BEN SHAWS SOFT DRINKS CELEBRATES 140TH BIRTHDAY

26 July 2011

Ben Shaws, the soft drinks manufacturer who brought the distinctive taste of
Dandelion and Burdock – amongst others - to the people of the UK, is 140
years old this year.

The company was founded in 1871 by Ben Shaw, in the same year that Queen
Victoria opened the Royal Albert Hall and Stanley uttered the immortal
words, “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?” when he found him on the shores
of Lake Tanganyika.

By the time Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper debuted (1886 and 1885, respectively),
Ben Shaws was already a teenager, and when Pepsi (1898) was introduced, Ben
Shaws four flavours – Dandelion and Burdock, Cloudy Lemonade, Cream Soda
and Bitter Shandy – were already well established favourites with the
British public.

It was Ben Shaw himself who used the family shire horses Bonny, Blossom,
Cherry and Dick to deliver his soft drinks via horse and cart. In later
years the firm used what became known as the Ben Shaws “pop van” and the
drinks came in glass bottles that when returned were an easy way for
children to earn some pocket money. And for a shilling an hour, Ben
Shaw’s grandchildren would watch the bottles coming off the production
line, checking for specks of dirt, making sure every bottle was perfect.

Sundeep Gill of Cott Beverages said: “140 years is a long time to be in
business and it’s great to see that the original four flavours are still
firm favourites with the nation. It’s a brand that has stood the test of
time and is as popular now as it was all those years ago.”

Lots of other landmarks events took place in 1871, including the formation
of the British Rugby Union, the birth of the F.A. Cup and the first ever
Bank Holiday, Whit Monday; the year when a young Ben Shaw left his job in
the textile industry in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire and set up his own
business bottling and selling natural mineral water from the nearby Pennine
Hills. The move proved successful and he soon expanded his business
introducing traditional soft drinks made with only the finest ingredients,
in his purpose built factory.

Today Ben Shaws’ drinks are more popular than ever; in fact, many
celebrities have mentioned their particular fondness for the taste of the
good old fashioned flavours, including Sheridan Smith, star of the West End
hit “Legally Blonde” who recently tweeted: “Could murder a dandelion &
burdock now! As a kid, I even wrote a story called Dandy the lion and bird
Doc.”

Part of the brand’s birthday celebrations includes a tour around the
country, visiting shows and fairs and encouraging visitors to share their
Ben Shaws’ memories.

For more information, visit either the Ben Shaws website or its Facebook
page