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Our History

MiWadi is a truly iconic Irish brand and continues to grow from strength to strength in the marketplace. How did we get to where we are today? Take a look at our history, starting way back in 1927.

  • 1920's
  • 1930's
  • 1940's
  • 1950's
  • 1960's
  • 1970's
  • 1980's
  • 1990's
  • 2000's
  • 2010's
  • 2020's
  • The 1920's

    MiWadi takes its name from Mineral Water Distributors.

    The company was formed in 1927 in Nassau Place in Dublin. The company produced MiWadi as well as C&C and Club.

    Mineral Water Distributors was a small company with approx. 80 employees.

    The MiWadi syrup was made up in the Syrup Room on the second floor and then manually filled downstairs.

  • The 1930's

    It wasn't until the 1930's that MiWadi was being produced on a daily basis. MiWadi was manufactured by hand.

    The bottles were washed and then passed along a line where they were filled and labelled. MiWadi was then cellophane wrapped to protect the bottle, the cellophane wrap also added the appearance of freshness

    The bottles were then placed into wooden crates where they were distributed around Dublin by Horse and Cart. The production capacity was 60 dozen per day.

    Flavours that were popular in the 30's were Orange, Lemon, Orange Barley and Orange Lemon but the biggest flavour was Grapefruit.

  • The 1940's

    The WAR had a major effect on MiWadi and the factory in Dublin. MiWadi was one of the few drinks to be kept in production as the product could be rationed.

    During this period MiWadi was also carbonated and replaced Club Orange as the fizzy Orange drink.

    The drink was sold in Chemists. Cordials were considered to be healthy drinks and were given to people when they were sick.

    It was considered an expensive treat during the 40's if you were able to drink MiWadi. A small fleet of lorries were used to distribute the product around Dublin.

  • The 1950's

    The 1950's were still a difficult period in Ireland.

    The economy was still recovering after the war years and emigration was high. You could even buy a house for £1,000. In the 1950's MiWadi moved into semi automated production.

    This meant that the filling was done by machine but the washing, labelling and capping remained to be conducted by hand. The use of this machinery increased the factory's output from 60 dozen a day up to 200 dozen a day.

    Screw caps were introduced to replace corks and MiWadi was sold in cardboard cartons.

    New flavours such as Blackcurrant were added to the range and MiWadi Glucose, an energy drink, was popular.

  • The 1960's

    In the 1960's machines were introduced to do much of the MiWadi production. Cellophane was still used to wrap the glass bottles before stacking

    MiWadi still was mainly sold in chemists but was becoming more popular in larger Grocers. In 1967 MiWadi production was moved to Ballyfermot where a new, larger factory was build to cope with demand.

    1960's MiWadi Blackcurrant Flavour Packaging Label

    The company which produced MiWadi changed its name from Mineral Water Distributors to Thwaites and then to C&C but MiWadi still kept the same name.

  • The 1970's

    The 1970's were boom years for the brand. The introduction of large supermarkets made the brand more accessible to more consumers.

    Dunnes Stores was the first supermarket to order 1,000 dozen. The brand was repackaged in this decade to attract more consumers to the brand.

    There was also a series of very successful MiWadi promotions - Space Hoppers and the MiWadi "Measure Me" chart captured the imagination of MiWadi drinkers.

  • The 1980's

    In the 1980's MiWadi remained in glass for most of the decade but changed dramatically in the late 80's with the introduction of plastic bottles and plastic labels.

    Orange and Blackcurrant were the most popular flavours.

    The Brand became popular in bars where MiWadi became popular as "a dash" in drinks.

  • The 1990's

    The 90's were an exciting time for MiWadi. The Brand was repackaged and heavily promoted.

    A new television campaign was launched: "My Goodness, MiWadi ." which was extremely successful.

    New flavours such as Orange and Pineapple were launched as well as a new 2.0 Litre range.

    A school's Competition, called the Cultural Awards, was launched with MiWadi support.

    The product was launched into Northern Ireland where it has become the second biggest branded cordial.

  • The 2000's

    MiWadi continues to go from strength to strength and is Irelands no.1 flavour enhancer brand*.

    With a wide range of flavours available and a full No Added Sugar range added to the portfolio MiWadi is a firm favourite with all the family. This is best shown in the popular 'It's not your Wadi, it's Mi Wadi" advertising.

    As the country heads into a more challenging economic environment MiWadi continues to offer fantastic value with a range of drinks still all produced in our Dublin factory.

  • The 2010's

    MiWadi is a truly iconic Irish brand and continues to grow from strength to strength in the marketplace. From humble beginnings in 1927, MiWadi is still produced in Dublin to this day and around 16.5 million litres of MiWadi are consumed every year.

    In 2010, MiWadi offered even more choice to consumers with the launch of MiWadi Double Concentrate. MiWadi Double Concentrate contains no added sugar and comes in a handy 1 litre bottle making twice as much compared to single concentrate with 40 servings of delicious MiWadi in every bottle. 2010 also saw a brand relaunch with new contemporary and fresh packaging. The design focuses on what consumers say is important about the brand - delicious fruity images illustrating how MiWadi is made with real fruit juice from concentrate, provides tasty refreshment and a simple great way to help make drinking water fun for themselves and their kids. The Love Irish Food logo also now proudly features on the packaging. MiWadi is a key brand in the Love Irish Food association and buying Irish is important to MiWadi consumers.

