale, Ashford Vale, Bruttons and Horrells.
By the 1980s, the company was the UK's second largest cider maker after Hereford-based H. P. Bulmer, employing 550 people at its Norton Fitzwarren site, which produced 30 million gallons of cider per annum. [2] The main brand was Blackthorn Cider and various derivatives (Original, Dry, Sweet, Special Vat, Cool), as well as: Diamond White; Red Rock; and the draught-only Taunton Original. Autumn Gold was the sweet derivative which was available on draught, in cans and bottles throughout the country. The company also marketed and distributed Miller Genuine Draft lager in the United Kingdom in a joint agreement with the Miller Brewing Company.
In 1995 the company was bought by drinks company Matthew Clark plc for £256 million, which itself is now part of the Gaymers Cider Company.
In 2016 it was reported that the company had been revived, now based in Churchstanton. [3]
In 2017 the company moved back in to central Taunton.
The reformed company received a number of accolades in 2017 including a diploma in the British Bottlers Institute annual awards, a bronze in both the British Cider Championships [4] and International Cider Awards, and Highly Commended in the Taste of the West Awards. [5] It has also been shortlisted in the Beer and Cider Marketing Awards for Best Launch [6] and the Somerset Business Awards for Best New Business.
The West Somerset Railway (WSR) is a 22.75-mile (36.6 km) heritage railway line in Somerset, England. The freehold of the line and stations is owned by Somerset County Council; the railway is leased to and operated by West Somerset Railway plc ; which is supported and minority-owned by charitable trust the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) and the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust (WSSRT). The WSR plc operates services using both heritage steam and diesel trains.
Sloe gin is a British red liqueur made with gin and sloes. Sloes are the fruit (drupe) of Prunus spinosa, the blackthorn plant, a relative of the plum. Sloe gin has an alcohol content between 15 and 30 percent by volume. However, the European Union has established a minimum of 25% ABV for sloe gin to be named as such. Sloe gin is technically a gin-based liqueur, but due to historical prevalence at the time of writing the EU spirit drink regulations, the colloquial name 'sloe gin' was included in the legal definitions and as such is the only gin-based liqueur that can legally be called gin without the liqueur suffix. The traditional way of making sloe gin is to soak the sloes in gin. Most recipes call for the addition of sugar, but this is not required. The drink develops sweetness when the fruit is left in the alcohol and is allowed to mature. The addition of sugar is actually likely to inhibit the passage of flavour compounds from the fruit into the spirit, due to a reduction in osmotic pressure; a common criticism of sloe gin is that it is much too sweet.
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.
Blackthorn Cider is a cider produced by Gaymer Cider Company, a subsidiary of C&C Group. Previously it was known as Blackthorn Dry or Dry Blackthorn. It is sold in a variety of forms, commonly being served draught in pubs or being sold in 440 ml cans or two-litre bottles in shops or supermarkets.
Magners Irish Cider is a brand of hard 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.
Norton Fitzwarren is a village, electoral ward, and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated 2 miles (3.2 km) north west of Taunton in the Somerset West and Taunton district. The village has a population of 3,046.
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 served in pubs, bars and stores across the United Kingdom and internationally in countries such as Thailand, Singapore and China.
The Gaymer Cider Company produced and marketed cider. It has been owned by C&C Group since 2010. However, the Gaymer brand is no longer used and the business has been consolidated into the parent company.
Bishops Lydeard railway station is a heritage railway station in the village of Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, England. It is the southern terminus for regular trains on the West Somerset Railway.
Norton Fitzwarren railway station is an untimetabled station on the West Somerset Railway in Somerset, England. It was built in 2009 about 1⁄4 mile (0.4 km) north of the site of the old station that served the village of Norton Fitzwarren from 1873 until 1961. There were fatal railway accidents in the vicinity in 1890, 1940 and 1978.
Sharp's Brewery is a British brewery founded in 1994 in St Minver Lowlands, Rock, Cornwall, by Bill Sharp. Since 2011, the brewery has been owned by Molson Coors. It is best known for its flagship ale Doom Bar, named after the notoriously perilous Doom Bar sandbank in north Cornwall.
Somerset is a county in the south west of England. It is a rural county and transport infrastructure has been significant in industrial development. There is some heavy industry particularly related to the defence technologies and the county has several centres for stone quarrying, although the coalfield is now closed.
Two Dogs was a ready-to-drink beverage that was first introduced in Australia in 1993 and went on to become available throughout the world. It was a lemon flavoured alcoholic beverage that is widely considered to have been the "world’s first brewed alcoholic lemonade", paving the way for similar products such as Hooper's Hooch and Mike's Hard Lemonade.
Guinness is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in over 120. Sales in 2011 amounted to 850,000,000 liters. In spite of declining consumption since 2001, it is the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland where Guinness & Co. Brewery makes almost €2 billion worth of beer annually.
Somersby cider is a brand of 4.5% abv cider by Danish brewing company Carlsberg Group. Developed in 2008, it was originally developed for the Danish market, but today has been launched in more than 46 markets, including all of Europe, Israel, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Canada and the United States. Of the world's ten biggest cider brands, Somersby was the one that grew most in 2012.
Norton Manor Camp, also known RM Norton Manor is a Royal Marines base located near Norton Fitzwarren, 2 miles (3.2 km) north west of Taunton, Somerset, in England. It is home to 40 Commando.
Francis Edwin Showering, was an English brewer. His family company, Showerings, invented Babycham, a light, sparkling perry, launched in 1953 and originally marketed as "genuine champagne perry". In 1957, it became the first alcoholic product to be advertised on UK television.
Diamond White is a brand of white cider produced in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England by Brookfield Drinks, who bought the brand from the Gaymer Cider Company in 2013. Like White Star, it is a cider with an alcohol content of 7.5%. It was launched by the Taunton Cider Company of Shepton Mallet, now part of Matthew Clark, in 1986, and is one of the company's major brands of cider. In 2015, Brookfield relaunched Diamond White with new branding, and launched Diamond Black, an 8% amber cider.
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