Monday 3 November 2008

OKHAI THE NOO!

The ad at the top dates from the mid 80's and is for the Okhai Group.
They manufactured a variety of items such as product packaging, sweets, fizzy drinks, stationery, etc.
You can read the full list of what they produced in more detail on the ad.
Their main depot was based at 34 Mains Loan.
They also came up with an amusing slogan with a touch of double wordplay - "Okhai The Noo".
When Keiller's closed down in the early 80's, the Okhai Group ended up using their empty Dundee factory to produce their own range of soft drinks, including Meri-Mate. The picture of the factory interior above is dated 1984.
After about a decade in business, Okhai closed down in the early 90's.
Photo by The Scotsman.Tints by GG.

7 comments:

  1. My name is Mr Okhai
    I think Dundee is great
    I came here making lolly sticks
    And now make Merri Mate

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    Replies
    1. Yes i remember that i worked there

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  2. ...merimates went into a product diversification as i recall and produced a drink in a packet not dissimilar to a wrapped white pudding supper, with a collection of semi perferated holes on either end which you could 'pop' with the mini straw provided or as we did, scrape one end of it along the wall and spray your mates with raspberry rain! eat your heart out Prince

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  3. I worked with John McConnachie Builders in the Late 70's early 80's before they went burst in 84. We done work for the Okhais at the old Filtrona factory where the Meri-Mate bottling plant was.

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  4. at school we used to pierce holes in the cap of meri-mate bottles and drink it that way lol

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  5. i dont live in dundee anymore but can remember the merimate drinks in a tube. my new friends down south never believed such a thing exsisted . ive now found pictures of them :-)

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  6. I remember Bashir Okhai starting Morgan on the same day I did in 1968. He was a good cricketer I remember

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