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Britvic

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Employees 1001-5000
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FY2019 Annual Report · Britvic
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Enjoying life’s 
everyday moments

Annual Report and Accounts 2019

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Britvic’s commitment to building 
brands, continuous innovation and 
sustainability, alongside its renewed 
focus on creating a culture of winning 
together, sets us up to be the world’s 
most dynamic soft drinks company.

Britvic in 
numbers

Chief Executive 
Officer’s statement

2

Chairman’s 
statement

7

6

Cautionary note regarding forward- 
looking statements
This report includes statements that are forward-looking 
in nature. Forward-looking statements involve known and 
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may 
cause the actual results, performance or achievements of 
the Group to be materially different from any future results, 
performance or achievements expressed or implied by 
such forward-looking statements. Except as required by 
the Listing Rules and applicable law, Britvic undertakes 
no obligation to update or change any forward-looking 
statements to reflect events occurring after the date 
such statements are published.

Strategic Report
2  Britvic in numbers
4  Our business at a glance
5  Our brands
6  Chairman’s statement
7  Chief Executive Officer’s statement
10  Market drivers
12  Our business model
14  Our strategy at a glance
16  Our strategy overview
20  Creating stakeholder value
30  Chief Financial Officer’s review
34  Risk management
35  Principal risks and uncertainties
39  Viability statement

Corporate Governance
40  Chairman’s introduction
42  Board of Directors
44  Executive team
46  The Britvic governance framework
48  How the Board works
49  Board composition and diversity 
50  The Board in action
52  Effectiveness

54  Nomination Committee Report
56  Audit Committee Report
60  Directors’ Remuneration Report
66  Annual Report on Remuneration 
76  Directors’ Report
79  Statement of Directors’ responsibilities

Financial Statements
80 

Independent Auditor’s Report to the members 
of Britvic plc

86  Consolidated income statement
87  Consolidated statement of comprehensive 

income/(expense)

88  Consolidated balance sheet
89  Consolidated statement of cash flows
90  Consolidated statement of changes in equity
91  Notes to the consolidated financial statements
134 Company balance sheet
135 Company statement of changes in equity
136 Notes to the company financial statements

Additional Information
143 Shareholder information
146 Non-GAAP reconciliations
ibc  Glossary

Chief Financial 
Officer’s review

30

Corporate 
Governance

40

1

Creating 
stakeholder 
value

20

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Britvic in numbers

Strong performance and progress against our strategy. 
In 2019, we have continued to innovate to meet consumer 
needs, transform our supply chain and help consumers 
to make healthier choices. 

Financial Key Performance Indicators (‘KPIs’)

Revenue

£1,545.0m

+2.8%

Adjusted EBIT

£214.1m

+3.9%

Adjusted EBIT margin

13.9%

+20 basis points (‘bps’) 

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

 1,545.0 

2019

 1,503.6 

2018

 1,430.5 

2017

1,431.3 

2016

1,300.1 

2015

 214.1 

2019

 206.0 

2018

 195.5 

2017

 186.1 

2016

 171.6 

2015

 13.9 

13.7 

 13.7 

 13.0 

 13.2 

Alignment to strategy

Alignment to strategy

Alignment to strategy

Why do we measure this?
Revenue growth measures our ability 
to increase price and/or increase the 
volume sold.

Why do we measure this?
Adjusted EBIT measures the underlying 
profitability of the company, excluding any 
one-off costs.

Why do we measure this?
Adjusted EBIT margin measures the 
underlying profitability of the company, 
excluding any one-off costs.

Performance
Revenue increased by 2.8%, including 
the impact of foreign exchange movements 
and the impact of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy 
(‘SDIL’) in the UK and Sugar Sweetened Drinks 
Tax (‘SSDT’) in Ireland. Organic revenue, which 
excludes these impacts, increased by 1.4%.

Performance
Adjusted EBIT increased by 3.9%, including 
the impact of foreign exchange movements. 
Organic adjusted EBIT, which excludes the 
impact of currency, increased by 4.4%.

Performance
Adjusted EBIT margin increased 20 bps 
year on year including the impact of foreign 
exchange movements and the impact of the 
SDIL in the UK and SSDT in Ireland. Organic 
adjusted EBIT margin, which excludes these 
impacts, increased by 40 bps.

