Bickford's. A Century of Purity

We’ve all seen or have tasted a Bickford’s beverage before, but do we know how Bickford’s all began?

Since its beginning in 1874, Bickford’s continues to be recognised as one of Australia’s most treasured family owned and managed brands ‘til this day, maintaining and distributing a wide portfolio of delicious and iconic beverages.

But it wasn’t all about beverages.  In 1839, a 23 year old chemist’s assistant named William Bickford left England for Adelaide to become a sheep grazier.  He met his wife Anne Margaret Garret during his voyage and arrived in 1839. The dream of sheep grazing fell through due to his limited resources but that only led him back to what he was originally trained for.  After working as a dispensary assistant on North Terrace in Adelaide, William went on to open one of Adelalde’s first standalone apothecary on the famous Hindley St.

William and Anne had 7 children and ran the business as a family with Anne helping as the Bookkeeper. Business boomed over the next 10 years which was the beginning of the enterprise it is today.

The Beginning of Bickford’s & Sons

In 1850, William Bickford sadly died at the age of 35 from pneumonia leaving Anne to continue trading with her son’s Harry who joined in 1864 and William in 1871.  This was when the company became A.M Bickford & Sons.

In 1872, the company diversified by building one of South Australia’s first cordial factories to start producing cordials and soft drinks.  This saw the birth of the now iconic Bickford’s Lime Juice Cordial.

1920 saw the beginning of Bickford’s Iced Coffee Syrups.  It started as coffee and chicory essence which went on to win the coveted gold medal at the 1930 All Australian Exhibition.

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Bickford’s Goes International

Throughout the 20^th century, the Bickford’s family business expanded from manufacturing beverages to pharmaceutical supplies and wholesaling medical equipment.  From 1936 to 1999 A.M Bickford’s had multiple changes of ownership until in 1999 it returned back to being a proudly Australian family owned and managed business.

Today, Bickford’s is an iconic Australian company that holds a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in South Australia. Furthermore, Bickford’s group of companies include multiple distilleries across the country which create the finest beverages available including beer, wine, spirits, ready-to-drinks, and the historic range of cordials and juices that is shipped to over 34 countries around the world.

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