De Kuyper Royal Distillers announced today that it has acquired Archers from Diageo, adding to its international liqueur portfolio. The British brand will join De Kuyper’s existing cocktail liqueurs, and strengthen its position in the peach category. Mark de Witte, CEO of De Kuyper: “We want to own the peach category. With Peachtree we do so in a number of important cocktail markets, but in the UK the peach category is historically owned by Archers. We will contribute our over 325 years of expertise in liqueurs and our specific knowledge in the peach category to bring out the best in Archers.” “We see an interesting growth platform for Archers in the category of cocktails and will utilise the insights, experience and best practices we gained with Peachtree. Our focus stays on the current audience where the brand is popular and which is fitting very well with the cocktail-drinker target group,” added Godelief van Erve, global marketing director at De Kuyper. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. #acquisition #Diageo #DeKuyperRoyalDistillers #liqueur #UK

Danone has ended production of its Bonafont water brand in Brazil, including activities at its facility in Jacutinga, Minas Gerais. According to a statement, the change is part of Danone’s new business strategy. The company says it has decided to focus its local business on other growing major categories. A spokesperson for Danone told FoodBev: “We reviewed our portfolio in Brazil and, as a result of this analysis, decided to focus our business on the largest, most profitable, and growing categories. Therefore, as of 3 September, we will stop the water production of Bonafont water in Brazil”. With a focus on its main portfolios, such as dairy and plant-based products and specialised nutrition, Danone says that it will be able to allocate more resources to continuous innovation and meet consumer demands. Danone has asked consumers to verify the manufacturing date of its Bonafont water products – no later than 3 September – to ensure that they are consuming the original water brand. The company has tried to minimise the impact on employees by allocating them to other areas, as well as ensuring adequate termination conditions, including a special package above legal requirements, a requalification programme and a specialised professional relocation service. Bonafont will not be replenished once it leaves the shelves; however, the brand will continue to supply its water to other countries, such as Mexico. Danone said: “The decision to discontinue the water category in Brazil does not affect other markets where Bonafont is present, nor the Danone’s water category worldwide. Waters is an important category that is at the heart of our mission. Water is the healthiest drink, and we bring healthy hydration to people in the most sustainable way.” #Bonafont #Brazil #Danone

Britvic’s Tango taps into the growing demand for sugar-free products with the launch of its popular apple flavour in a sugar-free format. The Tango brand has doubled in size over the last five years and now, worth over £60 million, stands as the fourth largest brand in the fruit-flavoured carbonates category. Ben Parker, retail commercial director at Britvic commented: “Tango has a proven track record when it comes to new product development with Tango Berry Peachy Sugar- Free the number one new fruit flavoured carbonate in 2022. Tango’s long heritage with the apple flavour and strong taste credentials, mean Tango Apple Sugar Free is well placed to continue this success and drive growth.” Tango is well placed to continue its growth through sugar-free flavours, which currently deliver £25 million in value sales (up 54% from last year). Britvic is a leader in healthier soft drinks, over 90% of its brands in the UK are either low or no sugar drinks. Tango Apple Sugar Free is available in Tesco, joining the wider market from mid-September. #Britvic #carbonated #sugarfree #Tango

US-based healthy beverage brand, Smart Soda Holdings, has announced the launch of companies in the UK and Canada. Smart Soda offers dispensing options to various markets, such as the food service and workplace sectors. The brand is crafted with alkaline waters and has a wide range of flavours. The company has launched Smart Soda UK, which will operate as a solitary player overseas, and is aimed at customers seeking ‘better-for-you’ flavoured sparkling waters and sodas for offices and restaurants. Smart Soda CEO Lior Shafir said: “During the pandemic, when the US market was growing rapidly, we began to receive inquiries from companies in the UK, asking where they could buy Smart Soda. That’s when it came to my attention that there really wasn’t anything quite like Smart Soda in the UK and Europe marketplace. He continued: “Therefore, I reached out to Mark Butterfield and Ian Webb, co-founders of The UK Water Group…After a few meetings, we couldn’t remain indifferent to this exciting opportunity. We were totally united in agreement to start Smart Soda UK, a subsidiary of Smart Soda Holdings.” Butterfield added: “Having established a strong reputation in the drinking water industry, Shafir approached us knowing that we founded, built and sold The UK Water Group. His vision was to join forces and establish Smart Soda UK Ltd as part of a global expansion plan. We are thrilled to be building Smart Soda as it is a brilliant fit for both the UK and European markets.” Meanwhile, the company announced that it has finalised its acquisition of a 51% stake in Smart Soda Canada. Shafir commented: “As part of our pre-IPO expansion programme, we’re planning a few more M&A deals this year — both globally and locally. As part of our growth, Smart Soda welcomes Jean-Jacques ‘JJ’ Francoeur and Spencer Deschambault of Smart Soda Canada to our family. Our goal is that Smart Soda will be available everywhere, both to our US clients and also worldwide through our global offices.” In addition to entering the UK and Canadian markets, Smart Soda also hopes to establish two joint ventures in South America and the Middle East by the end of this year. #SmartSoda #UK

