Bickford's Australia Pty. Ltd. is an Australian

beverage A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothie ...

manufacturer based in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

. The brand produces traditional cordials,

soft drink A soft drink (see #Terminology, § Terminology for other names) is a class of non-alcoholic drink, usually (but not necessarily) Carbonated water, carbonated, and typically including added Sweetness, sweetener. Flavors used to be Natural flav ...

s, and

iced coffee Iced coffee is a coffee beverage served cold. It may be prepared either by brewing coffee normally (i.e. carafe, French press, etc.) and then serving it over ice or in cold milk or by cold brew coffee, brewing the coffee cold. In hot brewing, sw ...

mix originally manufactured by A. M. Bickford & Sons, a pharmaceutical chemist founded by Anne Margaret Bickford in 1864. In 1999, the brandname was acquired by the Kotses family and later renamed Bickford's Australia, after which the brand saw a revival in popularity with the introduction of new flavours and products. In 2006, Bickford's lime juice cordial was recognised by the

National Trust of South Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's In ...

as a Heritage Icon.2006 Heritage Icon Awards
, South Australian National Trust Today, Bickford's cordials, soft drinks, iced coffee and

milkshake A milkshake (sometimes simply called a shake) is a sweet beverage made by blending milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners such as butterscotch, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, or fruit syrup into a thick, sweet, cold mixture. It may ...

mixes remain widely available in supermarkets across Australia and cordials are available in Countdown supermarkets in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

History

After arriving in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, South Australia from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1839, chemist William Bickford operated a successful

apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is an Early Modern English, archaic English term for a medicine, medical professional who formulates and dispenses ''materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons and patients. The modern terms ''pharmacist'' and, in Brit ...

beginning the following year. After his death in 1850, his wife Anne Margret was determined to keep the business running, forming a partnership initially with son Harry Bickford in 1864, "Bickford and Son".Scales, Marjorie ''An Alchemist's Dream'' pub. Ronald F. Bickford 1990 In 1871, William Jr joined to form "A. M. Bickford & Sons". Looking to branch out into other markets, in 1872 they built the South Australian Cordial Factory, a bottler and

aerated water Water aeration is the process of increasing or maintaining the oxygen saturation of water in both natural and artificial environments. Aeration techniques are commonly used in pond, lake, and reservoir management to address low oxygen levels or a ...

factory. Production of cordials and soft drinks commenced in 1874, among the first of which was their now iconic lime juice cordial.Bickford's labels also still continue to carry the statement: "On account of spurious imitations none is genuine unless bearing the signature of ''A M Bickford & Sons''". In 1903 the firm became a limited liability company, A. M. Bickford & Sons Ltd,A Story of Enterprise
''The Advertiser'' 28 April 1923 p.18 accessed 31 January 2011 and in 1920 commenced production of branded Coffee and

Chicory Common chicory (''Cichorium intybus'') is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to the Americas and Australia. M ...

Essence, (later renamed Bickford's Iced Coffee Mix), winning the gold medal at the 1930 All-Australian Exhibition. In 1930, the company amalgamated with a number of Australian pharmaceutical companies to form the "

Drug Houses of Australia Drug Houses of Australia (DHA) was originally established in 1936Bickford's
SA Memory, State Library of Sout ...

" (DHA), which very successfully continued production of the "A. M. Bickford and Sons" products. Drugs and chemicals were produced under the DHA brand, whereas the cordials and soft drinks remained under the "A. M. Bickford and Sons". In the late 1960s, DHA became the target of a

corporate raid In business, a corporate raid is the process of buying a large stake in a corporation and then using shareholder voting rights to require the company to undertake novel measures designed to increase the share value, generally in opposition to t ...

er and asset stripper, and by the mid-1970s collapsed under massive debts. The remaining products were split up and sold.

Reckitt & Colman Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC, currently branded as Reckitt, formerly known as Reckitt Benckiser, is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is a producer of health, hygiene and nutrition produ ...

acquired most major drug and chemical brands, and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

businessman Peter Abbott purchased the pharmacy products and

eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaves of ''Eucalyptus'', a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae, mostly native to Australia but cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmace ...

operations, which were incorporated into the "FGB" brand, as well as beverage products, which continued on under the revived "A. M. Bickford and Sons" name. In 1987, FGB sold the soft drink business to the Lloyd family, and in 1999 it was purchased by the Kotses family, returning the Bickford's brand to South Australia, and expanding their line of products to include new cordials, soft drinks, and milkshake mixes.2010 Product Catalogue
www.bickfords.net In 2005, the company, now called "Bickford's Australia", moved operations into "a new state of the art manufacturing facility" in

Salisbury, South Australia Salisbury ( ) is a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the seat of the City of Salisbury, and is within the South Australian Legislative Assembly electoral district of Ramsay and the Australian House of Representatives division ...

.Company Timeline
, www.bickfords.net Since then, the range of products, and the Bickford's Group has grown, forming partnerships with Vok Beverages,Vok Beverages
vok.com.au Wheel & Barrow,Wheel & Barrow
www.wheelandbarrow.com.au and Karma Living,Karma Living
www.karma-living.com.au as well announcing plans for a new distillery for the South Australian Riverland in February 2014.

Products

Bickford's Australia currently produces a variety of traditional cordials, juices and soft drinks. Traditional Cordial: Lime Juice, Lemon Juice, Bitter Lemon, Lemon Barley, Lemon, Lime & Bitters, Bitter Lemon, Sarsaparilla, Blackcurrant, Peach Tea, Raspberry, Ginger Beer, Cloudy Apple Premium Juice: Berries & Açaí, Cloudy Pear, Pomegranate, Super Berry Antioxidant, Cranberry, Prune, Coconut, Blueberry Classic Juice: Tropical, Apple & Passionfruit, Apple & Blackcurrant, Apple & Peach Old Style Soda: Lemon, Lime & Bitters, Ginger Beer, Creamy Soda, Original Kola, Sarsaparilla Bickford and Sons Mixers: Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, Tonic Water, Soda Water Milk Mix: Strawberry, Caramel, Vanilla Malt, Chocolate Chiahh: Apple & Raspberry, Grape & Blackcurrant, Tropical Esprit: Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Orange Tangerine, Passionfruit, Lemon Lime Diet cordial varieties are also available. Other products produced by Bickford's include Iced Coffee Syrup (made since 1920), Fruities and Robinson's Fruit Shoot juice drinks for children, and Aqua Pura bottled water.

References

{{reflist

External links

Bickford's Australia website
Pharmaceutical companies of Australia Food and drink companies of Australia Drink companies of Australia Manufacturing companies based in Adelaide History of Adelaide Companies based in South Australia

History

Products

See also

References

External links