Mark Allen AG Barr PLC, the UK soft drinks group behind brands including Irn-Bru, Rubicon, Boost and Funkin, announced that non-executive chair Mark Allen OBE is stepping down, effective immediately. Allen says he will be concentrating on his newly expanded executive role at Hilton Food Group, where he has moved from non-executive chair to executive chair. The company said an independent search is underway for a new non-executive chair, with senior independent director Susan Barratt acting as interim chair in the meantime. Non-executive director Louise Smalley will serve as senior independent director during this interim period. Allen, who has chaired AG Barr for five years, highlighted the business’s progress under his tenure, citing brand portfolio innovation, value-accretive mergers and acquisitions, and shareholder returns. “The business is in great shape and now is the right time to pass on the baton and focus on my other commitments,” he commented. Barratt added: “Mark has built and led a high-quality board and advanced the strategic direction for the business. He leaves AG Barr in a strong position, and we wish him all the best for the future.” AG Barr, which reported growth across its soft drinks and functional beverage brands in recent years, said it will provide a trading update for the year ended 31 January 2026 on February 3, ahead of publishing final results in March. The company's executive team – including CEO Euan Sutherland, CFO Stuart Lorimer and Corporate finance director Ewan Dytch – will continue to drive operations during the transition, while the board seeks a successor who can maintain momentum on brand innovation and shareholder value creation.

Recover 180 has expanded its hydration range with the launch of two new flavours, Tropical Ice and Orange Cream, as the brand enters 2026. The new additions are positioned as functional hydration drinks made with organic coconut water, vitamins and minerals, and contain no added sugar or artificial ingredients. Tropical Ice blends coconut, pineapple and lemon, while Orange Cream combines citrus with vanilla. Founder and CEO Lance Collins said the new flavours reflect growing demand for hydration products that balance performance with taste. "Great hydration starts with great flavour," said Collins. "Athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and everyday consumers want products that perform, but they also want something they genuinely enjoy drinking." "Tropical Ice and Orange Cream show how we continue to push flavour forward while delivering the clean, functional hydration people expect from Recover 180." The launches come as consumers continue to shift away from traditional sugary sports drinks toward cleaner, better-for-you hydration options. Tropical Ice and Orange Cream are available nationwide in the US in 16.9oz bottles, priced between $2.49 and $2.79, and in 12-packs priced at $32.99 via Amazon and the brand’s website. Further retail expansion is planned throughout 2026.

Subway has signed a new master franchise agreement with N Sky Build, marking the brand’s entry into Azerbaijan as it continues to expand across the EMEA region. Under the agreement, N Sky Build has secured exclusive rights to develop and operate all Subway restaurants in Azerbaijan. The partnership forms part of Subway’s wider regional expansion strategy, following the signing of more than ten master franchise agreements across EMEA since 2021, representing over 4,000 future restaurant commitments. N Sky Build brings more than 20 years of experience operating international brands across hospitality, retail and foodservice, positioning the company to lead Subway’s rollout in the market. As part of the deal, N Sky Build will implement Subway’s latest restaurant design and develop the brand’s digital offering in the market, with a focus on operational efficiency and customer experience. Tracy Gehlan, president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Subway, said: “Azerbaijan presents an exciting growth opportunity for Subway, and N Sky Build is the perfect partner to help us realise this ambition. Their deep market knowledge and proven operational excellence will enable us to expand strategically in the country and deliver an exceptional experience to guests.” Nuri Garagoz, chairman at N Sky Build, added: “This partnership with Subway opens an exciting chapter for our business. The agreement is a marker of our belief in Subway’s appeal in Azerbaijan and we're proud to be bringing the Subway experience to guests across the country.” The move reinforces Subway’s ongoing international growth ambitions and its focus on working with local master franchise partners to scale the brand in new and existing markets.

Chobani has launched a limited-edition coffee creamer concept called Flavor Drops, introducing short-run, single-batch flavours designed to rotate monthly. The new line debuts with Raspberry Rose, a botanical-inspired creamer combining floral rose notes with raspberry. Like the rest of Chobani’s dairy creamer portfolio, the Flavor Drops products are made with cream, milk, sugar and natural flavours. Timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, the flavour will be available until 15 February, after which it will be discontinued. Flavor Drops marks a departure from Chobani’s usual seasonal launches, with each release positioned as a one-off product intended to create shelf and social media impact. According to the company, further flavours are planned throughout the year, with the next drop scheduled for June. Niel Sandfort, chief innovation officer at Chobani, said: “We love that our creamers can inspire fun, shareable moments, on and offline. Flavor Drops take that another step further. They let us break away from traditional seasonal limits and really make a splash on shelf and social.” Raspberry Rose has a recommended retail price of $6.09 and is being stocked at select US retailers including Target, Albertsons, Harris Teeter, Giant and Hy-Vee.