Azkoyen Group has acquired Spanish coffee machine company, Ascaso, for €17 million. Based in Barcelona, Ascaso manufactures traditional espresso machines, distributing its products in international markets, including the UK, US, Europe and Southeast Asia. The acquisition will build on Azkoyen’s existing leadership position in the office coffee service, HoReCa and vending segments, and will also complete Azkoyen’s range of automatic and semi-automatic coffee machines. Ascaso’s production centre in Gavá, Barcelona, will be added to Azkoyen’s facilities, which include sites in the UK, Spain and Colombia. Juan José Suárez, chairman of the Azkoyen Group, said: “The acquisition of Ascaso provides us with new potential in the premium coffee range, making us a unique player, able to offer our products across all the segments. In addition, Ascaso’s philosophy of product innovation and manufacturing excellence provides us with a new leadership position in the premium coffee segment, from semi-automatic to traditional coffee machines, which already represents a crucial part of our revenues and for which we have very ambitious growth plans.” He added: “We believe that Ascaso’s employees and its CEO will bring a wealth of talent to our ranks, and its headquarters in Barcelona, a mecca of design and innovation, will open up numerous opportunities for new product development.” #Ascaso #AzkoyenGroup

Hong Kong-based company, Swire Pacific, has reached an agreement to acquire Coca-Cola bottling businesses in Vietnam and Cambodia. The deal was handled through Swire Pacific’s subsidiary, Swire Coca-Cola Limited. According to Reuters, Swire will pay $1.02 billion in cash for the assets. The transaction will see Swire own and operate Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam, which has three bottling facilities, and Cambodia Beverage Company, which has one bottling site. The company says that, upon completion of the acquisition, Swire Coca-Cola’s franchise population will expand by 15% to 876 million. Patrick Healy, chairman of Swire Coca-Cola, said: “This acquisition marks a major milestone for Swire Coca-Cola, significantly expanding our operating footprint and population served to a new region. We have been investing in building a world-class bottling system over the past 57 years. This expansion of territories is part of a broader strategy to expand the global scale, volume and revenues of our bottling business.” Karen So, MD of Swire Coca-Cola, added: “As a long-term strategic partner with Coca-Cola, we are delighted to be expanding our relationship through this acquisition and excited by the enormous growth potential of the non-alcoholic beverage markets in Vietnam and Cambodia, which are valued at over US$6 billion and forecast to grow at over 6% CAGR until 2036. With our successful refranchising experience in the USA and Chinese Mainland between 2014 and 2017, I am confident that our continuous commitment to excellence will help capture the opportunities that these dynamic markets will bring.” #CocaCola #SwireCocaCola #SwirePacific

PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) is set to invest in the expansion of its Denver, Colorado facility, making it the company’s largest US site to date. The company has acquired almost 152 acres of land in the Denver High Point development area where it will construct the 1.2 million-square-foot manufacturing site, with the plant holding three times the capacity of its current facility. The bottling facility will produce branded products such as Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Gatorade, bubly, Rockstar, Propel and Muscle Milk, and will aim to achieve 100% renewable electricity, water efficiency and reduced virgin plastic use. Johannes Evenblij, PBNA’s west division president, said: “We’re thrilled to call Denver, a city that shares so many of our values, home to PepsiCo’s most sustainable US plant location. With the High Point facility serving a model for the future of PBNA’s supply chain, we’re eager to continue deepening our dedication to Colorado through positive impacts such as new job opportunities and more sustainable business solutions.” The facility will create around 250 new jobs in the Denver area in addition to keeping all 250 current employees at the site. The newly expanded Denver plant is scheduled to open in summer 2023. #PepsiCoBeveragesNorthAmerica #US

Pepsi Bottling Ventures (PBV) is investing $35 million in a new bottling line at its production facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company acquired the 526,000-square-foot production facility in 2012 and leased an additional 316,000-square-foot warehouse extension at the site last year due to increased storage needs. The new bottling line will enhance the company’s manufacturing operations by optimising production capacity for some of PepsiCo’s brands, including Lipton Tea, Aquafina and PBV-owned brand, Nature’s Twist. The company says the line will enable the production of millions of beverage cases annually and the manufacture of bottles made from 100% recycled material. Derek Hill, president and CEO of PBV, said: “This investment is a promise to our customers and consumers that we will continue to meet their beverage needs and demonstrates our long-term commitment to the region and the state of North Carolina”. He continued: “We’re excited about the opportunities that this new line will afford us as we focus on innovation and improving efficiencies. This investment allows us to continue operating at our best and ensures stable and well-paying jobs for years to come.” Construction of the new line is scheduled to start in 2023 and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2024. #PepsiBottlingVentures #US

