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Earliest ever Thatchers cider apple harvest - Hogs Back Brewery

Earliest ever Thatchers cider apple harvest

Friends and fellow family-owned business, Thatchers, has kicked off its earliest cider apple harvest in its history – a full 10 days ahead of schedule – thanks to this year’s long, hot summer.

Cider apples on the trees in the Thatchers orchard

For the first time in over 120 years of cider making, the Thatchers team have begun picking apples from their 550 acres of orchards before the August Bank holiday.  The extended summer sunshine has produced apples bursting with flavour, with rich sugars and tannins and promising outstanding quality – great news for Hazy Hog cider lovers, as it is Thatchers that make our refreshingly cloudy English Cider!

Apples flying off the trees in the Thatchers orchard

 

Richard Johnson, Head Cidermaker at Thatchers Cider said; “We had an excellent spring, where the warm weather and bountiful blossom gave us good pollination, meaning the trees are laden with fruit. The apples are slightly smaller due to the lack of rain, but the flavours are intensified”.

 

Glass of Hazy Hog apple cider beside tap

 

So things are looking good for the new season Hazy Hog - made from 100% bittersweet apples using traditional methods and fermented in oak vats to intensify the flavour.

 

Apple tree shaker at work in the Thatchers orchards

Thatchers craft all their ciders – including our Hazy Hog cider – at Myrtle Farm, nestled at the foot of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, so if you are in the vicinity, be sure to visit!

Apples waiting to be harvested

 

Did you know…?

To help meet demand, Thatchers has planted 14,500 new apple trees this spring, adding another 50 acres to their orchards, and extended their production facilities.

 

Thatchers is also home to the Exhibition Orchard, the largest collection of cider apples in the UK with 458 different varieties. It is a hub for innovation with Thatchers being one of the only cidermakers carrying out research into apple varieties. The 100 Tree Trial, which involves 100 trees of 100 varieties, will help future cider makers understand which varieties will thrive in modern climates and deliver the fresh, full flavours that tomorrow’s cider drinkers will love.

 

Thatchers make all their ciders using 100% renewable electricity, including power from their 3,500 solar panels on the roof of their farm.

 

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