Masham brewer launches new cider after 20-year break

Masham brewer T&R Theakston has started making cider again, more than 20 years after it stopped doing so.
By John Grainger
Published 24th Jun 2022, 17:55 BST
The cider’s name comes from the apple trees that grew in Paradise Fields, now part of the brewery site. (S)The cider’s name comes from the apple trees that grew in Paradise Fields, now part of the brewery site. (S)
The cider’s name comes from the apple trees that grew in Paradise Fields, now part of the brewery site. (S)

The new brew, a 6.8 per cent ABV vintage dry cider called Theakston Paradise Gold, takes its name from Paradise Fields, an area where apple trees once grew and is now the extended brewery yard at the Theakston’s Red Lane brewery site. The cider is also inspired by the first and only cider the company produced between the late 1970s and the 1990s, known then as Theakston Dry Vintage Cider.

Theakston is now reviving this connection through working with a small Somerset-based producer of apple juice to create a crisp, dry, sparkling cider, which will be available in 500ml bottles in pubs, bars and shops nationally, as well as through the brewery’s online shop.

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Simon Theakston, executive director of T&R Theakston, said: “The pandemic gave us pause to reflect on the past, look back at our archives and rediscover some old favourites from our 195-year long history.

“One thing that stood out to us was how successful our Theakston Dry Vintage Cider was. Renowned for its quality, it enjoyed an almost legendary status in our home territory of Masham, but also experienced impressive sales all over the north of England and beyond. We’ve long talked about reviving this association between the company and cider production and now that industry confidence is returning, we felt that there was no better time to have a bit of fun and experiment with cider recipes to bring back a delicious variation on a theme of dry, crisp fruity cider meeting the demand for a new generation.”

Established in Masham in 1827, T&R Theakton was is one of the UK’s oldest cask ale brewers.

It still operates as an independent brewer, is the second-largest of its kind under family control in the UK, and is one of Masham’s major employers.
Theakston currently produces eight permanent brands, including the iconic Old Peculier, as well as a range of well-established seasonal ales. and is one of just two breweries in the country to still employ a craft brewery cooper, who makes and repairs traditional oak casks.

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