Bubly has teamed up with SodaStream to add new flavours to its Bounce portfolio. Bubly Bounce for SodaStream is now available in three flavours: Triple Berry, Citrus Cherry and Blueberry Pomegranate The drops contain 19mg of caffeine, no calories and no sweeteners. Bubly Bounce comes in an eco-friendly glass bottle that yields up to 12 litres (or 33 cans) of flavoured sparkling water. “We are elated to continue our successful relationship with Bubly by launching Bubly Vounce drops for SodaStream,” said Mark Fenton, general manager at SodaStream US. “Here at SodaStream, we are always ideating new, convenient, and sustainable ways to bring beverages people love directly to their homes. We hope this new launch awakens your tastebuds and adds some pep to your day.” Bubly Bounce drops for SodaStream are now available online for $5.99, and will roll out to retailers nationwide in the US next month. #Bubly #US #SodaStream #Bounce #caffeine

Fomento Económico Mexicano, known as Femsa, has announced a CHF 1.1 billion (approx. $1.15 billion) cash takeover of Swiss kiosk operator Valora. Femsa operates the largest convenience store chain in Mexico and Latin America, controls Coca-Cola Femsa, the world’s top Coca-Cola bottler, and is the second largest shareholder in Heineken. Valora has around 2,700 small-scale points of sale located across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, with brands including Brezelkönig and Caffè Spettacolo. The company is also one of the world’s leading producers of pretzels. Femsa is looking to use the takeover as a means to expand into Europe. The company’s CEO Daniel Rodriguez said in a conference call, cited by Reuters, that Femsa sees Valora as “an entrance gate” to the continent. The registered office and headquarters of Valora will remain in Muttenz, Switzerland, and the company will continue to operate under its current name. In a separate statement, Rodriguez said: “Femsa and Valora have each been around for well over one hundred years and both companies have developed successful business models and strong corporate cultures”. “Having built a significant store base and convenience and logistics expertise in Latin America during the past four decades, Femsa has been looking for a platform to grow and develop our proximity retail business in markets outside of Latin America.” He continued: “Valora has earned an excellent reputation in the international convenience and foodservice business with its sophisticated concept of innovative formats at high-traffic locations and we look forward to further expanding on this strategy with the continued support of Valora’s management, who will together with the Valora team members play a key role in our plans for the company’s future”. The offer, which is subject to customary terms and conditions as well as regulatory approvals, is expected to be settled at the end of September or the beginning of October. #Europe #Femsa #Mexico #ValoraHoldings

Borg & Overström has unveiled its new B6 water dispenser, which instantly dispenses water in up to four ways: chilled, ambient, sparkling and hot. The B6 features Borg & Overström’s signature innovations, such as its Dry Chill, a cooling technology that provides freshly chilled and adjustable water temperatures between 2° and 11°C; Totality, a hygiene-assured refreshment that provides water safety and quality cleanliness; and Eco mode, a software that helps end-users save energy by automatically regulating B6’s idle state without having to overuse an on/off switch. Available in black and silver, the company said B6 “boasts elite-level dispensing capacity”, with its chilled and sparkling output reaching 50 litres per hour. A spokesperson for Borg & Overström told FoodBev: “[The B6 water dispenser has] been prepared to suit a global launch to all countries where we currently have a customer base. But due to it being 100% our own in-house design and manufacture it can be developed to suit any country’s requirements, and therefore our first truly versatile dispenser – suitable for any nationality and environment.” #BorgampOverström #waterdispenser

Singaporean robotics firm Ross Digital has secured SGD $4.2 million (approx. $3 million) in a Series A funding round led by food conglomerate Fraser and Neave. The funding round included participation from existing investors Frasers Property and zVentures, the corporate venture arm of Razer. Ross will use the capital to accelerate the development of new products and to expand into Thailand and Malaysia. The company is also partnering with Fraser and Neave to distribute its range of robotic, automation, digital and AI solutions in Southeast Asia. Ross, which is a robotics and automation business focused on food and beverage, has already deployed 15 robotic arms in the region, including to Martell Cognac, Timber+, Coffee & Toast and RazerCafe. The company is aiming to install another 40 into the market by the end of the year. “It is very exciting for us to be able to partner with a food and beverage industry leader like Fraser and Neave who would be able to help build the future of the food and beverage industry within the region,” said Gavin Pathross, Ross founder and CEO. “Through this investment and strategic partnership, we believe that we will be able to leverage off each other’s strengths to deliver phenomenal new market offerings for the more discerning Gen Z consumers.” Ross has now raised SGD $21.2 million (approx. $15.2 million) since its inception in 2017. #robotics #RossDigital #Singapore