Gaymer Cider Company
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.[1][2]
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[edit] History
The Gaymer family had a cider making business in Banham, 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.
[edit] Olde English cider
Olde English is a brand of cider (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 supermarkets 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.
[edit] Present
After Matthew Clark was acquired by Constellation Brands 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
- Blackthorn
- Diamond White
- White Star
- K
- Addlestones
- Special Vat
- Natch
Gaymer also owns the rights to Cydrax and Peardrax, apple and pear-flavoured brands of soft drinks which originated in the U.K. but are currently manufactured only in Trinidad and Tobago.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "Magners owned buys Gaymers firm in £45m deal | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. 2009-11-30. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1232007/Magners-owned-buys-Gaymers-firm-45m-deal.html. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
- ^ Flanagan, Martin. "Magners owner C&C targets sport sponsorship and local raw materials in bid to grow brands in Scotland - Scotland on Sunday". Scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/business/Magners-owner-CC-targets-sport.5939614.jp. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
- ^ Vanished UK drink is toast of Caribbean, an April 2007 article from the BBC website
- White's directory 1883
