What The SHS Group does

The SHS Group is a privately held, Belfast-headquartered FMCG group founded in 1975 that owns and manages a portfolio of consumer brands across drinks, food, and household categories, while also acting as a sales, marketing, and distribution partner for third-party household brands. The company operates through five divisions — SHS Drinks, SHS Agency, Household, SHS Food, and Group Business Solutions — and runs seven manufacturing and office sites across the UK and Ireland, supported by 1,100+ employees and a supply chain spanning more than 35 countries. Owned brands include WKD, Shloer, bottlegreen, Merrydown, Meridian, Crucials, Rocks, British Pepper & Spice, Edwards 1902, and ZIP Fires, alongside Group Business Solutions' private-label and co-packing capabilities.

SHS generates revenue primarily through (i) manufacturing and selling its owned brand portfolio to major UK and Irish grocery multiples — including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado, and Aldi — (ii) private-label manufacturing and co-packing for retailers and other food manufacturers via Group Business Solutions, and (iii) agency-based distribution and brand representation for third-party household names through SHS Agency and the dedicated SHS Sales & Marketing entities covering GB, NI, and ROI. Its go-to-market combines sales-led retail relationships with on-trade and experiential activations (e.g., Stonegate pub partnerships, Gloucester Rugby sponsorship, influencer campaigns), plus trade marketing through Grocer trade publications and dedicated consumer marketing for each brand.

Underlying technology is conventional FMCG: bottling, cordial and juice production, condiment and sauce manufacturing, nut butter processing, and charcoal/fire-lighting packing. SHS's differentiators are brand equity built over 50 years, distribution scale, retailer relationships, and an expanding co-branded product strategy (Jamie Oliver, Halen Môn, Edwards 1902). Recent strategic direction includes bolt-on acquisitions (Shandy Shack, 2024), expanded celebrity/foodie partnerships, leadership transition to ex-Asda commercial director Paul Gillow in January 2025, and deepening single-retailer exclusivities (Tesco, ASDA). No disclosed funding, M&A multiples, or revenue figures are publicly available; the company remains under private ownership.

Name

The SHS Group

Legal name

SHS Group Limited

Website

https://shs-group.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

SHS Group is a privately owned, Belfast-headquartered FMCG company founded in 1975, operating five divisions across drinks, food, and household categories with 1,100+ employees, manufacturing owned brands (WKD, Shloer, bottlegreen, Meridian, ZIP) and distributing third-party brands to major UK and Irish retailers across 35+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Packaged Goods

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Nuts, Seeds & Trail Mix Snacks (CRADABAF)

Keywords

• Fast moving consumer goods
• Branded beverages
• Food condiments
• Private label manufacturing
• Brand portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Owned Brand Sales: Revenue from manufacturing and selling the Group's portfolio of owned brands including WKD, Shloer, bottlegreen, Merrydown, Meridian, Crucials, Rocks, ZIP Fires, British Pepper & Spice across UK and Ireland retailers.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufacturing capabilities for retailer private label products across condiments, sauces, and grocery categories.
3. Brand Partnerships/Distribution: SHS Agency and Sales & Marketing divisions represent and distribute well-known household brands for third parties.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The SHS Group is a privately owned FMCG brand owner and service provider that manufactures and distributes a diverse portfolio of owned and partner brands across drinks (WKD, Shloer, bottlegreen, Merrydown, Rocks, Edwards 1902), food (Meridian nut butters, Crucials sauces, British Pepper & Spice condiments) and household (ZIP Fires) categories. The group supplies products to major UK and Irish retailers and also offers private label manufacturing, co-packing, and brand partnership services through its five operating divisions.

Product overview

The SHS Group is a UK & Ireland-based Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company operating as a multi-brand portfolio business organized into three main divisions. The SHS Drinks division encompasses alcoholic beverages (WKD, Merrydown, Edwards 1902) and soft drinks (Shloer, bottlegreen, Rocks). The SHS Food division includes sauces and condiments (Crucials, British Pepper & Spice) and nut butters (Meridian). The Household division covers charcoal and fire products (ZIP). Additional offerings include SHS Agency for marketing services and Group Business Solutions for private label manufacturing. The group serves retail, foodservice, and wholesale channels across UK and Ireland markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SHS Drinks: Drinks division operating brands including WKD, Shloer, Merrydown, bottlegreen, Rocks Squash, and Edwards 1902 vodka
• SHS Agency
• SHS Food
• Household
• Group Business Solutions
• Meridian
• Crucials
• WKD
• Shloer
• Merrydown
• bottlegreen
• British Pepper & Spice
• ZIP Fires

Products and services

• WKD Alcoholic ready-to-drink brand offering a range of pre-mixed flavoured beverages targeting young adult consumers across on-trade and off-trade channels.
• Shloer Non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice drinks brand providing adult-oriented soft drink alternatives to sparkling wines and spirits.
• bottlegreen Premium cordials and sparkling pressés brand offering sophisticated non-alcoholic drink options for adult consumers and on-trade mixers.
• Merrydown Heritage apple cider brand offering Original, Dry, and Crisp Apple variants in 750ml glass bottles.
• Rocks Squash Squash brand offering concentrated drink mixers in flavours including Orange and Blackcurrant.
• Edwards 1902 Premium English potato vodka brand, also produced in co-branded bottlegreen elderflower vodka liqueur expressions.
• Meridian Natural nut butters and peanut butter brand with specialty breakfast ranges, holding 13% UK market share with nearly £18 million annual value sales.
• Crucials Sauces brand offering a range of condiment products including yoghurt & mint and garlic mayo, listed in major UK retailers.
• British Pepper & Spice Herbs and spices brand providing cooking ingredients and curry/meal pastes for retail and foodservice markets under Jamie Oliver partnership.
• ZIP Fires 100% Natural charcoal and fire lighting products targeting outdoor cooking and BBQ market, including Great Bags of Fire range.
• Group Business Solutions Business solutions services providing private label manufacturing and co-packing capabilities across food and drink categories for retail and brand-owning customers.
• SHS Agency Marketing, sales and distribution agency services managing brand partnerships and representing well-known household brands alongside the Group's own portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 consecutive GroceryAid Gold Awards demonstrates sustained commitment to industry partnerships
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered key, supporting and core.

