Amazing

[Peter 615]

I had a foreman living in the SW and he bought me a gallon of cider every Monday....The week is a blurr. £5 a bargain.

[Coinery 1,153]

Now we're talking! I was a butcher for 15years (nothing to do with my vegetarianism), and my top-favourite on a lunch break was a bag of chitterlings, with lots of pepper and vinegar, and a pint of Thatchers Cider (when it WAS cider [i grew up 2 mins from the original cider farm in Sandford]) in the local Legion Club. This was after hot trotters in the morning (these were all cooked up with the chitterlings and Bath Chaps on the same day)!

Lucky b****r. I had to drive to Thatchers. I always used to go and fill the van up on trips home before it became too commercial - 60 or 70 5 litre containers on every run at less than a couple quid each. Much easier to fit in the van than the 144 gallon barrels they had there in the barn. Taste as much as you wanted. Wonderful. It's all gone to pot now they've gone national and exported it outside the local area. The little family business is no more.

Ahh, you entered my house there Rob! In Winscombe and the immediate surrounding alehouses you could buy Thatchers cider at .52p a pint, the earliest I can remember, and I'm only 45, Christ we were spoilt/ruined!

John Thatcher was an ordinary man amongst our village, who still drank in the local pubs around us, was nothing special (THEN), the Woodborough Arms in Winscombe, the Legion Club in Winscombe (the scene of hand-peeled gibble and cheese, dominos, horse betting and singing, all in a lunchtime) and, of course, The Railway Inn, not 20 yards from the free-tasting room of Thatcher's in Sandford!

Whilst the product has changed, I popped my head in there about 6 month's ago, and they still have their range of old barrels - you can get a few free tastes (though touristy now, of course), AND the same woman is still serving it there from 25+year's ago! Two of my old village friends still work there (from school), so something at the core is still strong, though Sainsbury's, Tesco's, and the rest, will never quite capture it!

You may very well have passed me by, Rob! I had a lovely golden lurcher of Brian Plummer's, a box of ferrets, and a Merlin back then!

My God, how life moves on! I'm now a gentle vegetarian, who has forfeited the capture of wild game for caravan Mosquitos, using nothing other than a cup and a piece of paper, only to cast them outside and let 2 more in! Hmmm

[Coinery 1,153]

I had a foreman living in the SW and he bought me a gallon of cider every Monday....The week is a blurr. £5 a bargain.

It's still around a fiver if you go to the local farms, where the yeasts are still the natural, unpredictable, 'uncultured' kind, and the outcome unfettered!

Did you know that commercial cider had to reign in its natural 'limit' in order to stay within the alcohol tax band?

Proper farmhouse cider more often than not breached the fortified wine category!

The commercial variant has changed somewhat nowadays!

[Rob 3,152]

It's over 10 years ago since I last went in. Turned up once and they were shut - disaster. Not to worry though, I just used emergency services and went to the farm on the other side of the road and down a bit.

[Coinery 1,153]

It's over 10 years ago since I last went in. Turned up once and they were shut - disaster. Not to worry though, I just used emergency services and went to the farm on the other side of the road and down a bit.

I'm glad to say there are many emergency pit stops in the region!

Fresh bread, a lump of cheddar, and some onion (spring or otherwise), is a perfect accompaniment!

[Rob 3,152]

I always liked the basic concept of the business. Drive up, reverse back through the gate on the right for 20 yards past the lean-to that acted as a cash point to the building overhang where the barrels were kept outside. Staff and yourself both pouring if the quantity required was large with a pint or two while you were waiting. Dry, medium or sweet as the options, gallon or 5 litre containers when they changed over to metric and no marketing crap. Although I prefer dry, I always bought some sweet and let them sit to ferment further. A dangerous situation ensued if you didn't release the pressure. I had two footballs that exploded over the years.

[Peter 615]

I have to moderate what I drink.My legs are no longer hollow. However a couple of pints of proper scrumpy, proper toast (using a toasting fork) and a decent cigar does it for me.

[TomGoodheart 402]

I have to say that, as a Veggie, I don't often miss 'old' food. I much enjoyed sprats, tossed in flour and lightly fried, or rare lamb cutlets in the day. But now I'm happy with a nice quiche or vegetable bake. I think simple food is often best. A nice 'French' stick from Waitrose, some decent cheddar some pickle and an ale of cider .. can't beat it!

Poor weebo. Probably wondering how we got onto food from Falkland Isle coins!

[Rob 3,152]

I have to say that, as a Veggie, I don't often miss 'old' food. I much enjoyed sprats, tossed in flour and lightly fried, or rare lamb cutlets in the day. But now I'm happy with a nice quiche or vegetable bake. I think simple food is often best. A nice 'French' stick from Waitrose, some decent cheddar some pickle and an ale of cider .. can't beat it!

Poor weebo. Probably wondering how we got onto food from Falkland Isle coins!

I used to see one in my change every time I visited Thatchers.

[Peter 615]

I have to say that, as a Veggie, I don't often miss 'old' food. I much enjoyed sprats, tossed in flour and lightly fried, or rare lamb cutlets in the day. But now I'm happy with a nice quiche or vegetable bake. I think simple food is often best. A nice 'French' stick from Waitrose, some decent cheddar some pickle and an ale of cider .. can't beat it!

Poor weebo. Probably wondering how we got onto food from Falkland Isle coins!

I would be a veggie but meat and fish tastes so good.Mrs Peter avoids meat(she hates fat) but when I do her a nice blood dripping steak she has a sparkle in her eyes.

I also like to hunt and forage.I do like a game bird

[Coinery 1,153]

I have to say that, as a Veggie, I don't often miss 'old' food. I much enjoyed sprats, tossed in flour and lightly fried, or rare lamb cutlets in the day. But now I'm happy with a nice quiche or vegetable bake. I think simple food is often best. A nice 'French' stick from Waitrose, some decent cheddar some pickle and an ale of cider .. can't beat it!

Poor weebo. Probably wondering how we got onto food from Falkland Isle coins!

I'll bet Peter started it!

A fellow veggie, Richard, good on you! Even more so that it's for all the right reasons. To actually like the flavour of meat, yet still make the call, great stuff!

[Coinery 1,153]

I always liked the basic concept of the business. Drive up, reverse back through the gate on the right for 20 yards past the lean-to that acted as a cash point to the building overhang where the barrels were kept outside. Staff and yourself both pouring if the quantity required was large with a pint or two while you were waiting. Dry, medium or sweet as the options, gallon or 5 litre containers when they changed over to metric and no marketing crap. Although I prefer dry, I always bought some sweet and let them sit to ferment further. A dangerous situation ensued if you didn't release the pressure. I had two footballs that exploded over the years.

You know it intimately, Rob, you'll be getting yourself a reputation (I'm very impressed, though)!

If I ever get the sense I've seen you somewhere before (when I finally bump into you), I'm going to know where from!