Gaymer Cider Company
Encyclopedia
The Gaymer Cider Company produces and markets Cider
. It is owned by C&C Group plc since 2010, who also owns Magners Cider, Bulmers
Cider in Ireland and Tennents in Scotland.
, Norfolk
, from 1680. Gaymer's started brewing cider for wider consumption during the late eighteenth century from a farm near Attleborough
, Norfolk, continuing as a farm concern until 1870 when William Gaymer introduced a hydraulic press and began to sell the cider commercially for the home market and export.
In 1896 fellow cider makers L.F.Rout & Co Ltd took over Gaymers, taking its acquisitions name. In 1961, Showerings of Shepton Mallet
bought the company. After Showerings subsequently merged with Allied Breweries
in 1968, the cider business was demerged under via management buyout
in the late 1970s, in a new company called Gaymer Group.
In 1990, Gaymer Group was acquired by Matthew Clark plc, who after over 200 years of cider making in Attleborough, production was transferred to Shepton Mallet. With modern brewing techniques the new owners were able to replicate Norfolk water and carry on the brewing of the distinctive Gaymer's in Somerset without affecting the taste.
(formerly known by the alternative spelling cyder). Unlike most English
ciders being grown in the West of the country, in counties such as Devon
, Herefordshire
and Somerset, unusually Gaymer's originated in eastern England. However, like most English ciders, it was grown on a farm as part of the workers' remuneration, with each worker typically receiving a gallon
of cider per day.
First brewed commercially in 1770, today Gaymer's Olde English is mostly sold through supermarket
s and off licence chains. In 2007, coinciding with a can redesign, the strength of canned Olde English was reduced from 5.3% ABV to 4.5% ABV.
in 1998, they consoldiated all of their cider businesses and production under Gaymers at Shepton Mallet. In 2010, they sold the business to C&C Group plc.
The Gaymer Cider Company today is the second largest cider maker in the world, producing all of its ciders in its Shepton Mallet plant, including:
Gaymer also owns the rights to Peardrax
, a pear-flavoured brand of soft drink which originated in the U.K. but is currently manufactured only in Trinidad and Tobago
.
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
. It is owned by C&C Group plc since 2010, who also owns Magners Cider, Bulmers
Bulmers
Bulmers Cider is one of a number of brands owned by H. P. Bulmer of Hereford. It is one of the leading premium bottled cider brands in the UK with a number of variants including Bulmers Original & Pear.-History:...
Cider in Ireland and Tennents in Scotland.
History
The Gaymer family had a cider making business in BanhamBanham
Banham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is about 7 miles north of Diss, 12 miles east of Thetford and 20 miles south west of Norwich. It is home to Banham Zoo....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, from 1680. Gaymer's started brewing cider for wider consumption during the late eighteenth century from a farm near Attleborough
Attleborough
Attleborough is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England situated between Norwich and Thetford. The parish falls within the district of Breckland and has an area of 21.90 km² with a Mainline to both Norwich and Cambridge....
, Norfolk, continuing as a farm concern until 1870 when William Gaymer introduced a hydraulic press and began to sell the cider commercially for the home market and export.
In 1896 fellow cider makers L.F.Rout & Co Ltd took over Gaymers, taking its acquisitions name. In 1961, Showerings of Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...
bought the company. After Showerings subsequently merged with Allied Breweries
Allied Breweries
Allied Breweries was the result of a 1961 merger between Ind Coope , Ansells , and Tetley Walker .- Ansells :...
in 1968, the cider business was demerged under via management buyout
Management buyout
A management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
in the late 1970s, in a new company called Gaymer Group.
In 1990, Gaymer Group was acquired by Matthew Clark plc, who after over 200 years of cider making in Attleborough, production was transferred to Shepton Mallet. With modern brewing techniques the new owners were able to replicate Norfolk water and carry on the brewing of the distinctive Gaymer's in Somerset without affecting the taste.
Olde English cider
Olde English is a brand of ciderCider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
(formerly known by the alternative spelling cyder). Unlike most English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
ciders being grown in the West of the country, in counties such as Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
and Somerset, unusually Gaymer's originated in eastern England. However, like most English ciders, it was grown on a farm as part of the workers' remuneration, with each worker typically receiving a gallon
Gallon
The gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
of cider per day.
First brewed commercially in 1770, today Gaymer's Olde English is mostly sold through supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s and off licence chains. In 2007, coinciding with a can redesign, the strength of canned Olde English was reduced from 5.3% ABV to 4.5% ABV.
Present
After Matthew Clark was acquired by Constellation BrandsConstellation Brands
Constellation Brands, Inc., headquartered in Victor, New York, is the world’s leading wine company with a broad portfolio of widely admired premium brands across the wine, beer and spirits categories.-History and description:...
in 1998, they consoldiated all of their cider businesses and production under Gaymers at Shepton Mallet. In 2010, they sold the business to C&C Group plc.
The Gaymer Cider Company today is the second largest cider maker in the world, producing all of its ciders in its Shepton Mallet plant, including:
- Gaymers: Original, Olde English, Orchard Reserve
- BlackthornBlackthorn CiderBlackthorn Cider is a cider produced by Gaymer Cider Company, a subsidiary of C&C Group. Previously it was known as Blackthorn Dry or Dry Blackthorn...
- Diamond White
- White StarWhite StarThe White Star is a fictional, cruiser class combat spacecraft type in the science fiction television series Babylon 5.- Depiction :The White Star-class was designed and built through a collaborative effort between the Minbari religious caste and the Vorlon Empire...
- KK ciderK is a British cider manufactured and distributed by the Gaymer Cider Company of Bath, England.Advertised under the slogan 'Strong. Refreshing. Different.', the canned version available in the UK is 8.4% ABV. At one time, two bottled versions were available, 8.4% and "K6" at 6.3%. The bottled...
- Addlestones
- Special Vat
- Natch
Gaymer also owns the rights to Peardrax
Peardrax
Whiteway's Peardrax is a pear-flavoured fizzy soft drink popular in Trinidad and Tobago. It originated in the United Kingdom, and was first manufactured by Whiteway's, a now-defunct cider company founded in Whimple during the 19th century...
, a pear-flavoured brand of soft drink which originated in the U.K. but is currently manufactured only in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
.