Danish brewing giant Carlsberg has finalised its £3.3 billion acquisition of soft drinks specialist Britvic.
The merger between the beverage giants was finalised in July following weeks of negotiations, during which Britvic turned down Carlsberg's initial two offers.
With approval from the CMA and a court-sanctioned scheme, the acquisition has led to the formation of Carlsberg Britvic. This merger establishes the company as the UK’s largest multi-beverage supplier, making the UK Carlsberg Group's top market by global revenue.
Carlsberg Britvic's nationwide presence combines the brewing facilities and in-house secondary logistics network of Carlsberg Marston Brewing Company—which includes 15 depots serving customers across the UK—with Britvic's advanced packaging and production capabilities.
Spanning soft drinks, beer, and cider, Carlsberg Britvic will house iconic brands like Pepsi Max, 7up, Tango, Robinsons, J2O, and Fruit Shoot, alongside emerging names such as the plant-based Plenish range and Jimmy’s Iced Coffee.
These brands will be joined by Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, 1664, Birrificio Angelo Poretti, Brooklyn Brewery beers, and popular British ales like Hobgoblin, Pedigree, and Wainwright.
The deal has further solidified Carlsberg's partnership with PepsiCo, making it the company's largest bottling partner in Europe.
Paul Davies, the former CEO of Carlsberg Marston Brewing Company, has been appointed as the chief executive of the newly formed Carlsberg Britvic.
Davies said: “Carlsberg Britvic combines the fantastic qualities of both businesses and our shared ambition to grow the UK beverage category through our unique proposition across soft drinks, beer and cider. We are all eager to build a successful future together as we create new opportunities, integrate our operations and continue to deliver excellent choice, product quality and service to our customers.”
The Carlsberg Britvic executive team also includes Tom Smethers as chief financial officer, Munnawar Chishty as chief marketing officer, Ben Parker as VP of sales – off trade, Chris Pratt as VP of sales – on trade, and Bruce Dallas as VP of Commercial Growth.
Pedro Magalhães will continue in his role as managing director of Britvic Brazil, while Kevin Donnelly will remain the managing director of Britvic Ireland.
Carlsberg Group chief executive Jacob Aarup-Andersen said: “The Britvic acquisition is a pivotal milestone in the history of Carlsberg as we deepen our commitment to the UK market and write an ambitious next chapter in our growth story.
“Soft drinks is an attractive category that also brings significant synergies in combination with beer. Britvic is a large-scale, well-established business with a strong portfolio of much-loved own and partnership brands that has consistently delivered strong results.”
