Coopers Brewery signs deal with Thatchers Cider to enter cider market in Australia
Thatchers' managing director Martin Thatcher (left) and Coopers' managing director Tim Cooper
SOUTH Australia's Coopers Brewery has signed a deal that will see it enter the nation's burgeoning cider market.
Coopers finalised a contract with English cider manufacturer Thatchers Cider to keg and distribute draught Thatchers Gold to the on-premise market in Australia.
Coopers' managing director Tim Cooper and Thatchers' managing director Martin Thatcher signed the deal late last year.
Thatchers Gold is currently being put on tap in hotels nationwide.
Figures from IBISWorld show cider is expected to grow from generating under $1 billion in revenue in 2013-14, to $2.2 billion in 2018-19
"We expect Thatchers Gold will have a major impact on the draught cider market in Australia," Dr Cooper said.
"It is highly regarded as one of the world's best ciders and is a great fit within our portfolio of quality beers.
"We are determined to establish Thatchers Gold as a premium brand in the growing Australian cider market."
Dr Cooper said the company had spent three years looking for the right cider brand to partner with.
"Thatchers is a fourth generation family business that produces premium quality products," he said.
"It has been growing rapidly in the past 20 years and the fit seemed right. We are extremely excited about the possibilities."
Mr Thatcher said there were many synergies between the two companies.
"Both companies share similar values of heritage, family history, quality and, most importantly, a deep rooted care for their business and their customers," he said.
Under the deal, tankers of bulk cider were shipped to Coopers' at Regency Park from Thatchers' facility at Myrtle Farm, in North Somerset.
Source: perthnow.com.au - 30 January 2014
