Thatchers expect to have a bumper harvest this year

This is due to Myrtle farms’ abundance of apples of all varieties, with its fruits looking healthy and plentiful, containing just the right balance of acidity and sweetness to press into the perfect cider.

Though it hasn’t been the ideal summer weather for most of us here in the UK, the weather has been just right for the apples at the Thatchers orchard at Myrtle farm.

The beating sun and cooling rain over spring and summer has been a perfect combination for these apple trees.

Chris Muntz Torres, manager of Thatchers farm and in charge of looking after the 500 acres of apple trees in and around Myrtle Farm, said: “The good weather in spring meant our apples got off to a good start with an effective pollination thanks [to] our amazing bees.”

Some of the earliest apples going into the mill are the Katy apples, which he says have done so well, they will be “harvesting them a few days earlier than in previous years.”

Chris added: “After Katy, towards the end of September, we’ll begin to see the early bittersweet apples ripen, such as Somerset Redstreak, Gilly and Hastings.”

“Cider apples love a mild autumn to help them ripen slowly and develop their unique flavours.

"With the sun ripening the apples and helping boost the fruit’s natural sugar levels, the recent rain has also been feeding the trees and giving them much needed nourishment.

"Importantly, the warmth of the sun helps develop the tannins in our bittersweet varieties, giving depth and body to our ciders.”

At the beginning of the year, the temperature was sufficiently low, apple trees always need a spell of cold weather to break their dormancy over winter, these low temperatures allowed the apples to reset growth and wake the trees.

The following warmer weather mixed with the moisture in the deep, rich Somerset soil gave the trees a perfect environment to produce their bittersweet apples.

Chris continued: “At Myrtle Farm, all the signs are right for a bumper harvest this year, in terms of quantity, and just as importantly, quality, meaning the very best and tastiest apples in our ciders.”

Since 1904, four generations of the Thatcher family have been making cider at Myrtle Farm in Sandford, Somerset, as well as orchards throughout the West Country.

Here, apples are grown for its range of Somerset ciders. Thatchers is one of the few cider makers to have a regular orchard planting programme, this allows them to meet the increasing demand, as well as allowing them to work with apple growers throughout the region who provide specific apple varieties under long term partnerships.

This complex knowledge of apple varieties results in cider that is full of flavour and distinctive character, reflective of English cidermaking at its best. This fresh blend of flavours can be seen in their flagship brands Thatchers Gold, Thatchers Haze and Thatchers Blood Orange.

In order to produce cider all year round, Chris mentions that one of the most important things Thatchers does when planting new trees is the timing of harvest, to make sure that the arrival of apples is spread out throughout the season.

Chris said: “We press our apples as soon as they arrive at the farm to capture them at their freshest. So having different varieties that ripen at different times allows us to have a continued supply of fruit from August through to November”.

The weather conditions in Somerset, as well as the deep knowledge and passion for cider has resulted in Thatchers seeing record sales and becoming the UK’s fastest growing cider maker, reinstating the counties reputation for being the home of cider making.