UK/Empire:-
Franklin & Sons (soft drinks) Ltd. Est 1886
US list:-
Watkins Extracts & Essences Est 1868
Wow. I hadn't read the whole history of the Watkins company (sorry for the delay in analysis - shows you how crazy life's been this year).
I must say three things:
First, it's no wonder I'd never heard of this brand. This is one of those unusual companies that for most of it's life was marketed by door to door salesmen. It's always been a niche company. The fact that it's survived over a century and a half speaks to the cunning nature of its leadership.
Second, this company is even more unusual in that it actually recovered from a strong downturn in the 1970s. Most companies which couldn't survive the rise of supermarkets either changed their business model completely, got sold, or closed doors. Instead, Watkins continued to sell door to door and actually grew back to health in the 1980s, which is even more surprising given the historical period. Watkins did however enter the supermarkets, but more as a specialty and gourmet brand more likely to be found in health and nature centered supermarkets. They've expanded their product line to include barbecue marinades and spirits as well.
Third, this company is even more unusual in that they've preserved a lot of history. They're very proud of their history, and thus their timeline is full of facts and photos. It's going to take me a while to compile all of that, but for the moment Watkins Products makes into the listing. Expect this entry to be modified in the near future.
Watkins, spices and gourmet foods (Founded as s medical liniment company by JR Watkins, Plainview Minnesota, 1868)
I'm going to have to swing by Whole Foods,or Albertsons to see if I can spot a bottle as those are the only two local shops listed as carrying their products. Albertsons is a regular supermarket, but Whole Foods is the top health/nature centric supermarket in the US. Surprisingly Whole Foods started business right here in Austin, and only recently changed hands to Amazon, which have done their best to destroy the company, apparently, by cheapening their products.
