Gaymers Cider Company
From Ukcider
Gaymers produces and markets industrial cider and is based in Shepton Mallet, Somerset.
About
It was formed from the merger of two large regional companies: Taunton Cider Company (the largest cider production site in Britain, now closed), and the former Allied-Domecq cider interests of Showerings (including Coates/Gaymers/Whiteways/Magna). The resulting 'Matthew Clark Taunton' company was rebranded as part of the multinational Constellation Brands group. Production is now concentrated on the former Showerings "Babycham" plant at Shepton Mallet, with all other production units closed.(Taunton, Coates at Nailsea, Magna at Marston Magna, Whiteways of Whimple, Gaymers of Attleborough Norfolk). Falling Babycham sales would have rendered the high-tech plant otherwise redundant: prior to the Taunton takeover, all Showering group cider production had been concentrated at Nailsea, with Babycham at Shepton Mallet. A major investment following the Taunton purchase eventually allowed all production (including Taunton) to be moved to Shepton Mallet.
The business has now been taken over by C&C Group, owner of Magners.
The Gaymer Cider Company's name was taken from Wliiam Gaymer & Son, of Norfolk, one of the companies acquired during the Showerings acquisition period. A peculiarity of the old company was that William Gaymer described their products as "Cyder" - presumably an East Angian influence.
When produced at Taunton, Dry Blackthorn was once a serious challenger to Strongbow on the national stage, but its market share has seriously slipped back in recent years, not least due to heavy discounting by Bulmers during its latter years as an independent company. However, Blackthorn and its sister brands (e.g. Natch and Special Vat) are still popular in the south-west.
Short histories of some of the constituent companies have been posted onlline:
Gaymers Cider Brands
- Blackthorn (dry, carbonated)
- Addlestones (cloudy, still - the nearest to real draught cider made by any of the industrial manufacturers, though it contains artificial sweeteners)
- Gaymers Original (yet another bottled Magners clone)
- Taunton Traditional (cloudy)
- Diamond White (white)
- Olde English (dry, carbonated)
- Special Vat (medium dry, carbonated)
- Natch (traditionally popular in the Bristol area)
- K
- Red C
- Orchard Reserve (traditional, bottled cider)
- A new range of 'Single County' ciders includes Devon and Somerset varieties.
A major loss as a result of the various closures has been the Whiteways non-alcoholic products "Cydrax" and "Peardrax": still made under licence in Trinidad, these could have been the driver's drink of choice.
Contact details
- Address: Gaymers Cider Company, Kilver Street, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 5ND
- Tel: (01749) 334000.
