The Showering family has announced the return of its ancestral family home to the Brothers Drinks Co. business, after acquiring Kilver Court in Shepton Mallet.
The property is adjacent to the Showerings Cider Mill and increases its footprint to 38 acres while reinforcing the company's position as the biggest employer in the Shepton Mallet area.
Kilver Court is a historic house and office complex with spectacular gardens in Shepton Mallet, owned by Showerings Limited until the early 1990s. Most recently, it has been run as a retail and leisure destination, receiving over 100,000 visitors on average a year. The Showerings have ambitious plans to further invest in the site, incorporating it as part of an overall experience and destination for the local community, where consumers will learn more about the heritage of the site, as well as the historic Somerset ciders, including Brothers Cider and Mallets Cider.
The destination is currently home to a premium shopping experience with brands such as Mulberry, Toast and Yves Delorme. Renovation of the café and restaurant is soon to be underway, as well as reopening the gardens to the public. The company also has plans to open a business hub including a conference centre and suite of offices.
Commenting on the recent announcement, Matthew Showering said, “Shepton Mallet is an integral part of who we are as a family and a business, so we are incredibly proud to have had the chance to come back to Kilver Court. The Ship Inn, which forms the front of the site, was purchased in 1854 by Francis Showering. Our grandfather, Herbert Showering, purchased the rest of the site in 1938. It is from there our family’s business grew, aided by the success of Babycham, into a major drinks business. We see this as an incredible opportunity to harness our roots and heritage to provide the local community, as well as visitors to the area, with an authentic and unique experience. We have strong ambitions for our destination, both for the business and for the area, and are looking forward to welcoming our friends in the trade to see this incredible site and spectacular gardens.”
The news comes after a strong few years for the Brothers Drinks Co., as it recently ranked 12th in the Alantra Food & Beverage fast 50 in 2021, a report outlining the UK’s fastest-growing, privately-owned food and drink companies. Output has more than tripled over the last three years and the company has maintained its place in the top ten cider producers with value growing by 31.8 per cent year-on-year.
