Birth of a British beverage superpower as Carlsberg and Britvic become one

a colourful collection of bottles and cans containing both soft drinks and beer
Carlsberg Britvic is bursting with recognisable beer and soft drink brands

In what was described as a ‘landmark moment’ in the history of the British drinks industry, Carlsberg Britvic – the new company uniting Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company and Britvic’s UK business – has officially launched.

Following the legal completion of the deal for Carlsberg Group to acquire Britvic plc, the resultant business is now the largest multi-beverage supplier in the UK, and the UK is now the Carlsberg Group’s largest market by revenue anywhere in the world.

Carlsberg Britvic brings together CMBC’s breweries and in-house secondary logistics operation – with 15 depots servicing customers across the UK – with the packaging and production capabilities of Britvic.

Across soft drinks, beer, and cider, the united UK business is quite simply bursting with iconic and popular brands.

Its soft drinks range includes Pepsi MAX, 7UP, Tango, Robinsons, J2O and Fruit Shoot, plus fast-growing breakthrough brands like the plant-powered Plenish range and Jimmy’s Iced Coffee.

These soft drinks now now sit alongside flagship beer brand Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, as well as 1664, Birrificio Angelo Poretti and Brooklyn Brewery beers, and leading British ales such as Hobgoblin, Pedigree and Wainwright.

Paul Davies, formerly CEO of Carlsberg Marston Brewing Company, now takes up the position as CEO of the newly formed Carlsberg Britvic in the United Kingdom, effective 17 January 2025.

Davies began his Carlsberg career in marketing with Carlsberg UK in 2007 and has since held the positions of VP Marketing and VP Sales for Carlsberg Sweden, and VP Craft & Speciality for Carlsberg Group in Copenhagen.

In January 2019 he was appointed Managing Director of Carlsberg Poland, where he was also Chairman of the Polish Brewers Association.

The new company promises to combine ‘the strong shared values of CMBC and Britvic, maintaining ambitious targets in areas such as sustainability and equity, diversity and inclusion, while also delivering the highest standards of customer service and quality’.

After the official launch, Carlsberg Britvic will be revealing its new corporate identity next week, which will then be rolled out across the business as part of the integration of its operations in the UK.

Davies said: “This is a historic moment for everyone across our unique combined multi beverage business, I am immensely proud to have the opportunity to lead this new company, featuring so many iconic brands and so many dedicated and talented people.

“As we look to the future together, Carlsberg Britvic will demonstrate the important values that underpin our dedication to our customers, our consumers, our people and our planet.

He continued: “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.

“On behalf of everyone at Carlsberg Britvic, I would like to thank all those whose effort, commitment and passion have made today possible.”