Uber Eats has appointed Merve Basci, co-CEO of Trendyol Go, as its new general manager for the UK. Merve Basci Basci joined Uber last summer following its $700 million acquisition of a majority stake in Turkish food and grocery delivery platform Trendyol Go, where she played a key role in building and scaling the business to more than 90,000 merchants. In her new role, she will oversee the next phase of growth for Uber Eats in the UK. The move coincides with a leadership transition for Matthew Price, who has led the UK business for more than four years. Price will take on a new role as regional general manager for EMEA North, overseeing growth across Northern and Eastern Europe, including the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Poland and the Nordics. During Price’s tenure, Uber Eats is said to have become the UK’s largest delivery platform, surpassed one billion deliveries and launched initiatives aimed at supporting small and medium-sized businesses, including the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year Award. Basci said: “The UK is a standout player in the global delivery sector and I am thrilled to be joining the team. Uber Eats has already established itself as the UK’s market leader and I am excited to build on that foundation. I can’t wait to work with the UK’s amazing array of restaurants and help them grow and innovate in a very dynamic landscape." Price commented: “After an amazing four years leading the UK business, I’m excited to have the opportunity to accelerate our growth across the North of EMEA. Uber Eats in the UK has seen tremendous momentum in recent years and it’s been a real privilege to help the vibrant UK restaurant community thrive. I’m looking forward to taking on a new challenge and applying what I’ve learned across the region.” Saskia de Jongh, vice president and regional general manager at Uber Eats EMEA, added: “Merve has proven to be an incredible operator who brings deep commercial expertise and innovation experience. I am confident Merve will help take our UK team to even greater heights, as we scale our next phase of growth.” Basci is expected to relocate to the UK in the coming months.

Coca-Cola has revealed a sweeping overhaul of its operational leadership, including the creation of a new chief digital officer role, as the soft drinks giant moves to accelerate technology adoption and sharpen execution across fast-growing emerging markets. The changes, which take effect on March 31, coincide with the planned transition of chief operating officer Henrique Braun into the chief executive role , succeeding James Quincey, who will remain executive chairman. At the centre of the restructuring is the appointment of Sedef Salingan Sahin as Coca-Cola’s first chief digital officer, a newly created enterprise role intended to unify digital, data and operational excellence across the business. Sahin, currently president of the company’s Eurasia and Middle East operating unit, will report directly to Braun. The creation of the appointment underscores Coca-Cola’s growing emphasis on digitalisation as it faces slowing growth in mature markets, rising input costs and increasingly fragmented consumer demand, while competing with both global rivals and agile local beverage brands. “Understanding consumers even more deeply” and moving faster across markets is critical to future growth, Braun said in a statement, adding that the new structure is designed to enable quicker decision-making and smarter execution. Sahin will assume responsibility for digital strategy currently overseen by chief financial officer John Murphy, consolidating oversight of digital, data and related capabilities under a single executive for the first time. Over the coming months, she will assess how digital teams are organised across the group, with a mandate to simplify processes and improve speed and precision. For Coca-Cola’s bottlers, ingredient suppliers and technology partners, the shift signals tighter integration between marketing, commercial execution and data-driven decision-making – an area where the company has increasingly leaned on AI-enabled demand forecasting, personalised marketing and automated route-to-market systems. The leadership changes also reflect Coca-Cola’s strategic focus on emerging and developing markets, where volume growth is expected to outpace that of North America and Western Europe. Two new market groupings will be created under Braun’s leadership. Sanket Ray, president of the India and Southwest Asia operating unit, will take oversight of large emerging markets including India, Greater China, Japan and South Korea. Claudia Lorenzo, currently chief of staff to Quincey, will lead a second grouping spanning Eurasia, the Middle East, ASEAN, the South Pacific and Africa. Coca-Cola said the new structure is designed to better manage volatility across diverse markets facing inflationary pressures, regulatory change and shifting consumption patterns. Separately, chief marketing officer Manolo Arroyo will expand his remit to include customer and commercial leadership, reflecting closer alignment between brand strategy and in-market execution. Murphy will remain president and CFO, overseeing finance, global strategy and corporate development. The changes come as Coca-Cola continues to invest in digital tools to support its broader beverage portfolio, which now spans soft drinks, waters, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juices and plant-based beverages. The company has increasingly highlighted digitalisation as a lever to improve innovation speed, supply chain resilience and retail execution across its global bottling system.

