Coopers Brewery is entering the Australian cider market, signing a “keg and distribution” deal with English cider manufacturer, Thatchers Cider.

Coopers will take Thatchers Gold – the second largest draught cider in the UK – to the on-premise market in Australia.

The deal was signed in Adelaide by Coopers’ Managing Director, Dr Tim Cooper, and the Managing Director of Thatchers, Martin Thatcher late last year.

Thatchers Gold is currently being put on tap in hotels across Australia.

“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.

“Thatchers is a fourth generation family business that produces premium quality products. It has been growing rapidly in the past 20 years and the fit seemed right. We are extremely excited about the possibilities.”

Under the arrangement, tankers of bulk cider are being shipped to Coopers’ brewery at Regency Park from Thatchers’ facility at Myrtle farm in Sandford, North Somerset.

The cider is being kegged by Coopers into Coopers’ standard kegs, to integrate into the existing systems of hotels, clubs and bars around Australia.

The company will also distribute Thatchers packaged cider.

Coopers’ Chairman, Mr Glenn Cooper, said he was currently negotiating to have draught Thatchers Gold on sale at the Clipsal 500 in late February.

Thatchers began producing cider in 1904 when Martin’s great grandfather William Thatcher started making the product on his farm at Somerset.

It began selling draught cider to pubs in 1904. Today the company grows apples on 360 acres and processes around 25,000 tonnes of fruit per year.