Britvic acquires UK plant-based drinks brand Plenish

Britvic has expanded into plant-based nutrition with the acquisition of Plenish, a UK plant-based drinks business, for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2012, Plenish offers a range of plant-based milks – including almond, coconut, oat and cashew – cold-pressed juices and functional shots, as well as a series of cleanse programmes.

The brand’s products – which are certified organic, low in calories and free from added sugar and preservatives – are sold through the brand’s D2C website and in major grocery retailers nationwide.

The deal is aligned with Britvic’s mission to access new spaces in the soft drinks sector and strengthens its offerings in the ‘high-growth’ plant-based milks and organic juices categories. Britvic also says the acquisition will strengthen its Healthier People, Healthier Planet sustainability agenda – as Plenish is an accredited B-Corporation and a certified carbon negative business.

Following the transaction, Plenish joins Britvic’s portfolio of brands such as Fruit Shoot, Robinsons, MiWadi and J20; in addition to the PepsiCo soft drinks brands which its produces and sells under an exclusive PepsiCo bottling agreement.

“In only a short time, Plenish has built a hugely impressive brand offering a fantastic range of products that cater to the growing demand for healthy and nutritious juices and plant-based milks,” said Simon Litherland, CEO of Britvic.

He added: “At Britvic, we have a long history of building successful brands and we see tremendous potential in Plenish that we look forward to realising in the years ahead.”

Kara Rosen, founder of Plenish, said: “I started Plenish nine years ago in my kitchen to help make it easy and delicious for people to improve their health and make a positive impact for the planet. Our plant-based drinks are still made like I originally made them at home – with best in class ingredients sourced from sustainable, organic farms and no additives.

“I’m so excited for Plenish to join forces with Britvic, who I’ve long admired as a brilliant builder of brands and shares similar values, particularly around healthier people and planet. Together we can reach more people in more places with products and programmes that help you feel good, made in a way that you can feel good about.”