For cider lovers across Britain, to see Taunton Cider back where it belongs, as one of the premier cider brands in the country, is cause to raise a glass and celebrate the return of the cider makers art to this historic and storied site.

Associating  Somerset with cider may seem cliched, but that association is also accurate. The county has a long and noble lineage with regards to producing some of the finest ciders in the UK. It is a reputation hard earned and richly deserved.

Founded in 1911, the Taunton Cider Company was, for decades, little known outside of the county. The introduction of pasteurisation in the 1950s allowed the company to sell cider beyond the Somerset borders and by the 1980s was one of the biggest cider companies in the UK.

In 2023 the brand was bought by Heritage Cider and in under 12 months, under the guidance of master cidermaker Edward Down, Taunton Cider is back at the forefront of UK cider production, winning award after award. Six awards in all.

Eighty per cent of Taunton Cider apples grown within five miles radiusEighty per cent of Taunton Cider apples grown within five miles radius (Image: Getty Images)

As with many things food and drink related, the journey to an award-winning product starts with the quality of the produce, and Taunton Cider is no exception.

Said Edward: “We have our own orchards, with 80 per cent of our apples grown within five miles of us. And it is the quality of our apples which makes Taunton Cider so special.”

Quality apples are just one part of the story. The cidermaker’s art of blending different apples with their unique properties is an essential part of the process and in Edward Down Taunton Cider possess one of the best in the business.

Edward is looking to build on the recent award-winning success.

“I don’t want to give too much away at the moment, but I’m looking to work with single variety ciders, in particular the  Somerset Red Streak,” said Edward.

For Shane Fisher, executive director at Heritage Cider, to see Taunton Cider back to its award-winning best is especially rewarding as Shane used to work for the original Taunton Cider Company before the brand was bought by Heritage Cider.

Taunton Cider has been scooping up numerous awardsTaunton Cider has been scooping up numerous awards (Image: Getty Images)

“It has been a long time since Taunton Cider has won any awards,” said Shane, “so to scoop up so many is immensely satisfying.

“Taunton Cider is an important part of Somerset’s cultural heritage, and this is only the beginning. We are all looking forward to building on these recent successes and growing Taunton Cider into the premier brand it deserves to be.”

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