    MiWadi is a proud sponsor of Temple Street since 2013 through the ‘Trick or Treat for Temple Street’ campaign which runs every Halloween. Halloween is a fun filled family occasion, which fuels children’s imaginations. Trick or Treat for Temple Street reflects MiWadi’s vision of seeing the world through the eyes of a child and creates an emotive bond with families nationwide to encourage all to get involved, celebrate Halloween with all the family, host a party and raise vital funds for Temple Street Children’s Hospital. To date we have raised €1.9m for Temple Street with the help of MiWadi consumers. The funds raised have gone towards a number of projects including a new classroom, a new parent’s room and more recently contributed to the newly-constructed Neurology & Renal Outpatients Unit. We even have a room named after us in the new unit!

    Ciara Mealy, Campaigns Manager, Temple Street Foundation: “We are so delighted to be working with MiWadi since 2013. Together we have achieved so much and we look forward to achieving much more. Without the support of the MiWadi families, we would not be able to have achieved so much. Thank you all so much”.

    We all know that water is amazing, but sometimes we struggle to drink enough of it. In 2014, MiWadi launched the ‘Drink More Water’ campaign which highlighted to consumers how a splash of MiWadi can help families to stay refreshed and reach their recommended daily fluid intake. The link between MiWadi and water remains a key communications platform for MiWadi to this day.

    2015 saw MiWadi launch a brand new product range to the MiWadi portfolio – MiWadi 0% Sugar. A first in Europe, the range is completely sugar free with stevia extracts and is free from artificial colours and flavourings. MiWadi 0% Sugar took home a New Product Award from All Ireland Marketing Awards in 2017 for its huge success in the market. The MiWadi 0% sugar range is a proud partner of Diabetes Ireland working together to raise awareness of the importance of hydration and encourage more water consumption, which is particularly relevant for those with diabetes.

    Kieran O’Leary, CEO Diabetes Ireland: “Diabetes affects people from all walks of life and is now considered the fastest growing epidemic by both the World Health Organisation and the United Nations. In Ireland, it is estimated that 225,000 people have diabetes and this will increase to 282,000 people by 2030. Diabetes Ireland is the national charity dedicated to providing care, education, support and motivation to everyone affected by diabetes. Our partnership with MiWadi 0% Sugar is a first of its kind for us and we welcome their innovation and leadership to launch a 0% sugar range. We look forward to working with them this year to improve awareness on the importance of healthy hydration in the diabetes community, and indeed in the wider population. MiWadi 0% Sugar offers a delicious alternative to water for people with diabetes and we are delighted to have them involved as a partner.”

    2016 saw the introduction of a new member to the family, MiWadi Mini, a super concentrated drops format. MiWadi Minis helps make water fun anywhere and encourages families to stay refreshed in the home and when out and about. Contained in a nifty handbag sized squeezable pack, the MiWadi Mini range contains real fruit juice from concentrate, 0% sugar and just 3 calories per serve.

    In 2017, MiWadi was delighted to announce that Ireland’s favourite dilute now has Added Vitamins and Zinc. MiWadi with Added Vitamins contains vitamins Niacin, B6 & Zinc, which help to contribute to the normal function of the immune system and the normal maintenance of bones. This exciting new development from MiWadi has the same great taste while offering parent’s a great way to quench their families thirst and still contains no added sugar, natural colours and flavourings and real fruit juice from concentrate. This exciting addition of vitamins sees Ireland’s favourite dilute brand launch the only flavour enhancer in the Irish Market with added vitamins (as per March 2018).

    MiWadi continues to grow year on year maintaining is no.1 position in the marketplace*. This year, MiWadi reached a record market share of 62% - proving to be a brand truly loved by the nation. MiWadi will continue to focus on continuous growth and lead in the flavour enhancer category by evolving its portfolio and bringing innovative solutions to the market that are led by consumer trends.

    *Source: Nielsen Value Share MAT TY. Data to 25th Feb 2018.

  • The 2020's

    In 2021, MiWadi underwent a full brand livery refresh across the entire portfolio. We know consumers are looking for healthier options along with added benefits when choosing drinks for their families and the new design was aimed at attracting new shoppers into the brand by increasing the health and goodness credentials of the brand.

    As part of the redesign the MiWadi 0% Sugar range was reformulated to include Vitamin D. Every bottle of MiWadi 0% Sugar is now fortified with Vitamins B, D and Zinc

FAQ

To enjoy all the thirst-quenching tastiness of MiWadi at its best, we recommend that you dilute 1 part (50ml) concentrate to 4 parts (200ml) water.

Yes, you can get it through the following distributor:

 

UK

Website: www.okaneirishfoods.co.uk

Email: eddie@okaneirishfoods.co.uk

Address: Unit 2, Phoenix Trading Estate, Bilton Rd, Perivale, Middx UB6 7DZ

Telephone: +44 20 3397 2077 / +44 20 3397 0772 / +44 20 8385 1771

USA

Website: http://www.foodireland.com/

Email: service@foodireland.com

Address: Food Ireland, 230 East Third Street, Mount Vernon, NY 10553.

Telephone: +1 877 474 7436 / +353 44 9311017

Australia

Website: http://www.tasteireland.com.au/

Email: info@tasteireland.com.au

Address: Unit 4/107, Stephen Road, Botany, NSW 2019

Telephone: +61 1300447474

You can buy MiWadi through Britvic:
Britvic Ireland,
Kylemore Park West
Dublin 10
Tel: 00 353 1 6161200

You can find more information on the company on the Britvic Group web site. www.britvic.com

Unfortunately Britvic cannot provide detailed information on marketing strategies or specific market information, however the marketing team are in a position to deal with some specific questions relating to this topic at the following e-mail address: miwadi@britvic.ie

If you have any other questions, please email us at miwadi@britvic.ie, or fill in the ‘Contact Us’ form.

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