What Westons Cider does

Westons Cider is a fifth-generation, family-owned UK cider producer founded in 1880 by Henry Weston in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, operating from a 17th-century cider mill with the UK's largest oak-vat collection (some vats over 200 years old). Production is vertically integrated: 308 acres of family orchards (43 Soil Association-certified organic), a 50-mile fruit sourcing radius, peak milling capacity of 40 tonnes per hour, juice storage for flavour profiling across vintages, dedicated stainless-steel fermentation and organic vat houses, plus sustainability infrastructure (400+ rooftop solar panels, 9-pond natural wetlands wastewater system). Annual pressing exceeds 40,000 tonnes of fruit.

Name

Westons Cider

Legal name

Westons Cider

Website

https://westons-cider.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Westons Cider is a fifth-generation family-owned UK cider producer (founded 1880, Herefordshire) making the Henry Westons, Stowford Press, Old Rosie, Rosie's Pig, and Caple Rd brands alongside distributed wine and beer. It sells via UK on/off trade, export, DTC e-commerce, and on-site hospitality.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Cider

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Cider manufacturing
• Vintage cider production
• Fruit cider brands
• Low alcohol cider
• Cider mill tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Ledbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cider production and sales: Core revenue from producing and selling branded ciders (Henry Westons, Stowford Press, Old Rosie, Rosie's Pig, Caple Rd) across multiple formats — bottles, cans (330/440/500/568ml), bag-in-box (2.25L/3L/10L/20L), and draught (kegs) for on and off trade plus export.
2. Wine distribution: Sales of partner-produced wine ranges (Aromo, Oyster Catcher, Bei Tempi, Arena Negra, Fish Wives) on the Westons shop, bundled in 6 x 75cl cases.
3. Beer distribution (Veltins Pilsener): Sales of Veltins Pilsener and Veltins Pilsener alcohol-free, bundled as cases (20 x 500ml and 24 x 330ml).
4. Direct-to-consumer e-commerce: Online shop at westons-cider.co.uk with case-based pricing, 10% off newsletter voucher, free delivery over £50, and a 20-item cart limit per order.
5. Cider Mill tours and experience days: Ticketed tours (Tour & Tasting Only, with Cream Tea, with Breakfast, with Sunday Lunch, with Afternoon Tea, Family Tour Voucher) and Shire Horse Experience Days sold as gift vouchers valid 12 months.
6. Hospitality (The Scrumpy House restaurant): On-site a la carte restaurant and takeaway offering breakfast, lunch, Sunday roasts, and Scrumpy Thursday evening service, with outside dining pods.
7. Branded merchandise and glassware: Sales of brand T-shirts (Henry Westons, Stowford Press, Caple Rd), glassware (Stowford Press, Old Rosie, Westons pint glasses), bottle openers and lanyards.
8. Contract packing and filling services: Offered via the Westons Contract Packing & Filling service, providing third-party production capacity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Westons Cider manufactures and sells a portfolio of branded ciders (Henry Westons, Stowford Press, Old Rosie, Rosie's Pig, Caple Rd) across multiple formats including bottles, cans, bag-in-box and draught kegs for UK on-trade, off-trade, export and direct-to-consumer channels. In addition, the company distributes partner-produced wines (Aromo, Oyster Catcher, Bei Tempi, Arena Negra, Fish Wives) and beers (Veltins), sells branded merchandise and glassware, and operates ticketed visitor experiences at its 17th-century cider mill in Much Marcle including Cider Mill tours, the on-site shop, The Scrumpy House restaurant and Shire Horse Experience Days.

Product overview

Westons Cider operates as a portfolio of distinct cider brands rather than a single unified product, anchored by five-generation family-owned production at the historic 17th century cider mill in Much Marcle, Herefordshire. The core offering is the Henry Westons range of premium vintage ciders (including Vintage, Cloudy Vintage, Vintage Rosé, Organic, Signature Vintage, British Vintage, Vintage Medium Sweet, Family Vintage Still Cider, Vintage Draught, Vintage Pear and the 1880 Vintage) matured in oak vats. Alongside it sits the Stowford Press range of mass-market ciders (Apple Cider, Dark Berry, Apple Cider Low Alcohol at 0.5% ABV, and Sweet Apple), the traditional Old Rosie cloudy cider, the flavoured Rosie's Pig range (Cloudy Rhubarb and Cloudy Apple), and the premium Caple Rd Blend No.3. Distributed partner brands broaden the portfolio into beer (Veltins Pilsener and alcohol-free variant), wine (Aromo, Oyster Catcher, Bei Tempi, Arena Negra, Fish Wives), branded merchandise (T-shirts, glassware, bottle openers) and visitor experiences including cider mill tours & tastings, the on-site shop, Scrumpy House restaurant and Shire Horse experience days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Henry Westons: Premium vintage cider range crafted from apples grown in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, slowly matured in oak vats. Sub-varieties include Vintage, Cloudy Vintage, Vintage Rosé, Organic, Signature Vintage, British Vintage, 1880 Vintage, Vintage Medium Sweet, Vintage Still Cider, Cloudy Vintage Still Cider, Family Vintage Still Cider, Vintage Draught, British Vintage Still Cider and Vintage Pear.
• Stowford Press
• Old Rosie
• Rosie's Pig
• Caple Rd

Products and services

• Henry Westons Vintage Reserve
• Henry Westons Cloudy Vintage
• Henry Westons Vintage Rosé
• Henry Westons Organic
• Henry Westons Signature Vintage
• Henry Westons British Vintage
• Henry Westons Vintage Medium Sweet
• Henry Westons Family Vintage Still Cider
• Henry Westons Vintage Draught
• Henry Westons Vintage Pear

