I have always had happy memories of Babycham as really it was part of my childhood. My parents often held social evenings and amongst other things, Babycham with its unique glasses was on offer. Although at that age I was more interested in my nose than anything else. The look and to some extent the elegance of the drink has remained with me. It was very much a drink of the period from the 1950s to the 1980s and I would imagine that if you went into your local and asked for a Babycham today, you might be disappointed.
By Wurzeller [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons
I am going to let you into a secret. I am not a great lover of Babycham. This is possibly due to finishing the dregs off when no-one was looking during my blue remembered hills days. But then again, I am not a great lover of champagne. And there comes a question. Is Babycham a champagne? The answer is no, as the drink is actually a Perry which is made from fermented pears.
Perry had been quite a popular drink for many years when Francis Showering (1912-1995) who had been born in Shepton Mallet in Somerset (this attractive cider town is about two hour’s drive from Hungerford) had the bright idea of creating a new low alcohol sparkling drink aimed at young women. Apart from cocktails, this was the first time this had been done. It was a marketing masterstroke and the brand was as recognisable as Coca Cola is today.
When one thinks of Babycham one thinks of a drink sold in small petite bottles and served in champagne saucers. Babycham is feminine with a large F. Imagine if you had been born in 1935. In your formative years you would have been exposed to the most disastrous war that world has ever known and now, you were living in the austere 1950s.
Something had to give and to an extent Babycham filled that gap. It was a glamorous drink where you could forget yourself and be light and flirty (almost a throwback to the Lost Generation of the 1930s).
Another brilliant marketing coup was the use of the beautiful Chamois as its memorable trademark (and yes like many others, I just thought it was a rather affectionate Bambi).
When you thought of a Babycham then immediately you thought of a number of things. A light sparkling drink which was to be found in small feminine bottles. A drink that you elegantly consumed from a champagne saucer which had a Darling Bambi motif attached.
image by freeimageslive.co.uk – BobDenton
Although austere and aching from the terrible war, the 1950s was an elegant decade and the fashions of the period reflected this and these are some of my earliest memories.
It was marketed at exactly the right time and hit the spot. If it had been marketed in, let’s say the 1970s, then it is likely that the drink would have been marketed in a much more sexual way with a half-naked model draped over the champagne saucer. If it had been marketed today, well that does not bear thinking about.
I am thankful for my Babycham memories and thought of the drink when I was in a rather chic pub in Canterbury recently. I was sitting at one of the quieter tables sharing my Milk Stout with Ena and Minnie and together we were observing the drinking habits of younger generation. What saddened me was the sight of young, pretty and vivacious girls sitting at the nearby tables drinking pints as if trying to compete with their male friends. In the short time we were there, I did not see one girl who was drinking what I could call a feminine drink and there were certainly no champagne saucers or Bambi’s to be seen. I felt like getting up and saying to them that they are girls for heaven’s sake so try acting like girls and not reflecting men. However, I was dragged out by Ena and Minnie before I had time to articulate this and plonked into the nearby snug at the Rovers. All right no more silliness let’s get back to Babycham shall we?
You might be thinking that the silly old fool has not let go of the past and in his middle age is being swamped with nostalgia. I may be a silly old fool, but I am not drowning in nostalgia. If Geraldine’s want to be Gerald then that is fine with me. If one cannot walk into their local pub and order a Babycham (warning do not try this in Acton) then I am cool about it.
Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) By Sarah Stierch
The good news is, that here in Hungerford, you can buy Babycham memorabilia from the Arcade and other antique related outlets. The whole idea for this article came as there was a great window display at the Arcade recently where one of the stall holders was offering a number of Babycham champagne saucers and Bambi’s for sale and all these had been mounted attractively on an elegant 1950s drinks stand. I loved it.
You most probably would not been able to purchase the drink at Rafters but that was of a small concern to me as in an instant, I had been transported back to my childhood and my parent’s elegant parties. I often see Babycham merchandise for sale and the prices vary quite radically so I am unable to lead you with any confidence. You know your own purse.
About five years ago, Caron and I paid about twelve pounds for a set of Babycham saucers as a present for our daughter in law. Whether it was a bargain or not is hard to tell as we were hunting for these saucers and as normal when you look for something, you do not find it immediately. Although I have not tried, I suppose you can purchase Babycham in Hungerford or elsewhere. Why not buy a few bottles and a couple of glasses (not forgetting the Bambi) and sit near one of our many waterways on a warm day and just get a little squiffy. Think of the fun you might have.
Whilst researching, I noted that Babycham has been involved in legal actions on at least three occasions. Initially they sued the food writer Raymond Postgate (who founded the Good Food Guide) for saying some wicked things about them. Whilst his comments were not nice, the jury found in Postgate’s favour.
In 1978, (and I think that Babycham might have expected this) the company was sued by the French Champagne producers for abuse (???) of their trade name. The good news was that they (the French) lost the action. If you want to read more then consult the HP Bulmer Ltd and Showerings v J Bollinger (1978) case papers. I am told it is riveting reading.
In 2013, Babycham became involved in a trademark dispute with the most yummy mummy of companies Cath Kidston and this made its way to the High Court. For such a gentle little goat, the chamois continues to show that it is not a creature to be messed with.
Before I close, there is a lovely piece on Wiki which I will quote in part:
The brand’s appeal waned with the rise of cheaply available alternatives and a tightening up of the regulations governing alcohol advertising on television.
1996 saw a major re-launch of the brand and the reintroduction of the chamois mascot, a giant model of which can be seen outside the Shepton Mallet factory where the drink is produced.
1997 saw the reintroduction of the Babycham Babe Beauty Contests that had been popular in the 1960s.
Who says that correctness is here to stay?
Long Live Bambi !!!
Happy Hunting