Britvic: A British, Beverage-Boasting Beacon
If, in the unlikely event, you’ve never heard of FTSE 250 manufacturer Britvic, you’ll have definitely heard of its brands.
With a 2023 revenue of US$2.30bn, Britvic boasts 39 beloved global brands which are sold in more than 100 countries, including iconic products like Fruit Shoot, J20, Robinsons and Tango – known to virtually every British household.
Britvic is also the manufacturing powerhouse behind some of PepsiCo’s most well-known drinks, with an agreement to make 7UP, Lipton Ice Tea, Monster and Pepsi MAX in Great Britain and Ireland.
“Our company’s success is underpinned by the breadth of our portfolio of strong, family-favourite brands that cater to different consumers, markets and occasions,” says Nigel Paine, Supply Chain & Operations Director at Britvic.
“We have a disciplined approach when it comes to expanding our product portfolio. This involves undertaking a detailed evaluation of each potential target and how it will enhance our strategy.”
Britvic’s strategy is informed by three core principles that are inherently tied to operational excellence: sustainability, nutrition and connecting with customers.
Why Britvic’s principles are tied to operational excellence
Sustainability will be key for all businesses moving forward to stay competitive
Global demand for nutritious and alternative food products is only growing
As the manufacturing economy moves from focusing on products to services, customer relationships will define the leaders of the future
Operational excellence is about more than technology, it’s about creating successful systems defined by powerful values
With Britvic’s strong commitments to sustainability, efficiency and its customers, the manufacturer will do more than exist going forward. Instead, it looks set to thrive.
Sustainability: going beyond the bottle
Britvic was founded way back in 19th Century Britain as the British Vitamin Company.
Since then its ethos has always been rooted in doing good while doing well. The company’s sustainable business programme, called Healthier People, Healthier Planet, seeks to integrate nutrition and sustainability throughout Britvic’s practices.
On the sustainability side, Britvic is seeking to – very literally – go beyond the bottle.
“Britvic’s R&D team is continuously exploring innovative ways to use digital technology to serve high-quality drinks without the need for problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging – something we call Beyond the Bottle,” says Nigel.
“Our R&D and brand experts have been pioneering new forms of technology to create additional premium serve options.”
Britvic’s ‘Beyond the Bottle’ focuses on reducing packaging through dispense and flavour concentrate opportunities, embracing innovative new means of sustainably delivering drinks.
“These include Britvic’s London Essence Freshly Infused founts – the first premium tonic on tap – which uses patented micro-dosing technology to freshly infuse tonic water with distilled botanicals at the point of serve, so there is no need for packaging,” explains Nigel.
“Secondly, Aqua Libra’s partnership with Amazon Web Services provides consumers with still, sparkling and flavoured drinks from state-of-the-art taps, without the need for any packaging.”
Here, digital transformation is creating engaging and sustainable customer experiences.
Nigel also recognises the many ways Industry 4.0 technologies can enhance operations for food and beverage manufacturers.
Britvic’s refreshing sustainability
The first UK soft drinks company to have a 1.5°C target approved by the Science Based Targets initiative
At Britvic’s Beckton site, two industrial ammonia heat recovery systems and a large thermal store have been installed, reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 1,200 tonnes annually
Britvic has increased its electricity sourced from a solar farm to 75% of grid electricity in Great Britain, aiming to reach 100% solar power
Britvic remains committed to reducing its direct emissions by 50% and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
“Digital transformation can significantly enhance the operations of beverage manufacturers in a number of ways, including through enhanced product quality, optimising processes, improving supply chain management and enhancing customer experiences,” he says.
“At our Rugby site, we have also invested in a digital manufacturing programme in partnership with LineView, to understand and resolve losses that are occurring in our operation systems in real-time
“This has allowed us to fix small challenges before they escalate and improve performance by as much as 9% on some of our production lines.”
Britvic continues to lead on sustainability, reducing its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions and unsustainable packaging as it seeks to fulfil its Healthier People, Healthier Planet sustainability strategy.
This vital facet of Britvic’s operational excellence is intrinsically linked to the second: nutrition.
