Carlsberg buys huge UK soft drink firm for £3.3BILLION as Brits shun booze
CARLSBERG yesterday bought the maker of Robinsons squash as it bids to appeal to booze-free Gen Zers.
The brewer’s £3.3billion deal for Britvic, the UK’s biggest maker of soft drinks, means it will sell tipples such as J2O alongside its beers.
Britvic also makes and sells Pepsi, 7UP and Tango under licence from PepsiCo, which has approved the deal.
Carlsberg boss Jacob Aarup-Andersen told The Sun that the deal had partly been driven by younger consumers shunning alcohol.
He added: “Beer will still be our core product, but we are seeing a huge structural trend towards low and no-alcoholic drinks and that is a growth opportunity for us.”
Yesterday, the Danish company also spent £206million buying out pub giant Marston’s from its cask ale joint venture.
It will now make brands including Pedigree, Hobgoblin and Young’s.
Mr Aarup-Andersen said there were no plans to shift making of the British ales or Britvic drinks overseas.
He said: “We have spent £3.3billion on a deal in a massive vote of confidence in the UK.
“We first brought beer to the UK in 1868 and have seen many different governments. It is always a good place to do business.
“We are confident Brits will keep drinking our beer, which is, after all, probably the best in the world.”