ALCHEMY BREWS SUCCESS

Making people “go yum” is a priority for Michael and Gale Bishop, from Alchemy Cordial.

It is really about pleasure delivery,” Mr Bishop said. “Because our theory is we make people go yum. We don’t just put things in boxes. We believe in things that deliver an emotional state.”

Mr Bishop said Alchemy started “as a tiny thing” making cordials and selling them from a market stall. Its first cordial, called Heat, was a mixture of lemon and chilli. In its initial offering, Alchemy also manufactured Love, which is made from rose petals. Mr Bishop designed it for his wife, Gale.

Alchemy started manufacturing cordials in February 1997 and, by September of that year, the company was supplying several delis, health food shops and had products in Myer and David Jones.

Mr Bishop said Alchemy created the gourmet cordial market and had since developed its supply networks to include Coles and Woolworths.

It had also increased the number of products it manufactured. Alchemy launched a range of coffee syrups and “we supply The Coffee Club, Hudson’s Coffee, Michel’s Patisserie and cafes”.

Alchemy also supplies a network of delis.

As part of its growth, Alchemy has developed a range of “innovative” cocktail mixes and ice tea syrups.

It will launch the cocktail mixes, called Blender Benders, and the ice tea syrups at Fine Food Sydney.

Mr Bishop said Alchemy was “making the first batch” of Blender Benders, which would be sold through David Jones and Myer.

He said market testing was being conducted on the ice tea syrups, which would be available in lemon, peach and raspberry.

Blender Bender varieties were margarita, pina colada, strawberry daiquiri and cosmopolitan.

The Blender Benders “will be taken nationally because they will be very popular in gift shops and cocktail bars”.

Although Alchemy was developing new products, it remained focused on its classic ranges, Mr Bishop said. “The classic cordials are available in Woolworths Queensland and New South Wales. The syrups are in delis and gift shops. They are all natural and have no artificial flavours.”

Alchemy exports to the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. The company is about to start exporting to Japan.

Alchemy manufactures seven classic cordials, nine coffee syrup flavours and three ice tea syrups. It also produces a chai spice tea syrup “that has proven to be very popular. It is in supermarkets nationally and in cafes”.
Mr Bishop said Alchemy increased awareness of its brand through product tasting and in-store demonstrations.