Nutrition: healthier people strategy
Earlier this year the Bite Back Report was released, which found that a shocking 75% of big UK food brands marketed to children are unhealthy. With global child obesity rates skyrocketing, this is a profound problem, to say the least.
One manufacturer which bucked this trend was Danone. The global food manufacturer – best known for yoghurts and baby food products – was found to have no child-appealing unhealthy products.
“At Danone, we believe the health of people and the planet are interconnected, as expressed through our company vision ‘One Planet. One Health.’,” says Veronique Penchienati-Bosetta, Deputy CEO at Danone Group.
As the former GB&I Accounts Director at Danone, Nigel played a vital part in executing this company vision.
Today, he does the same for Britvic on a larger scale, helping shape its Healthier People strategy across operations and the supply chain.
“Our Healthier People strategy is focused on our consumers, our employees and our communities,” says Nigel.
“We’re providing great tasting drinks that are better for everyone by reducing calories and adding vitamins and minerals, which, at a time of rising costs, remain good value for money.”
Across Britvic’s entire brand portfolio, the average calories per serving is only 20. The calories are even lower in Great Britain, at only 11.
“We also continue to promote brands such as Aqua Libra, which is both light in calories and contains no artificial ingredients, and Plenish, which offers a natural plant-powered alternative to dairy,” Nigel says.
Britvic moved to acquire both of these brands recently, strategically responding to the growing consumer desire for more plant-based and health-conscious drink products, while furthering broader nutrition.
Nigel continues: “MiWadi, Robinsons Benefit Drops and Purdey’s are great examples of brands that offer added functional benefits to consumers, with health benefits such as vitamins and minerals.”
Britvic’s commitments to nutrition reflect the final value that informs its operational excellence – connecting with and enriching the lives of customers.
Britvic in Brazil: connection & commitment
While Britvic is a beloved British fridge staple, it’s also a global brand that seeks to supply delicious, nutritious drinks across the world.
“We are building a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces all, prioritises wellbeing and rewards dynamism,” Nigel asserts. “We’re working hard to make a positive contribution in the communities we serve.”
One nation where Britvic is expanding its positive contribution is Brazil.
The manufacturer first entered the Brazilian market in 2015 and has since grown its fruit juice brands Dafruta, Maguary and Bela Ischia into strong national brands. Last year, Britvic acquired manufacturer GlobalBev and three of its Brazilian soft drinks brands: energy brand Flying Horse, juice brand Juxx and acai smoothie brand Amazoo.
The deal also included a sophisticated warehouse, which supports the operations of Britvic’s food processing company, Be Ingredient, in Brazil, which provides them with natural ingredients.
“Our strong recent growth in Brazil has been driven by strong distribution and sales growth in various regions,” Nigel explains.
“Our focus on perfect store execution and increasing our merchandising team by 39% has been crucial, along with efforts to optimise supply chain costs near our factories.”
Britvic has critically boosted investment in its key brands through campaigns like music events for Extra Power, Carnival Sponsorship in Rio and Back to School for Fruit Shoot.
In addition to engaging with consumers, Britvic also strives to help local communities in Brazil. The manufacturer partners with Mesa Brasil, the largest food bank network in Latin America.
These efforts mirror those of global manufacturer Kraft Heinz. The company’s Quero brand helped reduce food waste and hunger in the municipality of Nerópolis, Brazil, delivering 14,000 pounds of produce that would otherwise have been wasted to more than 300 food-insecure families.
"Our Foundation – The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation – is committed to alleviating global hunger and improving access to nutrition," says Andrea Luigi Budelli, Chief R&D Officer for Developed & Emerging Markets at Kraft Heinz Company.
"We’re currently focused on our goal of providing 1.5 billion meals to those in need by 2025 and are making great progress.”
In Britain and beyond, Britvic is a beacon for beverage manufacturers, proving that progress and principles are closely interlinked.
“That’s what makes the role and company so interesting: we are constantly looking for growth and investing to deliver it,” Nigel says.
“The supply chain is always growing and improving, something myself and the whole team are very proud of.”
Operational excellence is as much about values as it is about technology. So, the next time you’re sitting outside on a hot summer's day, drinking a refreshing Lipton Ice Tea or an ice-cold can of Tango, you can be proud of every sip too.
To read the full story in the magazine please click HERE.
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