Ribena

Ribena is a blackcurrant syrup manufactured by Carters, a Bristol-based food and drink company. The drink was first commercialized in the 1930s. The name Ribena comes from the Latin Ribes nigrum which means blackcurrant. During World War II, the government produced large quantities of cordial, a non-alcoholic sweet drink made from these berries. The drink was then given to the population for free and blackcurrant syrup has remained popular ever since.

British citizens have been drinking Ribena for 70 years, which makes this beverage a landmark in British gastronomy. More than 750 million bottles are sold through the UK every year, giving to this brand the fourth place on the drink market. The United Kingdom also exports this famous drink to more than 20 countries around the world.

The ingredients contained in Ribena gave rise to several debates. Researches have shown that there is only 5% fruit in the final product. The rest consists of artificial colouring and suger. In addition, Ribena is supposedly rich in vitamin C. However a schoolgirl from New Zealand has discovered that the level of vitamin C was lower than announced. This story was broadcasted on television and aroused controversy. Even newspapers such as The Guardian reported this alarming discovery.

Ribena is available in a large variety of flavours : Cranberry, Blackcurrant, Strawberry, Apple, Orange and Blueberry. It can also be used for cocktails such as King of Denmark or Pernod. What is funny is that a vampire TV show used Ribena as false blood. Consequently, if you have nothing to do during the exam period, you can always drink Ribena and try to imitate vampires.

In conclusion, it can be maintained that Ribena, even after having suffered from various attacks, is still very famous in Britain and has kept its popularity all over the world.