A year on since Thatchers Cider Managing Director and fourth-generation family member, Martin Thatcher, last paid a visit to Australia, and the category has grown again in both volume (9.4 per cent) and value (8.1 per cent) – IRI MarketEdge to 6/11/2016.
Thatchers Cider is the fastest growing draught cider in the UK, which is no mean feat considering the landscape of the category there.
Premium Beverages has been distributing the brand for over two years now and sales are growing locally too.
In our last interview with Martin, we discussed the growing popularity of cider globally and the possibility for the category to evenly compete with beer in Australia. What seemed only a possibility then is becoming more of a reality now, with IBISWorld reporting that cider is expected to gain market share from beer over the coming years, as more pubs and clubs in Australia serve cider on tap and drinkers respond to the increasing variety of cider on offer.
Martin says, “Picking the right partner has been a really great asset for us, and in terms of the market developing, people have come into cider. It wasn’t well-known five years ago, but it’s definitely on people’s radar now. And people have changed from sweeter ciders to the more dry, what we would term as proper cider, made from proper cider apples.”
These apples give the cider a slight bitterness and dryness, which “encourages you to drink another glass after the first one,” Martin says. “It’s a refreshing drink, making it a strong contester in Australia’s climate.”
Available in Australia is Thatchers Gold, a traditional, medium-dry cider, with a smooth and refreshing flavour. Last year, Thatchers and Premium Beverages together, launched a 330ml bottle, versus the UK 500ml bottle, to better fit the format Australian consumers are familiar with.
“It’s exactly the same cider as we sell in the UK, we just put an Australian label on to meet all the legislation and the format is slightly different, but apart from that it’s exactly the same,” Martin explained.
The move provided a major boost in sales of the brand. Now we ask, could cans do the same?
“I’m unsure about cans at the moment,” says Martin. “What I see, is that the market has changed a lot in the last 18 months to two years and there seems to be a huge upsurge in cans in bulk stores. Part of the reason for being here is to have a good look at the market and see what we should be doing for next summer.”
Thatchers Gold is also available in keg and is on taps in a number of venues across the country.
“The great thing about your bars and hotels is that they serve beer and cider cold and in really good condition,” Martin remarked. “And cider served cold is really important.”
As the largest cider market globally and, arguably the oldest, international markets have long looked on at the UK to see where the needle will point to next for future category trends.
Like beer, cider too is experiencing a huge resurgence in craft over the waters and Thatchers has brought out two ciders in response and in honour of Martin’s grandfather, Stan Thatcher.
Stan was a second-generation family member in the line of business and took much after his grandfather and the founding member of Thatchers Cider, William Thatcher. The two had a history of making sure that their workers (and we’re sure themselves too) had their fair share of cider. It’s said that not a lot of the product made its way past the farm walls in those days.
Martin explained, “These ciders are really about going back to some of the original recipes William made as well as allowing our cider makers to showcase what they can do with the cider, so it’s been a lot of fun. We want to show off what we’ve done in the past, our history and show that we’ve not just set up in the last few years. It’s a real brand, with real history, credentials, and craft. Over 100 years of cider making, you learn a thing or two about how to deliver really well.”