Caffè Nero has appointed Lysa Hardy as UK chief executive officer, effective immediately. Lysa Hardy Hardy will oversee the Caffè Nero UK business and report to founder and group CEO Gerry Ford, who retains his group-wide role. She will work alongside existing UK managing director Glyn House, who remains in post, with both jointly overseeing the UK operation. Hardy joins the business with more than 20 years’ experience in UK retail leadership roles. Most recently, she served as CEO of Hotel Chocolat, and has previously held senior positions at T-Mobile, Joules and Holland & Barrett. Her earlier career includes roles as chief marketing officer, chief commercial officer and chief customer officer, alongside several non-executive directorships. Hardy’s appointment follows the departure of Will Stratton-Morris, who stepped down as Caffè Nero UK CEO in mid-2025 . It also follows a record first half for the group. Caffè Nero reported group sales of £338 million, supported by 5% like-for-like growth. UK first-half sales reached £185.4 million, up 7% year on year, with like-for-like sales growth of 5%. Ford commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Lysa to Caffè Nero. Her experience and track record makes her a great complement to Glyn and allows us to take the UK Caffè Nero business forward in the next phase. We have considerable brand momentum in the coffee space globally and in the UK, where we continue to gain market share and have delivered record first half results.” Hardy added: “I’m delighted to be joining the Caffè Nero UK business; it’s an exciting brand which has consistently outperformed the market. This is the leading coffee brand in the premium space and Caffè Nero is well placed to have numerous opportunities and strong growth in the years ahead. I thrilled to be working for Gerry and to be part of that journey.”

Keurig Dr Pepper’s $18 billion all-cash bid for JDE Peet’s marks a pivotal moment for the global coffee industry, accelerating consolidation at a time of record bean prices, supply disruption and intensifying pressure on margins across the food and beverage sector. The US soft drinks and coffee group formally launched its takeover offer today (Thursday 15 January), proposing €31.85 per share for the Netherlands-based owner of brands including Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, Peet’s and L’OR. JDE Peet’s board has unanimously backed the deal, with shareholders representing 69% of the company already committed. If completed in the second quarter, the acquisition would create one of the world’s largest pure-play coffee businesses, rivalling Nestlé’s dominant position in packaged coffee and sharpening competition across retail, foodservice and out-of-home channels. For manufacturers and suppliers, the transaction underscores how scale is becoming a strategic necessity in the coffee market, as climate-driven supply shocks and geopolitical volatility push raw material costs higher. Arabica and robusta prices have surged to record levels following droughts in Brazil and Vietnam, while recent US trade tariffs have added further uncertainty to global supply chains. Keurig Dr Pepper first announced plans for the buyout in August , alongside proposals to split the combined group into two separately listed companies: one focused on coffee and tea, the other on beverages including Dr Pepper sodas. Executives have said the move would allow each business to pursue more targeted growth strategies and capital allocation. Industry analysts say the separation could reshape competitive dynamics across both categories. A standalone global coffee business would command significant purchasing power over green beans, packaging and processing inputs, potentially widening the gap between multinational players and smaller roasters. To fund the deal, Keurig raised $7 billion from private equity investors last year, easing concerns about leverage. The companies said they have already secured regulatory approvals, reducing execution risk for what would be one of Europe’s largest consumer goods transactions in recent years. Shares in JDE Peet’s were little changed in early trading today, hovering close to the offer price. For the wider food and beverage industry, the deal highlights how commodity volatility is reshaping corporate strategy. As climate risk becomes embedded in pricing and procurement, companies with diversified sourcing, strong balance sheets and global scale are increasingly positioned to dictate terms. The proposed acquisition also raises questions for retailers and branded competitors, as a more concentrated coffee market could influence pricing negotiations, promotional strategies and innovation timelines in an already pressured category.

Krispy Kreme has launched a limited-edition matcha range across the UK and Ireland in partnership with Perfect Ted, introducing a filled doughnut and two matcha lattes under its 'Grab Your Greens' campaign. The range includes the Strawberry Matcha Doughnut, an Original Glazed doughnut filled with strawberry-flavoured Kreme and coated in matcha with dried strawberry pieces. It also marks what the brands describe as a first for Krispy Kreme: Original Glazed Matcha Latte and Iced Matcha Latte, made with oat milk, Perfect Ted’s ceremonial-grade matcha and flavour notes inspired by the Original Glazed doughnut. The 'Grab Your Greens' range is available in Krispy Kreme shops across the UK and Ireland from 30 December until 6 February. The Strawberry Matcha Doughnut is also stocked exclusively in selected Tesco stores in mainland UK for a limited period.

