Thatchers Cider opens applications for its award-winning apprenticeship programme

Thatchers Cider is on the look-out for people who would like a fulfilling apprenticeship in the food and drink industry with the family-run Somerset cider maker.

An Early Careers Apprenticeship Open Day is being held on Saturday 29th January 2022 at the cider maker's mill at Myrtle Farm in Sandford, with registration now open for those interested in attending.

The Open Day will give people a chance to meet and chat to members of the Thatchers team, and to learn about all the different work opportunities within its highly acclaimed apprenticeship programme.

The Thatchers Early Careers Apprenticeship Programme is now entering its fifth year and has already seen 40 people take part.

Thatchers, which was formed in 1904 on the very same Myrtle Farm in Sandford where its cider is still made, has seen amazing growth over recent years, with its ciders such as Thatchers Gold and Thatchers Haze helping it become the UK's number 1 independent, family cider maker. Thatchers is also widely acclaimed for its continued focus on sustainability.

Sustainability is at the heart of the Thatchers ethos with a clear ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. In research carried out in November 2021 people across the UK rated Thatchers higher than any other cider maker for doing the most for the environment, with initiatives including turning apple waste to green energy.

With that growth and investment comes increased opportunities for people to join the independent company, with apprenticeships in 2022 being offered to learn and develop skills across its Brand and Cider Academies.

Martin Thatcher, the fourth-generation of the family to take the reins of the company, says, "Our Early Careers Apprenticeship Programme has been running since 2018, and it's our way of finding the very important next generation of talented cider makers, who can play their part in our continued success.

"We'd love people who are interested in kickstarting their career with us to come along to our Open Day, where they'll have the chance to have a look around Myrtle Farm where we have stunning orchards, our cider mill and our state-of-the-art packaging hall, chat to our current apprentices, and meet staff from across all parts of the business, who can explain about day-to-day life here at Myrtle Farm.

"It's an exciting opportunity for motivated people who want to start a fulfilling career in the cider industry."

Thatchers Cider is a dynamic and much-loved family cider maker, with brands including Thatchers Gold, Thatchers Haze, Thatchers Rosé, and most recently, its new alcohol-free cider Zero and zingy Cloudy Lemon Cider. Currently employing over 200 people, and growing year on year, Thatchers is a company really making an impact.

Emma Cox, who oversees the Apprenticeship Programme says, "As a company we're so proud of our Somerset roots. We're committed to investment in our facilities here in Sandford, which is why all our ciders are made and packaged here. That leads to a wide variety in roles – from being part of our farm team, to a cider maker; from engineers to sales executives; from finance to customer service. Students who have completed their apprenticeship with us at Thatchers have also gone on to gain higher qualifications to help them even further in their roles.

"Apprentices get a win-win – real work, in a real company, and a guaranteed salary. From our side as an employer we get to see a fresh injection of talent, keen, inquisitive people bursting with new ideas. Our apprentices make a real difference to our business – they work, collaborate and learn. We can't wait to welcome new members to the team this September!"

Anyone interested in coming along to the Open Day can register their interest here,

https://www.thatcherscider.co.uk/careers/apprenticeships/

Thatchers works with Bridgwater and Taunton College, and Weston College, to develop and implement the apprenticeship programme.