The Bashew Brothers (born in Raseiniai, Lithuanian )
At a young age the brothers immigrated to South Africa. Starting from humble beginnings, the first Bashew Bros manufacturing plant was a small 20×20 ft room in central Cape Town. In order to keep up with the demand, their small hand operated filling machine and galvanised iron bathtub to wash the bottles, had to work non-stop for 24 hours a day.
In 1902 after the war, the Bashew brothers capitalised on their good reputation and shifted their focus to supply the civilian community with their soft drinks. A larger wagon pulled by two horses as well as a new filling machine helped to keep up with the demand. In 1903 the company moved to larger premises in Aspeling Street in District 6 and soon shops were supplied with Bashew’s soft drinks across Cape Town.
In 1913 the Bashew brothers opened their own factory in Searle Street in Cape Town. As the demand for their colourful soft drinks grew the brothers purchased their first vehicle in 1918 for deliveries to the northern suburbs as the area is known today.
The successful 48 year partnership from 1899 to 1947 finally came to an end when Harry passed away in 1947 followed two years later by Marx in 1949. They were mourned by many and fondly remembered not only as businessmen but public benefactors as well.
After their death, Bashew Bros remained a family business headed by Charles Bashew, the son of Harry and Felix Heymann, the son-in-law of Marx Bashew. In 1951 the company took occupation of their new factory worth R200 000 on a three acre site in Gunner’s Circle, Epping.
Marx and Harry, it all started in the spring of 1899 when the Anglo Boer War broke out and thousands of British soldiers were based on Green Point Common in Cape Town on their way to the north. Most of these men had never been exposed to such a hot climate or the Cape’s notorious South-Easter before. The two Bashew brothers saw an opportunity to cater for the needs of the soldiers by supplying them with their refreshing, fruity soft drinks. They built up a good reputation in no time and their cart and horse bringing much needed refreshment became a regular feature at the military mess.