The scoop on Grethers Pastilles
Grether’s Pastilles
More than you want to know about a great product
Grether’s Pastilles are perfect for throat dryness associated with colds, flu, overtaxing of the voice, environmental influences like heating and air conditioning, smoking, medications, age-related conditions, etc. The main active ingredient, glycerine, based on vegetable oils, creates a comforting, moisturizing protective coat on the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. People who stress their vocal cords by speaking a great deal or singing (among them Bill Clinton, Celine Dion and Sting) value the comforting relief given by the unique pastilles
Grether’s Pastilles have not only this soothing effect and an excellent flavor, they also have a remarkable history: the first mention of pastilles made from blackcurrant juice harken back to the 19th century in England, where the family business Allen & Hanbury Ltd, London got the long pastille tradition off to its start. The pastilles were available in Switzerland as early as 1910 under the original name Allenbury’s. In the early 70s, concurrent with the transfer of production from London to Switzerland, the brand was taken over by Doetsch Grether Ltd. Basel and renamed Grether’s Pastilles.
The demanding, time-consuming production process requires special knowledge and experience, and unique production facilities. Some of the ingredients are still ordered from the same suppliers who provided them for the pastilles’s inventor. The most important of these, Agar Agar, which gives pastilles their smoothness, makes mass production impossible. This gelling agent, produced from saltwater algae, must be soaked for many hours and then combined with the remaining ingredients and cooked. This fluid is then be left to settle to release its air. In the meantime, special wooden cases are filled with corn flour. The Grether’s Pastilles moulds, with the typical GP emblem, are pressed into the cornstarch and then filled with the pastille mixture.
During approximately 6 weeks of the first maturing phase, the corn flour soaks up the surplus moisture of the pastilles. When the required firmness is reached, they are separated from the cornstarch, sprayed with steam and dried overnight. They are now ready for the second, several-week long maturing process: the fruity aroma of the pastilles develops in air-conditioned rooms. So that none of the aroma escapes, the surface of the individual pastilles is coated with a tiny bit of beeswax and vegetable oil, which gives them their shine. Following a strict quality control regimen under the supervision of the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, Swissmedic, the Grether’s Pastilles are then packed in their air-permeable packaging, enabling them to breath and mature further to be ready for sale.