Profit after tax1 

£80.9m

(30.9%)

Adjusted earnings per share

Dividend per share 

59.8p

+6.2%

30.0p

+6.4%

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

80.9 

2019

 117.1 

2018

 111.6 

2017

 114.5 

2016

 103.8 

2015

 59.8 

2019

 56.3 

2018

 52.9 

2017

 49.3 

2016

 46.7 

2015

 30.0 

 28.2 

 26.5 

 24.5 

 23.0 

Alignment to strategy

Alignment to strategy

Alignment to strategy

Why do we measure this?
Profit after tax is a statutory measure of 
financial performance which takes into 
account adjusted EBIT, interest, taxation 
and adjusting items. 

Performance
Profit after tax decreased 30.9%, due to 
inclusion of adjusting items of £84.6m. 
These included restructuring costs and the 
write-down of assets held for sale. 

Why do we measure this?
Adjusted earnings per share measures the 
profit per share of the company and is used 
by investors to compare the performance of 
a company against peers.

Why do we measure this?
Dividend per share measure enables 
shareholders to calculate the amount 
of profit that is returned to them by the 
company in cash.

Performance
Adjusted earnings per share increased 6.2% 
due to the growth of adjusted EBIT, before 
interest and corporation tax.

Performance
Dividend per share increased 6.4%, 
reflecting our capital allocation policy of 
returning 50% of adjusted earnings per 
share as dividends.

1 

Adjusting items includes acquisition related amortisation of £10.4m, impairment charge relating to assets held for sale in France of £31.2m and other adjusting items of £42.5m. 
More detail provided on page 33.

2 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
Non-financial information statement 
The information on this page and incorporated by cross-reference complies with the relevant 
non-financial reporting regulations. The content shown below fulfils the requirements under 
section 414CB of the Companies Act for content on environmental matters, the company’s 
employees and social matters. Further information about targets, outcomes and impact in 
these areas can be found in the Creating stakeholder value section on the pages indicated. 
Content on human rights can be found on page 26. Content on anti-bribery and corruption 
and a description of the company’s approach to policy compliance can be found on page 77, 
and information on the company’s business model can be found on pages 12 – 13. 
Non-financial KPIs

Alignment to strategy key

Generate profitable growth in our 
core markets
Realise global opportunities in kids, 
family and adult categories
Continue to step-change our 
business capability

Build trust and respect in our communities

Great Place to Work trust index

Women in leadership

Average calories per 250ml

77%

2019

2018

2017

2016

38%

27.5 kcal

 77%* 

2019

 73% 

2018

 75% 

2017

 72% 

2016

 38%† 

2019

33% 

2018

33% 

2017

35% 

2016

 27.5† 

 31.3 

 35.3 

 36.0 

Alignment to strategy

Alignment to strategy

Alignment to strategy

Principal risk:
Talent – see page 38

Related policies
Code of Conduct, Equality and Diversity 
Policy, Employee Community Fund Policy, 
Safe Driving Policy, Family Leave Policy, 
Whistleblowing Policy

Principal risk:
Talent – see page 38

Related policies
Equality and Diversity Policy 

Principal risk:
Health concerns – see page 35

Related policies
Responsible Marketing Code 

Further information
Employee engagement on page 24

Further information
Diversity and inclusion on page 24

Further information
Consumers on page 22

Manufacturing carbon 
intensity ratio

27.41 kg CO2e/
tonnes product

Manufacturing energy from 
renewable sources

Primary plastic packaging removed in 
GB through light-weighting

46% 

619 tonnes 

2019

2018

2017

2016

27.41†

2019

26.64

2018

30.23

2017

 30.02

2016

46%† 

2019

 28%

2018

18%

2017

619 

598 

308 

 7%

- 
2016

Lightweighting programme started in 2016 

Alignment to strategy

Alignment to strategy

Alignment to strategy

Principal risk:
Sustainability and environment –  
see page 36

Related policies
Healthier Planet Policy, Ethical 
Business Policy

Further information
Climate action on page 27

Principal risk:
Sustainability and environment –  
see page 36

Related policies
Healthier Planet Policy, Ethical 
Business Policy

Further information
Climate action on page 27

Principal risk:
Sustainability and environment –  
see page 36

Related policies
Healthier Planet Policy, Sustainable 
Packaging Policy

Further information
Packaging and the circular economy 
on page 28

*  Our 2019 Great Place to Work survey excluded our France and Norwich sites.

