Fentimans raises a glass to new lab

Oct 21 2009 By Chris Knox, The Journal

ONE of the region's best known soft drinks firms believes it can add £2m to its £4m turnover after developing its own on-site flavour testing labs and launching a range of non-alcoholic cocktails in time for Christmas.

Northumberland-based Fentimans, famous for its comfortingly traditional products such as ginger beer and dandelion and burdock, recently put the finishing touches to a 10sq m laboratory at its site in Hexham and will open a second lab in May next year as part of a £190,000 investment programme.

The facilities mean that the firm, originally founded in 1905, will be able to create its concoctions on-site rather than at Frederick Robinsons in Stockport, which also currently manufactures the drinks.

The lab development is expected to bring down costs at the firm as well as add five jobs to its 15-strong workforce, and has seen the return of consultant Philip Ashurst, who helped the firm re-create its famous Ginger Beer recipe when it relaunched in 1988.

He has helped in the creation of a number of new drinks including Rose Lemonade and a range of non-alcoholic cocktails such as Victorian Jigger, which combines the firm’s Victorian Lemonade with its Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger, and Festive Dandelion, which blends apple juice, Fentimans Dandelion and Burdock, lime and honey.

The firm now expects to exceeded last year’s growth, which saw it increase its annual sales by 20% to £4m, and expects to have a turnover of around £6m by 2011 as it continues to benefit from the growing demand for more sophisticated none-alcoholic drinks in pubs and clubs.

Such wide appeal has led to the firm expanding its export operations, with Spain, Germany and Italy joining Norway and Cyprus as locations where the drinks are proving popular.

Operations director Tiffany McKirdy said: "We are confident that we can continue our success over the coming years, despite the economic downturn.

"In fact, when it come to our mixers, it seems that people are more determined to ensure that the money they do have is spent on having tastier drinks when they go out.

"Our products have always been popular in the US because of their branding as an traditional British product. However, this is also having the same effect in mainland Europe, where we expect to see significant growth over the next two years."

The firm, which is working on several new flavours for 2010, was originally founded in 1905 by Thomas Fentiman, an iron worker from West Yorkshire, and grew into a door-to-door sales company.

However, the company fell on hard times as supermarkets invaded the soft drinks market. As a result, sales of the Grey Hens – the stone jars in which the ginger beer was sold door-to-door – slumped and the company closed down in the mid 1960s.

But in 1988, Mr Robson, great-grandson of Mr Fentiman, re-established the business with a mission to produce drinks in the time-honoured way, using the original ginger beer recipe and 100% natural ingredients.

Eldon Robson, managing and master brewer, said: "Over the past few years, we've heard about our drinks being used as mixers and last year, we focused on promoting our mixer range to make the perfect Christmas Cocktail. We want to focus on the advantages of offering a premium soft drink at any festive occasion."