• Halen MônkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026Meridian launched first-ever co-branded range with Welsh salt producer Halen Môn, featuring Smooth Peanut Butter with Anglesey Sea Salt and Crunchy Peanut Butter with Anglesey Sea Salt. Both products made with only two ingredients: peanuts and Anglesey sea salt, launching exclusively in ASDA.
• Gloucester RugbykeyGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Crucials is the new back-of-shirt sponsor for Gloucester Rugby for the 2025/26 season, with branding featured across all three men's match kits. Includes fanzone activations at Kingsholm Stadium with sauce sampling, fan interaction, and prize giveaways.
• CoppaFeel! and Breast Cancer NowsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Shloer Pink Boobly partnership with Asda's Tickled Pink campaign. 10% of proceeds from every bottle sold donated to CoppaFeel! and Breast Cancer Now supporting breast cancer awareness, education, and research.
• Jamie OliverkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2025British Pepper & Spice expanded partnership with Jamie Oliver, taking on manufacturing of curry pastes and meal pastes. Four curry pastes (Korma, Keralan, Tikka Masala, Madras) launched exclusively in Tesco, followed by four meal pastes (Classic Cottage Pie, Brilliant Bolognese, Deep Dark Stew, Smoky Fajita).
• StonegatecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025WKD launched first on-trade focused campaign in collaboration with Stonegate. The WKD Blue Bus toured Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool supporting 12 Stonegate venues with high-energy student activations to drive footfall and brand visibility.
• Edwards 1902keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2023bottlegreen teamed up with Edwards 1902 to create first all-British co-branded elderflower vodka liqueur. The 20% ABV liqueur blends smooth single-estate potato vodka with elderflower cordial. Awarded gold medal at Spirits Business Vodka Masters 2023.
• Peter SawkinssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021bottlegreen partnered with Great British Bake Off 2020 winner Peter Sawkins to create food and drinks recipes using bottlegreen cordials, including bespoke baking recipes and drinkable desserts.
• SedexsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSHS Group uses Sedex as key tool in sustainability risk analysis across the Group. Sedex tools and services help sites work with suppliers to ensure safe, ethical and sustainable practices.
• FareShare / Company ShopsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FareShare and Company Shop to ensure edible surplus stays in the food chain and is not wasted, supporting sustainability goals.
• Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHS Group adheres to ETI Base Code principles along with specific customer ethical standards as part of supplier management processes.
• Business in the Community (BITC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHS Group is member of BITC, promoting responsible business practices. Received BITC NI Core Responsible Business Standard accreditation and sponsors BITC NI Responsible Business Awards.
• GroceryAidsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHS Group has been proud supporter of GroceryAid since 1984, the industry charity supporting people in grocery, provisions and off-license sectors. Awarded Gold Award for 17 consecutive years.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tate & Lyle plc: Larger UK-listed food ingredients and sweeteners group. Adjacent peer given overlapping UK food manufacturing footprint, multi-decade heritage, and private-label supply capability similar to SHS Group Business Solutions.
• Nomad Foods Limited: European-listed frozen food group (Birds Eye, Findus). Comparable at category-management and UK retailer-list level, though operating in frozen rather than ambient grocery.
• PZ Cussons plc: UK-listed consumer products group (Imperial Leather, Original Source, Carex). Comparable as a multi-brand UK FMCG operator with international distribution and similar retailer-channel economics, though focused on personal care rather than food and beverage.

Direct peers

• C&C Group plc: Listed cider, beer, and soft drinks group owning Bulmers/Magners and Tennent's. Direct comparable for SHS's Merrydown cider brand and overall UK/Ireland beverage distribution model.
• AG Barr plc: UK-listed soft drinks manufacturer best known for Irn-Bru and Rubicon. Comparable to SHS as a privately-aligned, multi-brand UK soft drinks operator with similar retailer-channel dependence and category overlap (squash, sparkling pressés).
• Premier Foods plc: UK-listed multi-brand CPG manufacturer owning Mr. Kipling, Bisto, Ambrosia, and Oxo. Highly comparable to SHS as a multi-category branded grocery portfolio dependent on the same UK retailer customer base, with similar brand-management and private-label business models.
• McBride plc: UK-listed private-label household products manufacturer. Direct comparable for SHS's Household division and Group Business Solutions private-label operations, sharing UK retailer customer base and contract-manufacturing economics.
• Britvic plc: UK-listed soft drinks manufacturer and brand owner (PepsiCo bottler in UK and Ireland, plus own brands like Robinsons and J2O). Direct peer to SHS Drinks division, sharing the same UK grocery and on-trade customer channels and a multi-brand soft drinks portfolio.

Regional players

• Marston's plc: UK brewer and pub operator. Adjacent comparison for on-trade distribution of SHS brands (WKD, bottlegreen) in UK pubs and venues, though operating on the venue side rather than as a brand owner.

Emerging players

• Fevertree Drinks plc: UK-listed premium mixer brand. Comparable to bottlegreen as a UK-based premium adult-beverage brand distributed through UK retailers and on-trade, though with greater specialisation and scale in a single category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A3 records

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about The SHS Group