Respectable Refreshments
J. SCHWEPPE AND CO. AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE
Ensuring the comfort of the visiting public was a major concern of the commissioners and the provision of refreshments, waiting room and washroom facilities was an integral part of the design of the halls.
The refreshment tender, which stipulated that no alcoholic beverages would be served, was won by J. Schweppe and Co. of Malvern.
Over the 141 days of the exhibition Schweppe sold 1,092,337 bottles of their soda water, lemonade and ginger beer, an effective advertisement for their company and for Malvern’s reputation for pure water.
By the time the exhibition closed on 11 October, over 6 million visitors had passed through its fabulous halls. Many had travelled a long way to attend and the number of exhibits meant that visitors spent most of the day there. The commissioners decided that ‘light and moderate’ refreshments would be available but were determined not to ‘allow the Building to assume the character of an Hotel, Tavern or Dining- Rooms’.
KEYNOTE: Great Exhibition, J Schweppe & Co, Schweppes, Malvern
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