† 

Figure independently assured by Ernst & Young LLP as part of a limited assurance engagement.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

3

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic Report
Our business at a glance

Britvic sets itself apart from its competitors through our 
unrivalled combination of market leading brands and track 
record in innovation, our expert knowledge of the soft drinks 
market, longstanding and sustainable relationships with our 
partners, including PepsiCo, and a highly talented and 
engaged workforce. 

Our purpose
Making life’s everyday moments more enjoyable

We have a clear strategy that is designed to realise our ambition to become the most dynamic,  
creative and trusted soft drinks company in the world:

Generate profitable  
growth in our  
core markets

Realise global  
opportunities in kids, family  
and adult categories

Continue to step-change  
our business capability

Build trust and respect 
in our communities

Read more about our strategy on page 14

Our values

Win together

Be open

Act with pace

Be bold

Be disciplined

Be proud

Read more about our values on page 24

Our culture
Our workforce is central to our ability to succeed. As we transform our culture and capabilities to meet  
future challenges, our employees’ integrity, pride and spirit are paramount. We will continue to focus 
on employee engagement to create a culture we are proud of and deliver our long-term success. 

Read more about our culture on page 24

4 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Our brands

Adults

Volume by region

From left to right
Amé, Aqua Libra, Ballygowan Activ+, Ballygowan Sparkling Fruity, Ballygowan Still, Britvic Mixers, Cidona,  
Club Mixers, Drench, Energise Edge, Energise Sport, J2O, J2O Spritz, the London Essence Company (‘LEC’), 
Mathieu Teisseire, Monte Rosso, Moulin de Valdonne, Natural Tea, Purdey’s, Puro Coco, Robinsons Fruit 
Cordial, Robinsons Refresh’d, R Whites, Teisseire Gourmet Drops, Thomas & Evans, V Water

Families

Great Britain 

France 

Brazil 

Ireland 

International 

% share by region 

Million litres

70% 

10% 

9% 

9% 

2% 

1,656.8

240.2

222.2

211.9

49.8

Revenue by region

®

®

From left to right
Ballygowan, Bela Ischia, C&C, Club Orange, Club Zero, Da Fruta, Fruité, Maguary, MiWadi, MiWadi 
Mini, MiWadi 0% Sugar, Pressade, Robinsons, Robinsons Fruit Cordial, Robinsons Fruit Creations, 
Robinsons Refresh’d, Robinsons Squash’d, Tango, Teisseire, Teisseire Max, TK

Kids

Great Britain 

France 

Brazil 

Ireland 

International 

% share by region 

61% 

16% 

8% 

11% 

4% 

£m

945.4

244.9

124.8

175.8

54.1

TM

Brand contribution by region

From left to right
Ballygowan Kids, Fruit Shoot Hydro, Fruit Shoot Juiced, Maguary Fruit Shoot, Robinsons Fruit Shoot, 
Teisseire Fruit Shoot, Teisseire Fruit Shoot Au Jus

Portfolio

From left to right
7UP, 7UP Free, ARTO LifeWTR, Diet Pepsi, Gatorade, Lipton Ice Tea, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Pepsi MAX

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

Great Britain 

France 

Brazil 

Ireland 

International 

% share by region 

69% 

15% 

5% 

9% 

2% 

£m

377.0

80.0

28.3

52.0

11.3

5

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
Strategic Report
Chairman’s statement

Dividend
As a result of the financial progress made this year, the Board has 
proposed a final dividend of 21.7 pence, an increase of 6.9% on the 
2018 dividend. The full year dividend of 30.0 pence, represents a 6.4% 
increase on last year. 

Culture 
The Board and Executive team have a vital role to play in shaping 
and embedding a healthy corporate culture, and this continued to 
be a focus in 2019. Our responsible, inclusive and diverse culture, and 
the values by which we hold ourselves accountable, ensure that our 
colleagues consistently do the right thing for our stakeholders. Of 
course, there is always more to do and getting this culture right is 
critical to our success in an increasingly competitive environment. 

