The 25th UK Soft Drinks Conference brought together key figures from across the soft drinks sector in London, held on a beautiful sunny day on 13 May 2025. Functionality was the day’s hot topic, as industry experts discussed the latest opportunities, challenges and trends over the course of the event.

Hosted at the Congress Centre in the heart of London’s vibrant West End and in association with the British Soft Drinks Association, over 200 attendees listened to panels, networked, sampled a selection of beverages and, of course, celebrated the winners of the first UK Soft Drinks Awards.

Packed with insight and opportunities, the day featured 28 top producers, experts, retailers and innovators, all exploring the most pressing developments to face the industry, including the latest government legislation, evolving consumer preferences and more.

Gearing up for change

The event kicked off bright and early at 9am with British Soft Drinks Association’s William Watkins, founder and CEO of Radnor Hills, welcoming all attendees. In the morning sessions, the future of the sector was a key talking point, with lively discussion about how consumer tastes are changing and how sustainability is shaping the industry.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes coming to the sector is the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme, which has been announced for the UK and will officially launch on 1 October 2027. Already in use across other parts of Europe, the scheme will transform how single-use drinks containers are brought, used, returned and recycled.

The early afternoon panels kicked off with discussions about the scheme and how it will impact the sector going forward, with examples of how it is working in Ireland and what the rest of the UK can expect.

Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn, Ireland – the company managing the Deposit Return Scheme in the country – spoke about how the scheme is already making an impact on sustainability. Julian Hunt, vice president of public affairs, communications and sustainability for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ GB and Northern Europe division, also took to the stage to share how Coca-Cola is currently preparing for the scheme’s introduction.

The future is functional

After some lunch and refreshments, the afternoon panels turned toward the theme of the day: functionality. Many of the speakers talked about the functional drinks movement, touching on how many healthy and sugar-free alternatives to traditional soft drinks have emerged onto the market.

Freya Twigden, founder of gut-friendly beverage brands Fibe and Fix8, led an interesting panel on the popularity of prebiotic and kombucha-infused drinks, offering her insights into how companies can embrace this trend without sacrificing the brand recognisability and flavour their consumers are loyal to.

Following on from that, attention turned toward mood-boosting mushrooms, with discussions taking place around the increasing popularity of lion’s mane in beverages, a nootropic mushroom celebrated for its cognitive health benefits. The topic of soft drinks’ positioning into a more adult and premium category was also explored, with a session on female-focused functionality led by Chrysi Philalithes, acting chief executive officer of G Spot, the functional beverage company founded by actress Gillian Anderson.

Finishing big with the UK Soft Drinks Awards

After a packed and insightful event, the day was rounded off in fabulous style with a ceremony announcing of the winners of the inaugural UK Soft Drinks Awards.

This year’s ceremony was presented by FoodBev’s marketing director, Dan Bunt. The first UK Soft Drinks Awards recognised the highest standards in taste and design within the soft drinks sector and were open to all UK-based brands across 13 categories, providing plenty of scope for recognition. Judging was certainly tough, with a host of well-loved brands shortlisted, covering everything from premium, alcohol alternative soft drinks to dilutable beverages and wellness offerings.

A huge congratulations to all the winners, finalists and commended companies, and thank you to the judges who had perhaps the most difficult job of all – choosing who would walk away as a winner out of so many brilliant entrants.

The UK Soft Drinks Conference 2025 was a huge success, offering a comprehensive blend of knowledge, networking and product innovation insights. It highlighted the latest in government regulation and sustainability initiatives and provided us all with valuable guidance as we look toward another fantastic year of growth for the category. We look forward to seeing you next time!