Britvic

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Britvic was a British producer of soft drinks based in Hemel Hempstead, England. It produced soft drinks under its own name, as well as several other brands. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Carlsberg Group and integrated into Carlsberg's UK operations as part of Carlsberg Britvic in January 2025.

HistoryEdit

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Canned fruit juices by Britvic (2011)

The company was founded in the 1930s in Chelmsford as the British Vitamin Products Company.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Britvic to close Chelmsford factory and put hundreds out of work BBC News, 22 May 2013</ref> It started producing fruit juices in 1938 and started marketing them under the Britvic name in 1949.<ref>500 staff – and Britvic chief – face axe in merger with AG Barr The Independent (London), 15 November 2012</ref> Acquired by Showerings of Shepton Mallet, and subsequently a division of Allied Breweries from 1968, the company changed its name to Britvic in 1971. In 1986, it merged with Canada Dry Rawlings and acquired the R. White's Lemonade brand. It acquired Tango and the Corona brand from Beechams in 1987 and since that year it has also owned the UK franchise for Pepsi and 7 Up.<ref>A simple approach to coaching makes a difference at Britvic Coaching & Mentoring Network</ref> In 1995, it bought Robinson's from Reckitt & Colman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In December 2005, the company underwent an initial public offering (IPO), allowing its main shareholders (InterContinental Hotels Group, Whitbread, Pernod Ricard) to realise their investments.<ref>Britvic IPO to value drinks group at up to £537m Financial Times (London), 25 November 2005</ref> In May 2007, the Company bought the soft drinks and distribution businesses of Ireland's Cantrell & Cochrane (C&C) for £169.5m.<ref>Britvic Agrees to Buy C&C's Soft-Drinks Division CNBC, 14 May 2007</ref>

On 14 November 2012, the company announced plans to merge with Scottish soft drink producer A.G. Barr, the maker of brands including Irn-Bru, Tizer and D'n'B, which would have created one of Europe's largest soft drinks companies.<ref>AG Barr and Britvic agree to merger BBC News, 14 November 2012</ref> The merger was put into serious doubt<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> after the Office of Fair Trading referred it to the Competition Commission.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 11 July 2013, A.G. Barr chairman, Ronnie Hanna, announced that the proposed merger had been abandoned.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 2017, PepsiCo announced that it had decided to sell its long-held 4.5 per cent stake in Britvic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 8 July 2024, it was announced that the Danish Carlsberg Group would buy Britvic. Upon completion, Britvic will rebrand under the Carlsberg umbrella, with the brewery company becoming the biggest PepsiCo drink licenser in the world. The transaction was approved by the court on 15 January 2025, so allowing it to complete.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Britvic was incorporated into Carlsberg's existing UK business Carlsberg Marston's, and the whole business was renamed Carlsberg Britvic on 17 January 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

OperationsEdit

File:Britvicbuilding.jpg

Britvic House, the old Britvic headquarters in Chelmsford

Most of the company's operations are concentrated in the United Kingdom and Ireland and the company exports to over 50 countries. Its corporate headquarters moved from Chelmsford, Essex to Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in March 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

United KingdomEdit

The drink brands the company owns in the UK include Britvic mixers, R. White's Lemonade, Tango, Robinson's and J₂O – as well as being the licensed bottler for PepsiCo products within the UK. In 2008, Britvic launched Gatorade in the UK, after securing the rights to do so from PepsiCo. In May 2010, Britvic launched a UK specific version of the popular drink, Mountain Dew Energy. It tastes similar to its American counterpart, but has a lower caffeine and sugar content.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

IrelandEdit

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Britvic facility in Gortrush Industrial Estate in Northern Ireland (2008)

After their failed IPO C&C's sold their soft drink brands to Britvic, resulting in the company now owning a number of brands in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, including, Ballygowan Water, Britvic, Cidona, MiWadi, and Energise Sport as well as the rights to the Pepsi and 7 Up brands in the territory through its bottling agreements with PepsiCo.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

FranceEdit

Britvic bought Fruité Entreprises in May 2010 for £298 million. It has since renamed the business Britvic France. It is mainly a fruit juice business, unlike the GB&I businesses that focus on soft drinks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

BrazilEdit

In 2015, Britvic acquired ebba (Empresa Brasileira de Bebidas e Alimentos SA), located in São Paulo,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and in 2017 Bela Ischia, located in Rio de Janeiro.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>