From humble beginnings on a Cornish farm to creating one of the UK’s most loved cider brands, Healeys has spent over 40 years challenging convention. Driven by generations of entrepreneurial spirit, the family-owned business is building national growth for Rattler, while bringing its expertise in apples to an entirely new category with Gym Juice. Managing Director Joe Healey shares the story behind the brands, the ambition and the next chapter of this Cornish success story.
Every great business starts with an idea. For David and Kay Healey, it began with a simple observation: Cornwall was famous for its local produce, yet there was a surprising lack of locally-produced cider.
Running a small off-licence in Mevagissey, the couple recognised an opportunity to create something different. With little more than determination and an entrepreneurial spirit, they purchased a derelict 150-year-old dairy farm in Penhallow in 1986 and transformed it into Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm.
Despite being told apples would never grow successfully on the land, David planted a 20-acre orchard. 40 years later, those trees continue to thrive, and the family business has grown into one of the UK’s leading independent cider producers.
But while the business has evolved considerably, its entrepreneurial spirit has remained unchanged.
“We’ve always been a family that likes to challenge what’s possible,” explained Managing Director Joe Healey. “Mum and Dad built this business from nothing, and they taught us that if you believe in something and you’re prepared to work hard enough, then you can make it happen.”
This philosophy inspired the next generation to create a brand that transformed the future of the business.
Rattler disrupts the category
When brothers Joe and Sam Healey joined the family business, they saw an opportunity to challenge traditional perceptions of cider. At the time, cider was often associated with traditional scrumpy, but the brothers believed there was an opportunity to attract a new generation of drinkers.
The ambition was simple: prove that younger adult consumers would embrace cider if it delivered great taste, quality and a brand they could connect with.
“We wanted to create something that our generation would genuinely choose to drink,” continued Joe. “Something that tasted fantastic, was refreshing and had a personality that felt different from traditional cider.”
After extensive experimentation, Rattler was born. Named after a local Cornish apple variety, the brand combined a distinctive taste with a bold identity and an unmistakably Cornish personality. It quickly attracted attention in pubs across Cornwall, building a loyal following and demonstrating that cider could appeal to a much broader audience.
Rattler has become Healeys’ flagship brand and the driving force behind its ambitions for national growth. Today, Rattler offers consumers a diverse portfolio, from its much-loved Original cider to fruit flavours, higher-strength expressions and alcohol-free options.
“Rattler has built an incredibly loyal following in Cornwall and the South West,” said Joe. “We know that when people experience the taste, they come back for more. Our ambition is to bring that experience to more people across the UK.”
More than just great cider
Central to Rattler’s success is its distinctive personality. Proudly Cornish, bold and full of character, Rattler goes beyond the product itself, connecting with consumers through shared experiences, music, festivals and hospitality.
Alongside its established Cyder Farm visitor attraction and growing hospitality portfolio, Healeys creates experiences that introduce new consumers to its brands, while strengthening relationships with existing fans.
“People don’t just connect with what you make; they connect with how you make them feel,” explained Joe. “We want Rattler to be part of those great moments when people get together, enjoy themselves and make memories.”
This approach underpins the brand’s ambition to build national awareness and attract new consumers to the cider category.
Investing in the future
Since 2015, Healeys has invested approximately £15 million in production facilities, including automated bottling equipment, additional tank storage, keg lines and, most recently, a new canning line. These investments transformed the company’s manufacturing capabilities, providing the capacity, flexibility and efficiency required to support continued growth.
Today, Healeys produces its drinks in-house, giving the business greater control over quality and the ability to respond to evolving consumer preferences. For retailers and distribution partners, this combination of independent ownership, established production expertise and continued investment creates a strong foundation for future growth.
The investment is also opening doors to entirely new opportunities. Just as the next generation challenged traditional cider perceptions with Rattler, Healeys is now aiming at another rapidly evolving drinks category.
Apples with benefits
With consumers increasingly looking for drinks that offer more than refreshment, Healeys recognised an opportunity to bring its apple expertise into the growing functional drinks market.
The result is Gym Juice, an innovative range of sparkling apple juice drinks that combine great taste with everyday functional benefits. Built around the proposition ‘Apples with Benefits’, Gym Juice takes a refreshingly simple approach to functionality.
Rather than focusing exclusively on serious sports performance, the brand is designed for life’s everyday demands, whether that is a busy working day, a long commute, an active lifestyle or simply needing a little extra energy.
The range includes three variants: Caffeine, Protein and Electrolyte, offering an energy boost, 10g of protein and electrolytes to support hydration respectively. Made with 70% apple juice, with no added sugar or artificial colours, Gym Juice unites the natural appeal of fruit with the functionality consumers increasingly seek.
“We’re incredibly excited about Gym Juice because it unites everything we’ve learnt about making great-tasting drinks with a completely new opportunity,” said Joe. “We know apples, we understand flavour, and we’ve invested in the technology to create something genuinely different. Functional drinks should taste great and fit naturally into everyday life.”
For Healeys, Gym Juice represents more than a new product. This is an opportunity to establish a new growth platform, attract different consumers and extend the business beyond its traditional cider heartland. With ambitions to develop the brand across retail, convenience and other distribution channels, Healeys sees significant potential for Gym Juice to become an important part of its portfolio over the next five years.
Proudly Cornish
Despite growing national ambitions, Healeys remains firmly rooted in Cornwall. The family continues to invest in Cyder Farm, preserving the heritage of the original 150-year-old buildings, yet developing the visitor experience for future generations.
While the values remain unchanged, the ambition has never been greater. Healeys has a clear five-year growth strategy focused on three priorities: taking Rattler to a national audience, expanding its hospitality experiences, and building Gym Juice into a challenger within the functional drinks category.
These ambitions represent an exciting new chapter for a business that has never been afraid to think differently. From David and Kay’s determination to create a Cornish cider business, to Joe and Sam’s belief that Rattler could introduce a new generation to cider, the story of Healeys has always been about recognising opportunities and having the courage to pursue them.
“We’re incredibly proud of what Mum and Dad started, but we’re equally excited about the future,” concluded Joe. “We have fantastic brands, great people and the capabilities to take the business further than ever before. Our ambition is to keep challenging ourselves, creating products people love and building something that future generations can be proud of.”
With Rattler’s national ambitions gathering momentum and Gym Juice opening the door to an entirely new category, Healeys is proving that four decades of heritage are just the beginning.