Thatchers Cider secures future of West Country supply with huge new orchard

The future of cider supply in the West Country has been secured into the 2030s following a significant effort to establish a new orchard in North Somerset. Thatchers Cider workers have spent around three years preparing around 10 acres of farmland near the company's base in Sandford.

After three years of soil restoration, the large-scale planting operation has started, with each sapling carefully hand-planted from the back of a tractor trailer. The operation involves planting 30,000 new trees and is expected to take up to a week to complete.

In addition to the trees, the Thatchers team plans to introduce a new hive with thousands of bees to aid in tree pollination.

Two varieties of cider apple tree are being planted, as explained by Thatchers spokesperson Emma Russell. "It's a really exciting day for Somerset in general, and for cider drinkers," she said.

"Thatchers Cider bought these fields about three years ago, they've spent that time making the soil super healthy and that means this morning we're planting 30,000 new trees in this new orchard," she added.

The two varieties in question are Red Windsor and the renowned Katy variety, which is used in most of Thatchers' sweetest ciders and is a cider variety sold by Thatchers in its own right.

"In about three years time we'll be able to harvest those and they'll go on to make delicious cider for everyone to enjoy," she said.

"It's a great thing for British farming. It's a great thing for British apples. The new orchard, which will be larger than six football pitches, will also be home to bees and thousands of new cider makers, from the worms in the soil, to the birds and wildlife that will make it their home and help with tree health and pollination.

"The orchard will sequester away tonnes of CO2 and lock it back into the ground."