Bulmers

Lore & Background

Fred and Percy Bulmer grew apples at their family orchard in Credenhill, Herefordshire, later used to make the cider for which they became known. Production began at Ryelands Street in Hereford, where the original cider cellars survive as the Cider Museum and King Offa Distillery. Production moved to the Plough Lane site in the late 1970s. From 1937 to 1949, Bulmers operated with Wm.

Magners of Clonmel to expand into Irish distribution; after 1949, Magners retained rights to trade under the name HP Bulmer Ltd in Ireland. In 2003, the firm was bought by Scottish & Newcastle for £278 million, with some 200 jobs lost. In 2008, S&N was bought by Carlsberg and Heineken; Bulmers now survives as a brand name and subsidiary of Heineken, with operations in Hereford scaled back to focus on cider production.

In spring 2006, Bulmers Original was relaunched in the UK aimed at the 'served over ice' market. Bulmers pear cider launched in November 2007. The brand has undergone several rebrandings and introduced numbered varieties (e.g., No. 9 for Original, No. 10 for Pear) and limited editions such as Bulmers Light (2008), Summer Blend (2010), and Vintage Reserve (2012). As of 2021, only Original and Red Berry & Lime remain available.

Reader's Guide

Bulmers has been a dominant force in the UK cider market for over a century, producing the majority of the nation's cider and the bulk of its cider exports. Its history is intertwined with the Bulmer family's Herefordshire orchards and the evolution of industrial cider-making. The brand's relaunch in 2006 helped popularize the 'cider over ice' trend, and its numbered series (from No. 9 onward) created a distinctive naming tradition. However, the brand has faced scrutiny over sugar content: a 2014 study found a pint contained five teaspoons of sugar, near the WHO's recommended daily allowance for added sugar.

Bulmers does not disclose the percentage of apple juice in its product, though UK law requires a minimum of 35%. The brand's ownership by Heineken and its reduction to only two core flavours by 2021 reflect the consolidation and rationalization of the modern cider industry. The Orchard Pioneers range, introduced in 2017, attempted to return to artisanal roots by featuring ciders from individual suppliers.

Did You Know?

• Bulmers produces 65% of the UK's 500 million litres of cider annually.