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 tonnes of CO2 saved via over 400 rooftop solar panels
• +5 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Soil AssociationcoreOthersSoil Association certifies Westons' organic orchards and organic cider making, including the dedicated organic vat house that visitors can see on the Cider Mill tour. 43 acres of orchards are Soil Association certified organic. No chemical fertilisers or pesticides are used on organic orchards.
• Herefordshire Wildlife TrustcoreOthersProud partner of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, working together as Investors in Wildlife to protect and nurture the surrounding countryside, including planting native hedges (Hawthorn, hazel), hosting a charity information stand at the Cider Mill, and jointly publishing a wildlife walk leaflet.
• The Drinks TrustminorOthersListed as a proud community partner on the homepage, alongside Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, supporting people working in the UK drinks industry.
• Stowford Press (internal sub-brand marketing partnership)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStowford Press, an internal Westons Cider brand, runs consumer competitions and brand campaigns such as 'Win Unforgettable Moments with Stowford Press' promoted via a homepage banner, demonstrating internal brand-to-brand GTM coordination.
• Aromo Wines (Maule Valley, Chile)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWestons distributes Aromo Wines from Chile's Maule Valley under a range of varietals (Brut, Carmenere, Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserva Carmenere, Rose Syrah, Winemaker Pinot Noir, Pais Red, Pais White). Partner has been crafting wines from the Maule Valley since 1922.
• Veltins (Grevenstein, Germany)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWestons distributes the Veltins Pilsener and Veltins Pilsener alcohol-free (0% ABV) range, brewed in Germany according to German Purity Law since 1824. Distributed via the Westons online shop and dedicated Global Winery / Beer sales channels.
• Oyster Catcher (Chile)moderateOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWestons distributes the Oyster Catcher premium Chilean wine range (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rose Syrah) combining new-world winemaking with consistent quality.
• Bei Tempi (Veneto, Italy)moderateOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWestons distributes the Bei Tempi Italian wine range, including Prosecco, a Pinot Grigio/Garganega blend from the Veneto region.
• Arena Negra (Central Valley, Chile)moderateOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWestons distributes the Arena Negra ('Black Sands') Chilean wine range (Pinot Noir, Rose Syrah) from the Central Valley region near the Pacific volcanic shores.
• Fish Wives (South Africa)moderateOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWestons distributes the Fish Wives modern South African wine range (Merlot, Pinotage Rose, Sauvignon Blanc), flavour-led and accessible.
• BBC CountryfilemoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerWestons Cider was featured on BBC Countryfile in a 'Tale of Two Ciders' segment, used as a PR/earned-media lever linked from the website footer.
• The Site Doctor (TSD)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite made and bottled by TSD, an external digital agency credited in the website footer.
• UK regional brewers and pub companiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWestons' On Trade team works with named regional brewers and pub companies across the UK, supported by dedicated Regional Brewer & Pub Co Business Unit Controllers (Steve Garrett, Sally Probert) and a Field Sales Manager (Sara Ellerton).

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aspall Cyder (Molson Coors): Aspall is a heritage UK cyder maker founded in 1728 in Suffolk, now owned by Molson Coors. It overlaps with Westons in premium and traditional cider segments, UK on-trade distribution and DTC sales, and shares a family/heritage brand narrative.
• Thatchers Cider: Family-owned Somerset cider producer (founded 1904) with a multi-generation heritage, comparable scale UK-wide on-trade and off-trade distribution, a portfolio of premium and mainstream ciders (e.g., Thatchers Gold, Haze, Katy), and on-site visitor experience at Myrtle Farm — closely mirroring Westons' family-owned, multi-brand, vertically integrated cider model.
• Kopparbergs Bryggeri: Independent Swedish brewer best known for Kopparberg fruit ciders, which compete directly with Stowford Press Dark Berry and Rosie's Pig in the UK flavoured-fruit cider segment across On Trade and Off Trade.

Broad incumbents

• Strongbow (Heineken UK): Strongbow is the UK's biggest mass-market cider brand, owned by Heineken. It competes directly with Westons' mainstream Stowford Press in UK On Trade and grocery, leveraging Heineken's UK-wide scale, pub-company relationships and marketing spend.
• Rekorderlig (Åbro Bryggeri): Swedish premium fruit cider brand distributed widely in UK On Trade and grocery; competes in the same flavoured/premium fruit cider category as Stowford Press and Rosie's Pig, with significant international distribution scale.
• Bulmers (C&C Group plc): Bulmers (and Magners) are the largest UK and Irish mainstream cider brands, owned by C&C Group plc. They compete head-to-head with Westons in UK On Trade and Off Trade across price points and formats, but operate at substantially greater scale with broader international distribution.

Emerging players

• Sandford Orchards: Devon-based independent cider producer with a heritage and traditional orchard-sourcing positioning analogous to Westons, focused on UK On Trade and DTC channels with a smaller product range and national footprint.
• Sheppy's Cider: Long-established family-owned Somerset cider maker (founded 1816) with comparable multi-generational heritage, premium and traditional cider portfolio, on-site visitor centre, and DTC model — though with smaller scale and narrower geographic reach than Westons.
• Dunkertons Cider: Herefordshire-based organic cider producer closely aligned with Westons' organic and sustainability narrative; operates at a smaller scale with overlapping regional provenance and DTC focus.
• Mole Valley Cider (Winkleigh Cider): Devon-based craft cider producer focused on traditional, orchard-driven ciders; comparable to Westons on provenance and small-batch quality but materially smaller in scale and distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Henry_Westons
• Facebookfacebook.com/p/Westons-Shires-100094466559187
• Instagraminstagram.com/westonscider

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Westons Cider