THE DUKE of Gloucester helped mark the 100th anniversary of a Basildon company.

To mark the occasion, His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester KG, GCVO, visited fruit juice and herb/spice blender Gerald McDonald and Company Limited in Basildon for a special ceremony.

Also present were Her Majesty’s Vice Lord-Lieutenant Jonathan Douglas-Hughes OBE DL, and his wife Lindsay, Basildon Mayor David Harrison, Basildon Council Chief Executive Bala Mahendran and over 70 current and former Gerald McDonald staff members.

The Duke was given a tour of the production, warehouse and laboratory facilities. Afterwards, he unveiled a plaque and signed the visitors’ book in a ceremony marking the centenary. In his speech, he congratulated the company on its longevity and it’s forward-thinking as it confronts new challenges such as the sugar tax and Brexit.

In 2016, the company opened a ‘Gerald McDonald Asia’ office in Japan to further boost exports to Asia and to help source more exotic products for the UK market.

The Duke was introduced to new products including Seaweed Puree, Yuzu Juice (a citrus from Japan) and Sansho Pepper (a spice which leaves the consumer with a pleasant tingling sensation on the tongue).

Now in its fourth generation, Gerald McDonald started life in 1917 in the City of London as a spice merchant.

It moved into juices after World War II, to help a government initiative to provide children with vital nutrients during rationing. In 2000, the company moved to Basildon due to its proximity to the nearby container ports and M25.

There it has installed juice and spice blending facilities and a warehouse with chilled and frozen storage to fulfil increased customer demands.