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Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I has announced a major flavour innovation for its heritage brand Ribena, unveiling a new Summer Fruits variant. Rolling out across grocery, convenience, and wholesale channels starting 3 March, the launch is strategically designed to drive incremental category growth across both the squash and ready-to-drink (RTD) segments.

The launch capitalises on significant momentum for the brand. Following a modernised packaging update and its multi-million-pound ‘No Taste Like Home’ campaign in 2025, Ribena reported above-category growth, with value up 8% and volume up 3%.

The Power of 'Summer Fruits'

The introduction of this specific flavour profile is heavily backed by UK market data. The wider UK soft drinks category is currently valued at £11.9 billion (up 8.2% year-on-year). Within this space, "Summer Fruits" has proven to be a highly lucrative profile, currently ranking as the 3rd most popular flavour in squash and the 5th most popular in RTD formats.

By applying this proven flavour architecture to the Ribena masterbrand—which currently commands a 20% market share within the £132.7m total juice drinks segment—Suntory aims to encourage shoppers to trade up to a trusted household name.

Sarah Fleetwood, Head of Brand for Ribena, highlighted the strategy: "We set out to create ‘summer in a bottle’ by blending a combination of quintessentially British summer fruits... We know flavour innovation is key for consumers looking for a flavourful twist to their refreshment occasions, so the launch of Ribena Summer Fruits not only speaks to this trend but is also set to reinforce Ribena’s strong position within the UK soft drinks market."

Formulation and Format Strategy

In line with the overarching industry shift towards "better-for-you" options, Ribena Summer Fruits is formulated as a No Added Sugar product. It is crafted with real apple and strawberry fruit juices, enhanced with natural raspberry and blackberry flavourings, and delivers 100% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C in every serving.

To capture multiple consumption occasions—from at-home family use to on-the-go impulse purchases—the product will debut in three distinct formats:

• 850ml Squash Bottle (Take-home)

• 500ml RTD Bottle (Immediate consumption/Convenience)

• 250ml Carton (Lunchbox/Kids)

Heavyweight Media Support

To guarantee high visibility and drive rate of sale (ROS) for retailers, the launch will be backed by a substantial media investment. An integrated TV campaign will commence on 6 April, building on the nostalgic 'No Taste Like Home' creative platform.

Suntory estimates the upcoming media push will reach 85 million impressions, effectively putting the new product in front of 75.4% of all families in the UK as the pivotal spring and summer trading periods approach.