Soft Drinks

Scotland would be an 'ideal' place to implement a tax on sugar first

Sugar tax pushed by Scotland doctors

By Nicholas Robinson

A call for a tax on sugary food and drinks from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh today will hike the pressure on industry to help tackle the UK’s obesity epidemic by making products healthier.

The sugar debate is set to continue as the May General Election looms

Time to play fiscal hard ball on sugar tax?

By Paul Gander

As the life of the UK Parliament declines into the political equivalent of palliative care, many are speculating as to the possible blend of voluntary and mandatory measures on public health and nutrition that might follow the May election.

Purity Soft Drinks installs beverage disinfection kit

Purity Soft Drinks installs beverage disinfection kit

Purity Soft Drinks has installed a beverage disinfection system at its site at Wednesbury in the West Midlands. The system manufactures and doses a disinfectant agent and undertakes several tasks including treating process water, carrying out continuous...

Around 60% of soft drinks sold have no added sugar, claims the BSDA

Soft drinks firms engage as election nears

By Rick Pendrous

Soft drinks makers are preparing to fight off mounting attacks they expect from health groups and other critics in the run-up to next year’s general election, the president of the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) has signalled.

Cawingredients advises big brands on processing and product development

Exclusive interview

Drinks processor to create 100 jobs

By Rod Addy

Soft drinks maker Cawingredients is investing £42M in its site at Leeming Bar Industrial Estate in North Yorkshire, creating more than 100 jobs and boosting production and warehouse capacity.

Princes started work at its Bradford site in 2012

Princes completes £40M Bradford redevelopment

By Nicholas Robinson

Princes food and drink group has completed a £40M redevelopment project at its Bradford-based soft drinks factory to increase capacity and improve its production capabilities, after work began in Autumn 2012.

SACN recommendations on sugar have sparked a torrent of responses

SACN REPORT: REACTION

Carbohydrate report: reaction in quotes

By Rod Addy

Public Health England will investigate taxing sugary drinks according to the paper it issued alongside the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN’s) draft report published today (June 26).

Coca-Cola life contains just 89 Kcal

CCE to boost sparkling soft drinks category

By Nicholas Robinson

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) will launch its first Stevia-sweetened Coca-Cola drink in a bid to grow the sparkling soft drinks market, attract new customers and tackle obesity, the company has revealed.  

CCE's Morpeth factory, which is poised to get new blending and mixing equipment

Coca-Cola GB pumps £3.5M into Morpeth factory

By Rod Addy

Coca-Cola Great Britain (CCGB) has announced plans to invest £3.5M in Coca-Cola Enterprises’ (CCE’s) bottled water factory in Morpeth, Northumberland, to tap into a growing category.

Millard: 'sales uplift'

Nichols hails sugar reduction in soft drinks

By Rod Addy

Nichols highlighted sugar reduction measures for its soft drinks as it posted strong annual sales, driven by balmy summer weather, innovation in brands such as Levi Roots and overseas success.

Irn Bru manufacturer AG Barr's results impressed City analyst N+1 Singer Equity Research

AG Barr results impress City analyst

By Michael Stones

Soft drinks manufacturer AG Barr’s third-quarter results have impressed City analysts N+1 Singer Equity Research and Investec.

Digby Jones slammed the 'mindless culture' of red tape that threatened to blunt our ability to compete with China and India

UK business stifled by obsession with ‘mindless’ red tape

By Gary Scattergood

Businesses and government need to break down a regulatory culture where people “mindlessly follow” processes that don’t improve customer services or create wealth if the UK is to compete with India and China in the years to come, warns former trade minister...

CCE believes shoppers could consume more soft drinks to help them relax or perk them up at work

Coca-Cola’s £2bn plus soft drinks target

By Rod Addy

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) can push total UK soft drinks sales past the £13bn mark by 2018 if it focuses on growth in six core consumer occasions or ‘moments’, it claims.

AG Barr 'outperformed a sluggish market', said Panmure Gordon

AG Barr still committed to Britvic merger

By Mike Stones

Irn-Bru manufacturer AG Barr is still committed to a merger with Britvic, according to its latest financial statement covering the 15 weeks from January 27 to May 12.

The soft drinks industry rose by 3.3% last year, according to the 'Refreshing the nation' report

Soft drinks industry value rises 3.3% to £15bn

By Laurence Gibbons

The value of the soft drinks industry rose by 3.3% to nearly £15bn last year, according to a new report published by the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) today (May 8).

Britvic makes Tango, Robinsons, J2O and Fruit Shoot

Britvic’s merger with AG Barr delayed

By Lorraine Mullaney

Britvic’s merger with AG Barr has been delayed by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which extended its timetable for a decision today (January 14).

Britvic's Fruit Shoot recall could cost up to £5M

Britvic’s Fruit Shoot recall could cost £5M

By Mike Stones

The recall of Britvic’s children's drinks Robinsons Fruit Shoot and Fruit Shoot Hydro could cost up to £5M, according to a statement from the soft drinks giant.

Cott Beverages is preparing to expand production at Scottish drinks firm Sangs

Cott Beverages to expand Sangs drinks firm

By Freddie Dawson

Florida-based Cott Beverages plans to expand production at Scottish drinks firm Sangs, which it bought out of administration last month for an undisclosed sum.

Sales of Irn Bru dipped in the first quarter

Irn Bru maker, AG Barr posts turnover up 4%

By Freddie Dawson

AG Barr, maker of the iconic beverage Irn Bru, has overcome manufacturing problems, bad weather and tough market conditions to post turnover 4% up at £124M during the first six months of this year.

Vimto brand worth £54m in UK – and still growing fast

Vimto brand worth £54m in UK – and still growing fast

By Elaine Watson

The Vimto brand is now worth £54m at retail value in the UK soft drinks arena alone, while sales of Vimto-branded lollies, sweets and other products helped drive an additional £14.4m in sales in 2010.

Around the block

Around the block

By Elaine Watson

Dave Turvey, operations director, Kerrygold, LeekI didn't do fantastically well in my school exams, but I was pretty good at football. So when I left...