Fentimans is a botanical brewery based in Hexham, Northumberland, England.
History
Thomas Fentiman, an iron puddler from Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, acquired a recipe for botanically brewed ginger beer in 1905 when a fellow tradesman approached Fentiman for a loan. The loan was never repaid so Thomas became the owner of the recipe.[2] The firm became a door-to-door ginger beer sales company using a horse-drawn vehicle for transport. His ginger beer was stored in handmade stone jars known as 'grey hens', all stamped with the Fentimans mascot based on Thomas' German Shepherd dog 'Fearless' who won the Crufts obedience class twice in 1933 and 1934.[2] The botanically brewed ginger beer became popular quickly and the business grew, with several brewing and production facilities being opened in the North of England.[2]
The company fell on hard times as supermarkets entered the soft drinks market. As a result, sales of the grey hens slumped and the company closed down in the mid 1960s.