H. P. Bulmer
Encyclopedia
H.P. Bulmer is a brewing company founded in 1887 in Hereford
, England
. The founder was Percy Bulmer, the twenty-year-old son of the local rector at Credenhill
. He is said to have taken his mother's advice to make a career in food or drink, "because neither ever go out of fashion".
The company's two principal brands are its own Bulmers
cider, which is sold worldwide, and Strongbow
, which is sold across Europe, the US, Australasia and the Far East. The company is owned by Heineken International.
and the bulk of the UK's cider exports.
In 1887 his elder brother Fred, coming down from King's College
, Cambridge, turned down the offer of a post as tutor to the children of the King of Siam to join Percy in his fledgling cider business.
With a £1,760 loan from their father, the brothers bought an 8 acres (3.2 ha) field just outside the city and built their first cider mill. It was little more than a shack compared to the huge modern stainless-steel computer-controlled cider-making plant that has grown up on a 75 acres (30.4 ha) site nearby.
Cider making in those early days was a hit or miss affair, the fermentation
being achieved by the wild yeast
in the apple, and more often than not the cider turned sour. It was a college friend of Fred's, Dr. Herbert Durham, who, in the 1890s, isolated the wild yeast to create the first pure cider yeast culture, which would ensure that fermentations were consistent. This was the start of commercial cider making.
Bulmers was first granted the Royal Warrant
in 1911 and continues today as 'Cider Maker to Her Majesty the Queen'.
and New Zealand
business, meanwhile, was sold to Australian brewer Foster's
.
During the spring of 2006, the company relaunched Bulmers
Original in the UK, a premium packaged cider aimed at the "served over ice" market, which has grown in popularity over the last few years. Bulmers Original is a 4.5% ABV cider and is primarily sold in pint bottles (568 ml) but also on draught, in 1 litre bottles and 500ml can. In November 2007 the Bulmers range was joined by Bulmers Pear cider and in Spring 2008 by Bulmers Light, which is the same ABV as the Original but with 30% fewer calories however this was delisted a year later.
Amongst the other brands produced by Bulmers is Jacques which is a 5.5% ABV cider . This is available in Fruit De Bois (cider with cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant flavours) and Jacques Orchard Fruits launched in Summer 2008.
In Summer 2010, a limited edition version of Bulmers was made, combining both apple and pear flavours in one and named 'Summer Blend'.
In Autumn 2010, another limited edition version of Bulmers was created, made using specially selected red Katy Apples which are allowed to fully ripen in the orchards before harvesting, and named "Red Apple".
In the Summer of 2011, Bulmer's released the limited edition "Crisp Blend" which is made from sharper tasting apples, delivering a crisp and slightly drier flavour than the Original.
In the same summer, Bulmers rebranded themselves with a new look and new bottles. In reference to the Bulmers naming tradition dating back to the early 1900's (at the time these were Bulmers 1 through to 8) they also number-coded the different varieties with Original as "№9", Pear as "№10" and Crisp Blend as "№15". At the same time a new flavour was brought out, named "№17", which is made with the addition of crushed red berries and lime.
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The founder was Percy Bulmer, the twenty-year-old son of the local rector at Credenhill
Credenhill
Credenhill is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England,Near Credenhill is the site of the former Royal Air Force station RAF Hereford, which is now the headquarters of 22 Special Air Service Regiment.-Notable residents:...
. He is said to have taken his mother's advice to make a career in food or drink, "because neither ever go out of fashion".
The company's two principal brands are its own Bulmers
Bulmers
Bulmers Cider is one of a number of brands owned by H. P. Bulmer of Hereford. It is one of the leading premium bottled cider brands in the UK with a number of variants including Bulmers Original & Pear.-History:...
cider, which is sold worldwide, and Strongbow
Strongbow
The term Strongbow may refer to:*Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, a Norman earl also known by the nickname "Strongbow"*Strongbow Cider*Beleg Cúthalion , a character in JRR Tolkien's Quenta Silmarillion...
, which is sold across Europe, the US, Australasia and the Far East. The company is owned by Heineken International.
History
Using apples from the orchard at his father's rectory and an old stone press on the farm next door, Bulmer made the first cider, upon which the family fortune would be made. Today HP Bulmer makes 65% of the five hundred million litres of cider sold annually in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the bulk of the UK's cider exports.
In 1887 his elder brother Fred, coming down from King's College
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, Cambridge, turned down the offer of a post as tutor to the children of the King of Siam to join Percy in his fledgling cider business.
With a £1,760 loan from their father, the brothers bought an 8 acres (3.2 ha) field just outside the city and built their first cider mill. It was little more than a shack compared to the huge modern stainless-steel computer-controlled cider-making plant that has grown up on a 75 acres (30.4 ha) site nearby.