Andy Bagnall. The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) has appointed Andy Bagnall as its new director general, replacing Gavin Partington, who is retiring after 13 years in the role. Bagnall took up the position on 12 January and will lead the trade body representing a broad cross-section of the UK soft drinks industry, including major manufacturers and brand owners such as Carlsberg Britvic, Coca-Cola Great Britain and Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I. He joins the BSDA with a background spanning politics, professional services and trade associations. A former political adviser, Bagnall has held senior leadership roles at the Confederation of British Industry and KPMG, as well as within the rail sector, most recently serving as chief executive of Rail Partners. Commenting on his appointment, Bagnall said he was joining the association at a pivotal moment for the sector. “The association plays a vital role in representing its members, and I look forward to working closely with them to ensure their voices are heard and their interests effectively championed,“ he added. “With sales of more than £22 billion a year and over 17,000 people working directly in the industry, soft drinks is a sector which packs a punch, and it’s crucial that our members’ contribution is both recognised and supported.” He identified the delivery of a fit-for-purpose deposit return scheme (DRS) by October 2027 as a key priority for the association, describing it as a critical step towards greater circularity. BSDA president William Watkins, founder and owner of Radnor Hills, said Bagnall’s strategic and policy experience would strengthen the association as members face increasing regulatory and cost pressures. “We are thrilled to have Andy on board,” Watkins said. “The BSDA represents an interesting and varied mix of companies, from global brand names through to family-run small businesses, many of whom are feeling the pinch from rising input costs alongside an endless conveyor belt of policy measures.” Watkins added that Bagnall’s leadership would play a key role in driving the association’s work and enhancing support for members. Outgoing leader Partington joined the BSDA as director general in October 2012. During his tenure, he oversaw the association’s response to major regulatory developments, including the introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and proposals for deposit return schemes across the UK. Reflecting on his time in the role, Partington said: “It’s been a privilege to lead the association over the last 13 years and work alongside such a committed board, team and membership. I’m proud of what we have achieved together and am confident that the BSDA is well placed for the future.” Watkins commented: “During his tenure, Gavin steered our association through the choppy waters of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, as well as the abortive attempt by Scotland to set up its own DRS, along with many other challenges. He has built the BSDA into an efficient and effective trade body and leaves behind a legacy from which members will continue to benefit.”

Coca-Cola has halted its plans to sell Costa Coffee, the UK-based coffee chain it acquired for $5.1 billion in 2018. This decision follows a protracted auction process that failed to yield satisfactory offers from prospective buyers, according to a report by the Financial Times . The news of the potential sales was first announced back in August 2025 , which came as the beverage giant reassessed its portfolio in response to evolving consumer preferences and economic pressures. Coca-Cola's decision to terminate discussions with potential bidders, which included private equity firms such as TDR Capital  and Bain Capital , marks a pivotal moment in the company's strategy to enhance its footprint in the competitive global coffee market. The beverage giant had initiated the sale process in response to shifting market dynamics and increasing competition from major players like Starbucks and Nestlé. Despite initial interest from several private equity firms, including Apollo Global Management and KKR, the final bids were reported to be below Coca-Cola's expectations, prompting the company to cease negotiations in December. While the company has not ruled out the possibility of reviving the sale in the medium term, the current pause highlights the challenges in the food and beverage acquisition landscape. Coca-Cola's acquisition of Costa Coffee was aimed at bolstering its presence in the coffee segment, which has seen rapid growth and diversification. However, the decision to withdraw from the sale process raises questions about the company's future strategy for Costa amidst evolving consumer preferences and market conditions. Press Esc to exit editor.

Nespresso has launched a new limited-edition decaffeinated coffee for its Vertuo system, expanding its flavoured decaf range as demand for caffeine-free options continues to grow in the UK. The French Lavender & Vanilla Decaffeinato pod blends decaffeinated arabica beans with vanilla and lavender flavour notes. It follows the release of Sweet Vanilla Decaffeinato last year and is designed for consumption throughout the day, including evenings. The coffee is made using 100% Arabica beans sourced from Brazil and Colombia. According to Nespresso, the blend uses its bespoke decaffeinated base and a split-roast technique, with Latin American beans roasted medium-dark to enhance sweetness, while other components are roasted for longer to develop texture. Flavour is added after roasting. The launch comes amid rising interest in decaffeinated coffee. Data cited by the company shows that 44.7% of UK consumers now drink decaf at home, with decaf drinkers more likely to consume multiple cups per day than those choosing caffeinated coffee. Nespresso said younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, are driving growth, favouring flavoured, caffeine-free options for evening and at-home routines. Anna Lundstrom, CEO Nespresso UK & ROI, said: “January is a time when many people reset their routines. With French Lavender & Vanilla Decaffeinato, we wanted to create a coffee that fits naturally into moments of wellbeing and mindfulness, whilst offering the comfort and premium taste that Nespresso is known for, just without the caffeine." "Decaffeinated coffee is playing an increasingly important role in modern coffee culture, and this launch reflects our commitment to ensuring that choosing decaf never means compromising on flavour or quality.” The French Lavender & Vanilla Decaffeinato is available for a limited time in Vertuo pods.