History

In 1905, Thomas Fentiman, an iron puddler from Cleckheaton, England, was approached by a fellow tradesman for a loan. A deal was struck, with a recipe for botanically brewed ginger beer provided as security. The loan was never repaid, so Thomas became the owner of the unique recipe.

Thomas began using the recipe and producing botanically brewed ginger beer, delivering it door to door, using a horse and cart.

His ginger beer was stored in handmade stone jars known affectionately as ‘gray hens’.

Fearless

Fearless, Thomas’s faithful family dog, was the winner of the Crufts Dog Show obedience class of 1933 and 1934. Thomas was so proud of her achievement that not only did he use her portrait on his bottles, but her image adorned every Fentimans factory. Fearless proudly guards every Fentimans bottle to this day.

Present Day

The world has changed a lot over the hundred years since Thomas Fentiman founded the business – and Fentimans has had to adapt to meet the demands of the modern world. Changes in the way people shop have meant that our door-to-door deliveries have made way for selling online and in stores, bars and restaurants. The old stone jars adorned by ‘Fearless’ have also been replaced by our iconic glass bottles.

Over 100 years after we started brewing botanical drinks, the business is still in the Fentiman family and is owned by the great-grandson of Thomas Fentiman. We also continue to make our delicious natural beverages by the multistage botanical brewing technique. Our processes have been updated – and our beverages are now bottled, carbonated and pasteurised to extend every product’s shelf life. The one thing which has not changed over this time is our dedication to superior flavor.