What Ribena does

Ribena is a UK heritage consumer packaged goods brand specializing in blackcurrant-flavored beverages, founded in 1938 and currently owned and operated by Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd. (LRS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suntory Beverage & Food Europe within the global Suntory Group. The brand manufactures and distributes three principal format categories — ready-to-drink bottles (250ml–1L), ready-to-drink cartons (250ml–1L), and dilutable squash concentrates (850ml–1.5L) — across an extensive flavor portfolio that extends well beyond the original blackcurrant into strawberry, summer fruit, very berry, mango & lime, pineapple & passion fruit, apple, cherry, raspberry, sparkling, and seasonal winter spice variants, many of which are offered in no-added-sugar formulations. All products are made with 100% British blackcurrants sourced from 34 dedicated farms, with variants positioned as suitable for vegetarians and vegans, gluten-free, and free from artificial colors. Functional claims include 100% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C per serving (excluding Ribena Sparkling) and no more than 4.5g of sugar per 100ml across the range.

The business model is conventional CPG wholesale and retail distribution. Ribena generates revenue through branded beverage sales across major UK supermarket chains, high-street convenience stores, independent retailers, and the Amazon marketplace. Manufacturing is concentrated at a single heritage site in Coleford, Forest of Dean, which has been in operation since 1947, while the operating entity is registered in Uxbridge. Marketing is delivered through television advertising, Facebook, Instagram, and the ribena.co.uk website; pricing is not publicly disclosed and the direct-to-consumer web shop was reported to be under review at the time of data collection, with consumers redirected to Amazon and supermarket websites. The primary customer segment is UK consumer households, particularly health-conscious parents and children, with a secondary persona targeting vegetarians and vegans. The company has no disclosed AI, software, or technology platform component to its offering, and operates as a single-category beverage brand within a much larger multinational corporate parent.

Name

Ribena

Legal name

Lucozade Ribena Suntory Limited

Website

https://ribena.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ribena is a UK heritage consumer packaged goods brand owned by Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd. that produces and distributes blackcurrant-flavored dilutable squash, ready-to-drink cartons, and bottles across UK retail and online channels, targeting family households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Soft Drinks

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks (Juice Drinks, Lemonades, Fruit Drinks) (CRADAHAB)

Keywords

• Blackcurrant soft drinks
• Fruit beverages
• Dilutable squash
• Ready to drink
• Vitamin c drinks

Headquarters

HQ city

Uxbridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Beverage Sales: Ribena generates revenue through the sale of its consumer beverage products including ready-to-drink bottles, cartons, and dilutable squash. Products are sold through retail distribution partners (supermarkets, convenience stores, independent retailers) and the Amazon marketplace. Revenue is derived from consumer product sales at various price points across multiple product variants and sizes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ribena is a UK consumer beverage brand that manufactures and distributes blackcurrant-based soft drinks. The product range is delivered in three format categories: ready-to-drink bottles (500ml, 850ml), ready-to-drink cartons (250ml, 1 litre), and dilutable squash/concentrate (850ml, 1.5L). The portfolio includes the original Blackcurrant flavour and numerous variants such as Strawberry, Very Berry, Summer Fruit, Apple, Cherry, Raspberry, Mango & Lime, Pineapple & Passion Fruit, and Winter Spice, with many available in No Added Sugar formulations.

Product overview

Ribena is a brand of fruit-flavored beverages and cordials owned by Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd. The product portfolio consists of three main format categories: Ready-to-Drink Bottles (250ml-1L), Ready-to-Drink Cartons (250ml-1L), and Dilutable Squash/Concentrate (850ml-1.5L). The core product is the Blackcurrant drink, with numerous flavor variants including Strawberry, Summer Fruit, Very Berry, Apple, Cherry, Raspberry, Mango & Lime, Pineapple & Passion Fruit, and Winter Spice. Many variants are available in No Added Sugar formulations. All products are made with British blackcurrants sourced from 34 dedicated farms, with variants suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, containing no gluten or artificial colors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ribena Blackcurrant The original Ribena blackcurrant soft drink made with 100% British Blackcurrants, sold in ready-to-drink bottles (500ml), cartons (250ml, 1 litre), and dilutable squash (850ml) formats for UK household consumption.
• Ribena Light - Blackcurrant (No Added Sugar)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C per serving (excluding Ribena Sparkling)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Blackcurrant FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Ribena partners with the Blackcurrant Foundation to support British blackcurrant growers. This partnership is central to the brand's commitment to British sourcing and sustainable farming practices, helping protect farmers and the fruit they grow.
• James Hutton InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRibena partners with the James Hutton Institute, a leading research organization in plant science and agriculture. The partnership supports research and development in blackcurrant cultivation and sustainable farming practices.
• Farming and Wildlife Advisory GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRibena collaborates with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group to implement biodiversity practices in blackcurrant farming. This partnership is part of the brand's 6 Point Plan for sustainability.
• 34 Dedicated British FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRibena sources from 34 dedicated farms across the British Isles, establishing long-term relationships with growers to ensure consistent supply of British blackcurrants. These partnerships are fundamental to the brand's commitment to 100% British sourcing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Capri-Sun: Capri-Sun is a leading children's pouch-format juice drink sold in UK supermarkets and convenience, directly competing with Ribena's 250ml juice cartons for the same kids' lunchbox and family occasions.
• Sunquick: Sunquick is an international cordial/concentrate orange drink brand competing with Ribena in the dilutable squash format across UK and European grocery, particularly for value-oriented family buyers.
• Vimto (Nichols plc): Vimto is a UK soft drink concentrate and RTD brand (grape, raspberry, blackcurrant mix) competing head-to-head with Ribena in the squash, school lunchbox and family occasion segments across UK grocery and convenience channels.
• Ocean Spray: Ocean Spray is a fruit-juice cooperative brand selling cranberry juice drinks and juice cocktails in UK grocery, comparable to Ribena as a single-fruit-identity juice beverage with health credentials.
• Innocent Drinks: Innocent is a UK/Coca-Cola-owned smoothies and juice brand targeting health-conscious parents and adults, overlapping with Ribena's no-added-sugar RTD variants and family/health occasion segments.
• Robinsons (Britvic): Robinsons is a UK heritage brand of dilutable squashes and fruit juices owned by Britvic, directly comparable to Ribena in product format (concentrate and ready-to-drink), flavour positioning, and UK grocery distribution.
• J2O (Britvic): J2O is a Britvic-owned premium juice-based ready-to-drink brand in the UK, overlapping with Ribena's RTD juice drinks on shelf space, adult occasion and flavour innovation.

Broad incumbents

• Tropicana (PepsiCo): Tropicana is a major fruit juice and juice-drink brand in UK retail, serving a similar refreshment and Vitamin C-rich occasion as Ribena with comparable chilled and ambient shelf formats.
• Lucozade (Lucozade Ribena Suntory): Lucozade is Ribena's sister brand under the same parent Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd., operating in adjacent energy/sports drink categories and sharing UK distribution, marketing, and Suntory back-office infrastructure.
• Tizer (A.G. Barr): Tizer is a historic UK red soft-drink brand owned by A.G. Barr, sitting in the same mass-market UK soft drinks aisle as Ribena across supermarkets and convenience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RibenaUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/ribenauk
• Xx.com/ribenauk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ribena

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ribena