Magners

Magners is a brand of cider produced in County Tipperary, Ireland by the C&C Group,. The Magners product range includes the cider varieties: Magners Original, Magners Light, Magners Pear and Magners Berry. The cider was originally produced as Bulmers and continues to be sold under that name in Ireland and Scotland, even though the Irish product is no longer owned by H. P. Bulmer.

History

Commercial cider production was started in Clonmel, South Tipperary in 1935, by local man William Magner. Magner bought the orchard from a Mr Phelan from Clonmel. Magner quickly established a successful cider factory in Dowds Lane, Clonemel. In 1937 English cider-makers H. P. Bulmer purchased a 50% share in the business, using their expertise to greatly increase production. After the war in 1946, Bulmers purchased the remaining 50%, changing the name to Bulmers Ltd Clonmel. H.P. Bulmer maintained international rights to the Bulmers trade mark, so that any exports were carried out via the parent company rather than directly exported from Ireland.

In the 1960s H. P. Bulmer produced a "Champagne perry" product in direct competition with Babycham, owned by Showerings Ltd of Shepton Mallet. Showerings challenged this in court, and H.P. Bulmer lost the case. In 1964 they were forced to sell Bulmers Clonmel to Guinness and Allied Breweries, parent company of Showerings....
Read More