Soft & Hot Drinks

Demand for new style of ‘dry’ soft drink outstripping supply, Fentimans claims

03-Mar-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Premium soft drinks company Fentimans has reported its new sparkling flavour variant, lime and jasmine, has exceeded initial sales targets by 40% and sold out of the first 2,500-case bottling run less than a month after its 8 February launch.

Events

Exciting new trade show - The Bar & Pub Show - launches

02-Mar-2016 By Mike Berry

A new event dedicated to the bar and pub sector will run alongside this year's Restaurant Show at Olympia bringing together the best suppliers in the business with top operators that are transforming the UK’s on-trade.

AB InBev to expand non-alcoholic beer portfolio with Beck's Blue Lemon

01-Feb-2016 By Ben Winstanley

AB InBev UK has plans to add Beck's Blue Lemon to its on-trade portfolio of non-alcoholic beer as the brewer seeks to fulfil its Global Smart Drinking Goals that 20% of its global beer volumes are low-to-no alcohol by 2020.

Birch sap water takes on sugary drinks market

25-Jan-2016 By Ben Winstanley

A range of sparkling drinks, dubbed 'superwater', is set to tackle sugary drinks by using birch sap.

Stonegate Pubs' New Supplier of the Year is Cracker Drinks

22-Jan-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Stonegate Pubs’ New Supplier of the Year 2015 has been awarded to Cracker Drinks Co, following the launch of its premium adult fruit juice drinks into the Classic Inns and Slug and Lettuce brands.

Monster launches zero calorie energy drink

14-Jan-2016 By Jessica Mason

Monster Ultra, which will be available in 355ml embossed cans, will be “lighter tasting” and positioned as both a soft drink and a mixer that is suitable for any time of day to appeal to a broader range of people and not just fans of energy drinks.

Coca-Cola 'second serve' training offers #TryJanuary advice to licensees

11-Jan-2016 By Ben Winstanley

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has launched the second wave of its online training programme, alongside a new ‘make the most of January’ scratch card prize giveaway, to help licensees drive soft-drink sales over the slow January period. 

analysis

Alcohol-free beer no longer a pint sized issue

22-Dec-2015 By Ben Winstanley

Alcohol-free beer is growing in popularity in Britain, according to new research released by AB InBev UK, and the largest beer company in the world is making steps towards growing its portfolio in response.

Could these new venues be killing pubs?

24-Nov-2015 By Nigel Huddleston

From cafes serving beer through to niche outlets where standard pubs don't answer the need, The Publican's Morning Advertiser looks at differing business models - the threats as well as the lessons.

Podcast

Wetherspoons’ food developer: ‘a winning kids’ food menu’

26-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Wetherspoons’ food developer Sophie Jennings has revealed how the high street pub chain was one of the top pubs for healthy children’s meals on the Soil Association’s Eating Out report yesterday (21 October).

Children’s menus

Big pub chains reveal top menu tips for kids

22-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Senior head office staff from Wetherspoons, Harvester and the Soil Association (SA) have revealed their top tips for creating a nutritious and cost-effective pub food menu for children.

Hot drinks

Hotting up: winter alternatives to coffee

19-Oct-2015 By Noli Dinkovski

The temperature is dipping, collars are being turned up and customers are looking for something to warm the cockles of the hearts. The answer, says Noli Dinkovski, is a diverse coffee offer that is adaptable to the seasons.

Survey

Is your soft drinks offer full of flavour or in need of some inspiration?

19-Oct-2015 By PMA

PMA readers are in with the chance to win John Lewis vouchers, or cases of the new limited edition J2O Midnight Amber, courtesy of Britvic, simply by filling out a short online survey.

Kerridge: how to win a gastropub gong

19-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Two Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, of the Hand & Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, has revealed his top tips for winning at next year’s Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards.

Gluten-free Italian food tops new food products in pictures

19-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Gluten-free Italian food company Free From Italy tops this week’s new food product picture gallery after winning the Conscious Great New Idea Award at The Restaurant Show earlier this month.

