Carlsberg will retain Britvic Ireland as a standalone soft drinks business, with Managing Director Kevin Donnelly remaining at the helm and no roles impacted in the company’s Irish operations. Britvic Ireland will continue to produce and sell its portfolio of soft drinks, including Ballygowan, MiWadi, Club, Cidona and TK, while Diageo will continue to sell Carlsberg alcoholic brands in Ireland.

Britvic Ireland has been manufacturing iconic soft drinks at Kylemore Road in Ballyfermot for the past 50 years and has been bottling Ballygowan at Newcastle West in Limerick for 35 years. The company remains the only large-scale soft drinks manufacturer in the Republic of Ireland, employing over 400 people. Today’s deal establishes Britvic Ireland as the only standalone soft drink company in Carlsberg’s Western Europe operations.

Søren Brinck, Carlsberg Group EVP Western Europe, said;

“This marks a pivotal milestone in the history of the Carlsberg Group as we welcome the acquisition of Britvic Ireland. Carlsberg Group has extensive and successful experience with soft drinks in various markets, and Britvic Ireland has an exciting portfolio of brands and products that are beloved in the Irish market. With the acquisition, Carlsberg also further strengthens its existing relationship with PepsiCo and will now become their largest bottling partner in Europe.

This deal brings together two businesses with strong values, growth ambitions, and a determination to positively contribute to communities, industry, and the planet.  We believe that our combined strengths will help us succeed as we plan for a better tomorrow together.”  

Kevin Donnelly, Managing Director of Britvic Ireland, said;

“At Britvic Ireland we are very grateful for 16 wonderful years as part of Britvic PLC. We are excited to join the Carlsberg Group, a larger and more global business.   We look forward to accessing increased investment and capability to continue our growth journey and are confident that this acquisition will bring about exciting opportunities for the development of our brands, teams and operations.”

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• Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney TD, welcomed the investment announcement and 28 new jobs in Newcastle West, Co.Limerick
• The investment will provide additional bottling capacity for the equivalent of 50 million fully recycled and recyclable bottles

Britvic Ireland has announced an investment of €6 million in its Ballygowan facility in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, to grow the site’s production capacity by over 20% in order to meet growing consumer demand for Ballygowan mineral water, and the creation of 28 new jobs.

In addition to the new manufacturing roles, the investment will provide additional bottling capacity for the equivalent of 50 million fully recycled and recyclable 500ml bottles of Ballygowan, enhance production capability, and underpin the strong sustainability credentials of the site.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney TD, said:

“I’d like to congratulate Britvic Ireland on their announcement of a €6 million investment at their facility in Newcastle West, Co.Limerick which will support the growth, expansion, and sustainability credentials of one of Ireland’s best-known water brands, Ballygowan. I warmly welcome the creation of 28 new manufacturing roles at the facility, and the strategic investment in the sustainable, long-term production of Ballygowan mineral water.”  

Kevin Donnelly, Managing Director at Britvic Ireland, said: “We are delighted to welcome Minister Simon Coveney to Newcastle West, the home and source of Ballygowan, to mark the announcement of a €6 million investment which will grow our production capacity by over 20% and create 28 new jobs. This investment will create new manufacturing roles for the local area, provide additional bottling capacity for the equivalent of 50 million 500ml bottles of Ballygowan made from fully recycled and recyclable plastic, enhance production capability, and underpin the strong sustainability credentials of our site. We are incredibly proud of this latest milestone in Ballygowan’s journey as Ireland’s most loved and leading bottled water brand, and the benefits this investment will return for Britvic Ireland and the wider community in Newcastle West.”  

Ballygowan is Ireland’s number one bottled water brand, and consumer demand has grown steadily in recent years with sales of Ballygowan products undergoing strong double digit volume growth compared to pre-Covid levels. Newcastle West is the home and source of Ballygowan mineral water, which has been produced and bottled at source since 1984.  Britvic Ireland have been a local employer in Newcastle West since 2007, and the facility currently employs 55 people in addition to the newly announced roles.

Ballygowan bottles are made from 100% recycled and recyclable plastic (rPET), following a €2 million investment in the Newcastle West facility in 2021. When recycled correctly, rPET bottles can be reused continuously, becoming a key contributor to the circular economy and removing virgin plastic from the supply chain.

Britvic Ireland is a leading soft drinks company, and their portfolio includes iconic brands such as Ballygowan, MiWadi, Pepsi, Club and TK.

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