Cider making in those early days was a hit or miss affair, the fermentation
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
being achieved by the wild yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
in the apple, and more often than not the cider turned sour. It was a college friend of Fred's, Dr. Herbert Durham, who, in the 1890s, isolated the wild yeast to create the first pure cider yeast culture, which would ensure that fermentations were consistent. This was the start of commercial cider making.
Bulmers was first granted the Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
in 1911 and continues today as 'Cider Maker to Her Majesty the Queen'.
Recent developments
The company was independent until 2003, when, having run into financial problems, it was taken over by brewing giant Scottish and Newcastle, which in turn was taken over by Heineken and Carlsberg in 2008. Its AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
business, meanwhile, was sold to Australian brewer Foster's
Fosters
Fosters or Foster's may refer to:* Foster's Lager, an Australian beer* Foster's Group, an Australian brewer and distributor* Fosters Freeze, a chain of fast-food restaurants in California...
.
During the spring of 2006, the company relaunched Bulmers
Bulmers
Bulmers Cider is one of a number of brands owned by H. P. Bulmer of Hereford. It is one of the leading premium bottled cider brands in the UK with a number of variants including Bulmers Original & Pear.-History:...
Original in the UK, a premium packaged cider aimed at the "served over ice" market, which has grown in popularity over the last few years. Bulmers Original is a 4.5% ABV cider and is primarily sold in pint bottles (568 ml) but also on draught, in 1 litre bottles and 500ml can. In November 2007 the Bulmers range was joined by Bulmers Pear cider and in Spring 2008 by Bulmers Light, which is the same ABV as the Original but with 30% fewer calories however this was delisted a year later.
Amongst the other brands produced by Bulmers is Jacques which is a 5.5% ABV cider . This is available in Fruit De Bois (cider with cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant flavours) and Jacques Orchard Fruits launched in Summer 2008.
In Summer 2010, a limited edition version of Bulmers was made, combining both apple and pear flavours in one and named 'Summer Blend'.
In Autumn 2010, another limited edition version of Bulmers was created, made using specially selected red Katy Apples which are allowed to fully ripen in the orchards before harvesting, and named "Red Apple".
In the Summer of 2011, Bulmer's released the limited edition "Crisp Blend" which is made from sharper tasting apples, delivering a crisp and slightly drier flavour than the Original.
In the same summer, Bulmers rebranded themselves with a new look and new bottles. In reference to the Bulmers naming tradition dating back to the early 1900's (at the time these were Bulmers 1 through to 8) they also number-coded the different varieties with Original as "№9", Pear as "№10" and Crisp Blend as "№15". At the same time a new flavour was brought out, named "№17", which is made with the addition of crushed red berries and lime.
Brands
- BulmersBulmersBulmers Cider is one of a number of brands owned by H. P. Bulmer of Hereford. It is one of the leading premium bottled cider brands in the UK with a number of variants including Bulmers Original & Pear.-History:...
Original Cider - BulmersBulmersBulmers Cider is one of a number of brands owned by H. P. Bulmer of Hereford. It is one of the leading premium bottled cider brands in the UK with a number of variants including Bulmers Original & Pear.-History:...
Pear Cider - BulmersBulmersBulmers Cider is one of a number of brands owned by H. P. Bulmer of Hereford. It is one of the leading premium bottled cider brands in the UK with a number of variants including Bulmers Original & Pear.-History:...
Crisp Blend Ltd Edition Cider - BulmersBulmersBulmers Cider is one of a number of brands owned by H. P. Bulmer of Hereford. It is one of the leading premium bottled cider brands in the UK with a number of variants including Bulmers Original & Pear.-History:...
Nº17 Cider - StrongbowStrongbow CiderStrongbow is a brand of dry cider manufactured in England by H.P. Bulmer. Popular since it was launched in 1962, it is the best selling cider in the world, and its sales account for more than 20% of all the cider sold in the UK...
- Scrumpy JackScrumpy JackScrumpy Jack is a brand of dry cider, 6% alc. vol., produced in Hereford by Bulmers, a subsidiary of Heineken. Scrumpy Jack is also produced under licence in Devon by Czk1....
- Woodpecker CiderWoodpecker CiderWoodpecker Cider is an alcoholic drink originally made in 1894 by Percy Bulmer in Herefordshire, today it is still brewed by Bulmers .Woodpecker is noted for having a lower percentage of alcohol than most other ciders, as well as its sweet taste. It is usually available in pubs and bars and is...
- JacquesJacquesJacques is the French equivalent of James.Jacques is derived from the Late Latin Iacobus, from the Greek , from the Hebrew ...
Cider With Fruit - PomagnePomagnePomagne is a brand of cider produced by Bulmers in the United Kingdom. It was first marketed in 1906 under the name "Cider De Luxe." In 1916, it was renamed Pomagne....