Top 50 Gastropubs 2016

How to win a Top 50 Gastropubs Award

13-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs 2016 is fast approaching and so is the opportunity to win one of three awards up for grabs at the event in January. Here are our top tips on how to gain one.

Top 50 Gastropubs Awards 2016

Win a Top 50 Gastropubs Award

06-Oct-2015

You and your pub could be immortalised as a winner of one of the three specialist awards categories open to entry at next year’s Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards.

Less isn't always more

02-Oct-2015 By Jessica Mason

Honesty and transparency in drinks creation is important, but so is the skill of a good blend. It is something that has been overlooked for some time. Why? Because, these days, we’re a bit suspicious of anything rogue. Is there horse meat in it? Nuts?...

Hangover relief drink arrives in pubs

28-Sep-2015 By Jessica Mason

A brand new hangover relief drink, named ‘Overhang’ has entered the soft drinks market and is now available to pubs.

Adult soft drinks

New range of adult soft drinks launched

18-Sep-2015 By Michelle Perrett

The Cracker Drinks Co has launched a new premium range of adult soft drinks called the ‘Blended’ range.

Competition

Nestlé offers chance to win coffee shop

18-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Nestlé Professional has launched a competition for one pub to create its own coffee shop, after research from the bakery chain Greggs and the University of Stirling showed 40% of consumers would prefer to drink coffee while chatting with friends.

Seasonal soft drinks report - premium palette?

07-Sep-2015 By Jessica Mason

Jessica Mason investigates the changes occurring in the soft drinks category and notes the shifts that will inform your next soft drinks listing.

Report debunks £20bn 'cost of alcohol' figure

03-Sep-2015 By Mike Berry

Drinkers are subsidising non-drinkers to the tune of £6.5bn a year, a new report suggests.

August soft drinks round-up

August soft drink round-up

03-Sep-2015 By Laurie Macdonald

The essential round-up of soft drinks launches and news from August.

Orangina invests £4m in on-trade marketing

07-Aug-2015 By Laurie Macdonald

Lucozade Ribena (LR) Suntory Ltd has announced details of its £4million marketing campaign into the Orangina brand, entitled ‘Life is Flat Unless You Shake It’.

Back bar bulletin

03-Aug-2015 By Laurie Macdonald

Spirits to softs and cocktails to cider, your essential round-up of what's hot on the back bar.

Booze in coffee shops? Survey shows it would appeal to drinkers

23-Jul-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Allegra Foodservice

There is “huge potential” for coffee shops serving alcoholic drinks, according to new research from CGA Strategy.

Pago investing in UK on-trade campaign

23-Jul-2015 By Laurie Macdonald

Pago Fruit Juice has launched its ‘True Colours’ 2015 summer programme of support in the UK that includes a new flavour, a smaller 12 pack format, sponsorship of some outdoor events and customer sampling.

Trends

Are soft drinks next to get the 'craft' treatment?

19-Jul-2015 By Nigel Huddleston

The Publican's Morning Advertiser discovers that some in the sector certainly think so; others believe they’re making a pretty good fist of it already.

report

Drinking out spend declines but beer bounces back

08-Jun-2015 By Mike Berry

Beer, cider and Prosecco were the star alcoholic drinks performers last year, according to Mintel’s British Lifestyles report.

Orangina re-launched into pubs

04-Jun-2015 By Laurie Macdonald

Lucozade Ribena Suntory is re-launching Orangina into pubs and bars with an on-trade exclusive bottle.

CCE launches Coca-Cola Life in pubs

28-May-2015 By Jessica Mason

Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) has launched its latest lower-calorie cola, Coca-Cola Life, into pubs and bars.

Red Bull launches Disclosure can

26-May-2015 By Laurie Macdonald

Red Bull UK is set to launch its first ever on-trade exclusive can in conjunction with electronic music duo Disclosure. The limited release will see eight million 250ml special-edition Disclosure Red Bull Energy cans stocked in 65,000 pubs, bars and clubs...

