Ribena pure fruit syrups for the manufacture of milkshakes had been done at the Long Ashton Agriculture and Horticulture Research Station in North Somerset using a pectinase enzyme process; Ribena was essentially invented there by Vernon Charley, a scientist at the University of Bristol in 1933. The blackcurrant variety was found to contain high levels of vitamin C. The drink was launched in 1938 under the name Ribena (from the botanical name for the blackcurrant, "Ribes nigrum"). During the Second World War, other fruits rich in vitamin C, like oranges, became almost impossible to obtain in the United Kingdom, due to
Ribes malvaceum source in habitat gardens. It thrives under oaks in bright dry conditions, and in many other locations. Pollination ecologists have reported the plant important as a honey plant for attracting large numbers of native bees. Ribes malvaceum Ribes malvaceum, the chaparral currant, is a member of the Grossulariaceae (gooseberry family). It is native to California and northern Baja California, where it occurs from sea level to , in chaparral, foothill oak woodland, and closed-cone pine forest habitats. "Ribes malvaceum" typically grows tall. This perennial shrub lacks the characteristic nodal spines which are demonstrated on the stems of many other members