Cordials and Cattle Drench

Alfred Sykes had a keen eye for business. After opening one of New Plymouth’s first chemist shops in Devon Street in 1893, he soon began expanding into other lucrative markets. At first he produced cattle drench and other household goods, but soon he expanded his business into King Street, and into a line of business which would became one of his longest lasting – cordials. Along with the more recognisable flavours of lemon and lime, raspberry and lemon squash, Sykes’s also produced this Green Ginger flavour, a rather more unusual combination. The competition from larger commercial drinks makers such as Tip Top and Murdocks meant that the business was no longer viable as a stand alone company, and it was sold in 1976.