Coca-Cola & CPL Online launch soft drinks training

08-May-2015 By Jessica Mason

Coca-Cola Enterprises [CCE] has partnered with e-learning specialists CPL Online to introduce a new animated online training programme to help licensees deliver the perfect soft drinks serve and boost sales.

brands news

Zeo re-launches low calorie soft drinks

17-Apr-2015 By Jessica Mason

Soft drinks brand Zeo is being re-launched with a new look and six new flavours.

Brands news

Lipton Ice Tea reduces sugar and updates range

17-Apr-2015 By Jessica Mason

Lipton Ice Tea range has reduced its sugar content by 30%, updated its packaging and added a new raspberry flavour to its range.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Nichols Dispense signs Coca-Cola deal

13-Apr-2015 By Jessica Mason

The new agreement makes Nichols Dispense the UK's largest independent supplier of dispensed soft drinks, as well as the first independent UK-wide bag-in-box supplier of the brand outside of Coca-Cola Enterprises itself.

Cawston Press doubles its premium soft drinks offer

13-Apr-2015 By Jessica Mason

Cawston Press is adding two new flavours, Elderflower Lemonade and Ginger Beer, to its 330ml canned range of premium sparkling soft drinks.

BRAND NEWS

CCE to target adult soft drink opportunity with new low-calorie Schweppes flavours

07-Apr-2015 By Noli Dinkovski

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has introduced two low-calorie Schweppes variants in a bid to capitalise on the growing adult soft drinks market.

Managed and food-led pubs continue to boost soft drinks sales

27-Mar-2015 By Jessica Mason

The value of the soft drinks market to the leisure sector grew in 2014 at £4.2bn, with volumes increasing 0.5%, according to the Britvic Soft Drink Review 2015.

Pub sector profiles

Interview: Britvic's Nigel Paine

16-Mar-2015 By Jessica Mason

Nigel Paine is a man who is always looking to the future. Which is just as well in an industry that is increasingly innovating and searching for the next big thing. Jessica Mason reports.

Craft cola, sober raves and drinks for the older crowd

10-Mar-2015 By Robyn Black

According to Back to the Future Part II we should all be drinking $50 vitamin-enriched Pepsi Perfect this year but the prediction hasn’t been entirely accurate.

What will we be drinking in 2020?

10-Mar-2015 By Robyn Black

If kale, coconut water and craft beer were the tastes of 2014, what will we be drinking five years from now?

Starbucks reveals plans to sell alcohol in more UK stores

20-Feb-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Starbucks is planning to roll out its evening concept – which includes the sale of alcohol – to other UK stores after its debut at the coffee giant’s Stansted Airport outlet.

BRAND NEWS

J2O goes posh with a new sparkling variant

19-Feb-2015 By Jessica Mason

Britvic is launching a lightly sparkling brand extension for its J₂O brand, named J₂O Spritz, in a bid to answer the demand for more excitement and choice in adult soft drinks.

After embracing #TryJanuary with vinegar soda, what will #FebruRum hold?

12-Feb-2015 By Robyn Black

I shall be very glad to see the back of Dry January, even though this year (as in all years) I rejected it in favour of Ginuary.

50 Shades of Grey inspires Newcastle bar's drink offer

05-Feb-2015 By Robyn Black

A bar in Newcastle is offering “50 Shots of Grey” to capitalise on the hype around the forthcoming 50 Shades of Grey film, set to be released in the UK on 13 February.

Why we shouldn't be afraid to highlight the benefits of beer (and other booze)

29-Jan-2015 By Robyn Black

Tie flying in the wind, a man holding a red balloon floats high above the city, under the slogan “A taste for life.”

Sipsmith launches cordials for gin

22-Jan-2015 By Robyn Black

Charles Dickens’ favourite cocktail is among the inspiration behind a new range of cordials for gin, launched by the Sipsmith team.

Sunmagic's latest range for kids complies with new government rules

13-Jan-2015 By Robyn Black

A new range of “school compliant” kids juice drinks is being launched under the Multiple Marketing-owned Sunmagic brand.