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CIDER HOUSE RULES At fourth-generation family dynasty Thatchers, it’s clear the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… Words by Georgia McGovern
66 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
AT A RECENT Bristol Life Network lunch held at the Harbour Hotel, MediaClash’s CE Greg Ingham quizzed Martin Thatcher – MD of Thatchers cider, and the fourthgeneration cider-maker in the business – on the ins and outs of running a successful family dynasty. From its home base at Myrtle Farm in Sandford, Thatchers has been dedicated to honing the craft of cider-making since 1904, with the fifth generation no ready in the wings to keep the tradition alive. Martin has farming in his blood, describing it not as a career, but an all-consuming way of life. It’s precisely this kind of immersive thinking that has propelled Thatchers into its top spot in the South West – the first time a non lager or beer has ever achieved the rating. It currently exports to over 20 countries around the world, producing over 100 million litres of cider.