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Using apples from the orchard at his father's rectory and an old stone press on the farm next door, young Percy made the first drop of cider upon which the family fortune would be made. Today HP Bulmer makes 65% of the five million hectolitres of cider sold annually in the UK and the bulk of the exports.
His elder brother, Fred, coming down from Kings 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. A lady called Anna got the job instead and hence that wonderful musical film, The King and I, based on a true story.
Meanwhile the brothers, with a £1000 loan from their father, bought an 8 acre (32,000 m²) field just outside the City walls 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 acre (300,000 m²) 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 1890's, isolated the wild yeast to create the first pure cider yeast culture which would ensure all future fermentations were consistent. It was the start of commercial cider making.
Bulmers was first granted the Royal Warrant in 1911 and continues proudly today as Cider Maker to her Majesty, the Queen.
The company was independent until 2003, when - having run into financial problems - it was taken over by brewing giant Scottish and Newcastle. Its Australia and New Zealand business, meanwhile, was sold to Australian brewer Fosters.
"Bulmers" is also a brand name for a cider in Ireland.
Commercial cider production was started in ClonmelClonmel ( Irish: Cluain Meala is a medium-sized town situated in south County Tipperary, Ireland. It lies in a valley, surrounded by several mountains and hills. The Comeragh Mountains are to the south, while east of the town is Slievenamon. The River Sui, Eire in 1935Events January January 1 Italian colonies of Tripoli and Kyrenaika are joined together as Libya January 7 World War II: Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French foreign minister Pierre Laval conclude agreement in which each power undertakes not to oppo, by local man William Magner. Mr Magner quickly established a very successful business and in 1937 he joined forces with the famous English cider-makers H.P. Bulmer and Company. Dowds Lane in Clonmel was the location of this burgeoning enterprise. In 1949 Mr Magner withdrew from the business and the Bulmers name came to the fore. To prevent confusion, this Clonmel-based cider is exported around the world under the brand name "Magners".
In 1964 the company name was changed to Showerings (Ireland) Limited. Soon afterwards the company moved its main processing operations to a new complex at Annerville, three miles from the centre of Clonmel, which was opened in 1965 by the then TaoiseachThe Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh or, more formally, An Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet1. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dail Eireann (t, the late Sean Lemass T.D.
Today the Irish Bulmers Ltd. is a formidable company by any standards, with a well-deserved reputation for innovative and successful product development and marketing. The company employs more than 470 people and is a substantial part of the economic infrastructure of the community of Clonmel. It is owned by C&CC&C (Cantrell & Cochrane) is a multi-million euro consumer goods group based in Ireland. Its core brands include Tayto, Ballygowen mineral water, Club Orange and various alcoholic drinks. It also bottles drinks on behalf of other drinks companies. It's co, one of Ireland's biggest drinks companies.
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