Directors 
In October last year we announced the resignation of Mathew Dunn 
as Chief Financial Officer. In his three years with Britvic he made a 
significant and positive impact and on behalf of the Board I thank him 
for his contribution. Following his resignation, the search for a new 
CFO began and I am delighted to report that in March this year we 
appointed Joanne Wilson to the role. Joanne joined us from Tesco, 
where her last role was CFO of dunnhumby, its data science 
subsidiary. With extensive commercial and retail, as well as financial, 
experience I believe she will be a real asset to the business in the 
years ahead.

The composition of the Board brings a range of views and 
experience to Britvic and both supports and challenges the Executive 
team in the execution of the strategy. The Board and the Executive 
team have spent time together this year shaping the strategic focus 
for the years ahead. As well as regular Board meetings, the Non-
Executives are on hand to support Simon and his team throughout the 
year and we make ourselves available to answer shareholder questions 
both at the Annual General Meeting (‘AGM’) and during the course 
of the year.

Remuneration 
Our approach to reward aims to link remuneration with the delivery 
of the Group’s key strategic objectives while delivering long-term, 
superior and sustainable returns to shareholders. We believe in 
offering fair remuneration, where colleagues are rewarded for 
performance aligned to the long-term sustainable success of 
the business. 

More information on how we ensure that our approach to 
remuneration supports our strategy is available in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report on page 60. 

Looking ahead 
Britvic has a fantastic portfolio of brands and a dedicated and 
passionate team working hard to deliver excellent outcomes. Britvic is 
in a strong position and the Board is confident that the strategy and the 
Britvic team will continue to deliver growth in the future. The AGM will 
be held at 11am on 31 January 2020 at the offices of Linklaters LLP, 
One Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8HQ, and we look forward to seeing 
you there. Further information is available in the Notice of Meeting 
which is available on the Britvic website at www.britvic.com/agm. 

John Daly 
Chairman 
27 November 2019

John Daly
Chairman

Review of the year
I am delighted to have the opportunity to write to you as we report 
our results. It is now two years since I was appointed Chairman and it 
has continued to be a pleasure to work with Simon and the rest of the 
Executive team and Board. Our 2019 results have delivered another 
year of revenue and adjusted EBIT growth, with revenue increasing 
2.8% to £1,545.0m and adjusted EBIT increasing 3.9% to £214.1m. 
Statutory profit after tax decreased by 30.9% as we incurred one-off 
costs, including costs related to our strategic supply chain project and, 
reflecting the fair value of assets held for sale relating to the proposed 
disposal of manufacturing facilities in France. 

During 2019, the Executive team has made further progress 

in executing the strategy, including: 

•  Developing the portfolio to meet emerging consumer needs by 

entering new categories and bringing premium offerings to existing 
brands in all our markets

•  Completing the Business Capability Programme (‘BCP’). The last 

four years have seen a significant investment in the fabric of the GB 
business, resulting in a transformational change to the supply chain 
infrastructure. As a Board we commend the Executive team for the 
delivery of this extensive project, which has been achieved without 
any major disruption to the day-to-day running of the business
•  Expanding the presence of the LEC brand into key cities around 
the world. At the same time taking the tough decision to focus 
on the Fruit Shoot single-serve market and terminate distribution 
of Fruit Shoot multi-pack in the United States. A sign of a strong 
management team is being able to recognise when an opportunity 
has run its course and look to refocus its energy elsewhere, and the 
premium adult category in the United States and further afield is an 
attractive one to invest in

•  Delivering another year of solid financial and strategic progress 

while overcoming significant macro challenges. This includes the 
backdrop of uncertainty as the Brexit discussions have continued 
across the year, requiring a measured response from the business 
to mitigate the risks that might otherwise arise

6 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Chief Executive Officer’s statement

Simon Litherland
Chief Executive Officer

Brtivic has delivered another strong financial performance, once again 
proving our resilience in a challenging and uncertain environment. 
Through the consistent execution of our strategy, our portfolio of 
fantastic brands and passionate and committed team, we have 
now delivered six years of continuous adjusted EBIT growth.

In 2019 we have grown revenue by 1.4%* to £1,545.0m, 

adjusted EBIT by 4.4%* to £214.1m, and adjusted EBIT margin by 
40 bps*. Since launching the strategy in 2013, we have delivered 
adjusted earnings per share CAGR of 9.2%, a dividend per share 
CAGR of 8.5% and total shareholder returns significantly ahead of 
both the FTSE100 and FTSE250.

