Cidermaker Thatchers has launched its 2016 Vintage Cider, featuring a new label aimed at broadening its appeal.

Pressed, blended and bottled at Myrtle Farm, Thatchers uses bittersweet apples from the previous year’s harvest in its Vintage cider. Thatchers Vintage is a medium dry 7.4% cider.

The 2016 Thatchers Vintage has been given a new label, aiming to broaden the appeal of the traditional cider and tap into the new generation of cider consumers. The new packaging focusses on the authentic family story that Vintage has to tell with Thatchers’ founder, William, featured on the neck label.

Thatchers' has offered statistics suggesting the vintage cider category is growing in value terms (14.1%) within the off-trade, Thatchers has taken the opportunity to give its Vintage Cider a brighter and more contemporary feel with embossing and gold foil to maintain its premium feel.

Martin Thatcher, fourth generation cidermaker says: “The traditional premium cider category has a loyal and strong consumer base. It’s a growing category and is playing an increasingly important role for retailers to help unlock value in their cider sales. Thatchers Vintage shows the strongest growth in value terms of the top three Vintage ciders in the category.

“We believe the future of the cider category lies firmly with great quality, apple cider. It’s therefore important to introduce classic ciders such as our Vintage Cider, to new cider drinkers, who we know really respect the values of heritage and provenance.

“We’re really proud of our cidermaking heritage and it’s a privilege to bring our style of Somerset cider to people throughout the UK.”

The appeal of Thatchers range of ciders, including its recent 330ml cans Barrel Roller and Leaf Twister, is growing throughout the UK, as the brand claims that consumers are turning to the character and quality that comes from four generations of family cidermaking at Myrtle Farm.

National retailers are reflecting this in their 2017 cider selections. Tesco has recently increased its range of Thatchers ciders nationally across Thatchers Gold, Haze and Vintage, and the Coop is stocking Gold in cans nationally for the first time, together with Thatchers Vintage and Katy.

Read more at source The Drinks Report