Director's Q+A: Traditional values

Tell us about your company

Thatchers is a family-owned company that was founded in 1904 and is based in the heart of Somerset in a village called Sandford, which is near Weston-super-Mare. We have 70 staff, each of whom shares our passion for our premium ciders made from only English apples, many of which are sourced from our own orchards here in Somerset. We have turnover currently of around £19m and have seen significant growth over the past five years.

What insurances does Thatchers place and with which companies?

We renewed our insurance at the beginning of February. We use Aviva for all our insurance except that for products, for which we use Lockton. We take cover for commercial, motor fleet, employers' liability and, most recently, we have taken up directors' and officers' insurance.

We do everything on site and need to protect an orchard, packaging company, brewery and pressing machinery. We are audited Aviva. We were also given a grade A for the European Food Safety Inspection Services award. We also implement a full training regime. Our last claim was for when a tractor was stolen three years ago: we were paid the value estimate promptly.

Describe the relationship with your broker

Our broker, Yate-based Jelf group, has become more of a business partner than a supplier. The staff have in-depth knowledge of our business and needs and are also able to highlight quickly any potential insurance gaps. It is especially nice that someone in Bristol is always available at the end of a phone.

We also use Jelf for our employee benefits. Thatchers has had a working relationship with Chris Jelf, the broker's founder, for over 20 years. He is also a non-executive director of Thatchers.

What challenges does your business face in the downturn?

We have been very fortunate in the downturn that our turnover has continued to grow significantly. Most of the business is pub trade but we also cover supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, Tesco and everybody between.

We are always keen to keep innovating with cider to ensure that our success does not slow. We have launched products such as Ciderberry, a rich, red medium fruit cider of blueberries, blackcurrant and raspberries that took six months to create from idea to launch.

There is still an appetite for a drink in the recession and cider has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially following Magners' marketing campaign. We have done some billboard and magazine advertising ourselves, a mix between trade and consumer, and are embarking on our first television advert on the local ITV network in early summer, which will centre on Thatchers Gold. In September, the firm will have an open day on which people can look around, have a guided tour and taste the products.

What would you like to see improved in the insurance industry?

Our main issue with the insurance industry is its seeming reluctance to dispute any third-party claims however good the evidence to the contrary. In addition, the ability of the insurers to charge an ever-increasing premium despite no-claims records is a pain, although Jelf is active in minimising this financial increase.