A stonemason by trade, an ambitious young George Saxby migrated from Kent, England to Sydney in 1857 looking for an opportunity. After boarding a coastal trader to the Manning River he soon found it in the up and coming Taree district.Combining his life-long fascination at the chemistry of aerated waters with his entrepreneurial spirit, a 27-year-old George Saxby established his first drinks factory at Chatham, just near Taree.Named “George Saxby, Manning River”, the factory was created to brew his now famous Stone Ginger Beer in large wooden casks, before being packaged in ceramic bottles, which where filled and corked by hand.Once a batch was completed, small floats would take cases of these bottles to Taree wharf, where they were dispatched to shops in the local area, usually by wheelbarrow.From these modest beginnings, Saxbys Soft Drinks is now in its fifth generation and George Saxby’s delicious range of soft drinks, from a wide range of flavours to his original Stone Ginger Beer recipe, are now enjoyed Australia wide.The story of Saxbys is as unique and refreshing as the taste of our renowned stone ginger beer.