|
The Culture of Taste since 1949
The late Takis Christodoulou, a pioneering young chemist with a specialised knowledge in fruit processing, founded KEA, the Cyprus Essence Company in 1949, with the purpose to obtain the juices, the essential oils and other natural ingredients from the juice extraction process of fresh citrus fruit. They would then be used in drinks, perfumes and cosmetics. Basic materials were the indigenous aromatic herbs of the Cypriot countryside and the plush sun ripe varieties of Cypriot citrus fruits.
To avoid confusion with another company with a similar name, the company soon changed its name and in 1951 became KEAN SOFT DRINKS LTD.
 He perfected the juice extraction process based on his constant study on understanding how the fruit should be handled during growth, the crop and the juice extraction stages, avoiding over or under ripping, bruising, heating and also setting the rules for preserving naturally and storing when concentrated. It was thus he created the standards and the ‘secret’ of KEAN soft drinks. The great fruity taste of the final product, presupposes the authentic taste and quality of the juice with all its natural characteristics of texture, aroma, colour, vitamins and minerals.
The specialised knowledge in the processing of citrus fruit soon gave the impetus for a larger scale operation for manufacturing a variety of orange, lemon and mandarin juice based drinks, with a high juice content. The natural quality of the original fruit, the particularities of each taste and the processing of such sensitive fruit gave the best guaranty for the taste of the final product.
The first drinks to be produced were the Squashes (orange, lemon, almond, and sour cherry).with a high sugar content which acted as a self-preserve ingredient .
After changing location twice within Limassol, the construction of the KEAN factory, commenced in 1954 and was completed in 1956 to become the landmark that overlooks the Limassol sea-front till today. The factory spreads over a 40 acre and is located east of Limassol on the sea front, 10 kms away from the main port and 20kms away from the fruit growing area. The two impressive gigantic mosaic bottles that stand guard at the gates are still there proudly announcing the presence of the factory with its Art Deco front, an architecture of a definite era.
KEAN was turning into a large and modern manufacturing unit and soon needed new products in its portfolio. The Pepsi Cola bottling franchise was offered and the company “Louca and Christodoulou” was founded in 1959 to undertake the bottling of Pepsi-Cola in Cyprus at the KEAN factory facility. The partnership launched and distributed products of both brands until 1972.
KEAN SOFT Drinks Ltd continues its tradition with its own brands and also acquires the licenses and bottling franchises from Canada Dry, Nichols International (Vimto) UK and Royal Crown Cola USA.
During the difficult period after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, when most of the fruit plantations were lost to the Turkish side together with the 30% of the Cyprus territory, his survival instinct indicated prospects for exports and especially in the countries of the Near and the Far East of products not based on these raw materials. The company which also lost a substantial part of its fleet, refrigerators and accounts, managed to survive and revive.
1981 was a cornerstone for KEAN. The Strategic decision to switch to innovative products and packages, shifted investment into modern machinery of packing juice in Tetra Pak cartons. This was a decisive step as KEAN became the first company in Cyprus and among the very few first for such an investment in the surrounding area of the Mediterranean. The combination of the experience of processing the best natural raw materials and of the best final product quality with the support of the latest packaging technology, established the KEAN brand as a leader in Juices and fruit drinks.
Sustaining this momentum and that of the innovator, KEAN continuously invests in and renews the juice production infrastructure to allow for new product development, new flavours and new shapes to maintain its competitive advantage in the local and international markets.
‘The Best we can be’ was the motto of the founder which keeps the focus on quality so that the KEAN juices and drinks are always at the top of the quality scale giving the company direction and strength to compete and grow with the times.
2001 was another cornerstone for KEAN, this time becoming the 4rth in the World to invest in the newest TetraPak development, the Tetra Prisma 1 litre. This dynamic move allowed a new design to project the new face of KEAN which was once more established as a brand leader and a market leader in Cyprus and a fast moving brand in existing and new export markets.
Tradition, know how and brand support and forward thinking together with constant technological upgrading, product improvement and quality control safeguarded the KEAN competitive advantage over the years and allowed for further expansion and brand building acknowledged through increasing sales in existing and new markets.
A true story.
 “Takis Christodoulou the founder of the KEAN soft drinks company, who died this month in Limassol, was an extraordinary Cypriot, who always played down his achievements.
‘The resume of his life printed in the Greek Cypriot newspapers omitted what in my view was a significant contribution by Takis Christodoulou towards the efforts of the Allies to combat Hitler and the Nazis and the Fascists in World War ll.
‘Field Marshal Montgomery was fighting heroically in the Sahara to stop Rommel advancing towards Alexandria.
‘Herr Rommel had the advantage of the Volkswagens, which could run in the desert without the need for water to cool their engines. Montgomery relied on a cavalcade of Cypriot donkeys, which were part of the Cyprus Regiment and this island’s contribution to the war.
‘Monty, as he was known could function better if he refreshed the brilliance of his strategy with a G&T or two but how on earth could anybody bring gin and tonic to ElAlamein and into the Sahara from London? The English Channel was full of U boats and so was the Mediterranean, from Gibraltar to Crete.
‘No way. The inventiveness of Takis Christodoulou, a fully qualified chemist, was put into operation. The tonic was easy. He diluted quinine with sparkling Platres water, a pinch from the rationed sugar and gas for the bubbles. The gin was more tricky. Takis re-distilled zivania into pure eau de vie of 43% , a good basis he believed for a dry gin, but then the most important ingredient was not known in Cyprus. He discovered it. He took long walks, carrying basketsin the then virgin peninsula of Akamas and collected from a tree called Aoratos many baskets of berries. Aoratos is the original tree which produces fragrant juniper berries in two colours.
‘Monty’s gin was made in Limassol, loaded onto a caique for Alexandria and then onto donkeys which soon reached the headquarters of the Field Marshall in Sahara. It was like fire water.
‘Field Marshall Rommel was defeated. That was the beginning of the end for the war. Hitler never saw Alexandria. The victory was ours.
‘And this is my tribute to a good friend, a true Cypriot, the late Takis Christodoulou’’.
Article by George Lanitis in the “Cyprus Weekly” 24.4.98
Takis Christodoulou must be a very proud memory. By now 3 generations of Cypriots were brought up with the daily habit of drinking and enjoying what was at some point a young chemist’s dream.
|