Below are the performance headlines against our four 

strategic pillars:

Generate profitable growth in our core markets
GB
Against a backdrop of softer consumer demand, we have focused 
on consistent execution of our commercial plans, which has resulted 
in increased revenue and brand contribution in both our carbonates 
and stills brands. The GB soft drinks market (as measured by Nielsen) 
has continued to grow value at 2.3%, while volume declined 1.3%. 
As a year on year comparison, these figures must be set against the 
backdrop of exceptional summer weather in 2018. Our well-positioned 
portfolio benefited from the continued trend toward low and no sugar 
brands, with Robinsons, R Whites, Tango, Pepsi MAX and 7UP Free 
all in strong revenue growth.

The new Robinsons brand extensions launched last year have 
continued to be very successful, with the Cordials range the number 
one brand in the premium category. The combined retail market 
value of Creations and Cordials is £32m. Fruit Shoot performance 
has stabilised this year, gain+ing market value share, while J2O was 
in decline, driven by a weaker performance in the on-trade. Robinsons 
Refresh’d, Lipton Ice Tea and Purdey’s all grew strongly.

Pepsi had another very successful year, with revenue growth of 
over 6% and further gains in market share. The growth was driven by 
our continued focus on no sugar Pepsi MAX, including the continued 
success of the cola Taste Challenge campaign and the introduction  
of Pepsi MAX Raspberry – the biggest soft drinks launch of 2019. 
Pepsi MAX is now, by volume, the biggest cola variant in GB. During 
the year we also relaunched Tango, with a range of new flavours, a 
pack redesign and a multimedia marketing campaign. Tango revenue 
grew by 13%, gained market share and attracted 900,000 more 
shoppers – resulting in the brand’s highest retail market value in five 
years. While partially offset by declines in regular 7UP, we are delighted 
with the performance of 7UP Free, which is now the number one 
lemon and lime variant in GB.

France
It has been a challenging year in France, with performance particularly 
disappointing in the second half of the year, as both the private label 
and branded business performed below expectations. The introduction 
of the EGalim law earlier in the year has had a major impact. The 
law was introduced primarily to rebalance commercial relationships 
between smaller suppliers and retailers by specifying minimum limits 
on retailer margins and a maximum on supplier volumes sold on 
promotion. The consequence of this legislation is a price increase for 
our branded products, which has adversely impacted our volumes in 
the grocery channel. In this legislative environment, many companies 
have found their growth challenged and this has led to further intense 
competition across our branded portfolio. 

We recently announced that we were in exclusive discussions 

with Refresco over the potential sale of our three juice manufacturing 
sites in France, our private label juice business and the Fruité brand. 
The proposed transaction is subject to a consultation process with 
the relevant employee representatives, which is now underway, and 
competition clearance by the French Competition Authority. As part 
of the transaction, Pressade and Fruit Shoot would be supplied by 
Refresco under a long-term manufacturing agreement. The transaction 
will not affect the Teisseire and Moulin de Valdonne brands or the 
private label syrups business, which will continue to be manufactured 
at the remaining site in Crolles.

The proposed transaction would complete in spring 2020, 

creating a smaller but higher margin business in France, enabling 
the local management team to focus on growing our profitable 
brand portfolio.

* 

Constant exchange rate adjusts for constant currency and excludes the Soft Drinks 
Industry Levy (SDIL) in GB and the Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax (SSDT) in Ireland. 
Adjusting items includes acquisition related amortisation of £10.4m, impairment charge 
relating to assets held for sale in France of £31.2m and other adjusting items of £42.5m. 
Total adjusting items includes £0.5m in finance costs.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

7

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Strategic Report
Chief Executive Officer’s statement continued

Ireland
2019 was a more challenging year for the Irish business, compared 
to a strong performance following an exceptionally hot summer in 2018. 
While MiWadi and Pepsi MAX grew, we lost share overall due to the 
growth in the energy category, where we have a limited presence, and 
a softer performance in the water and full sugar carbonates categories. 
The Counterpoint wholesale business performance reflects a 
contraction in the on-trade channel, with third-party brands in the 
beer and cider categories under-performing.

Realise global opportunities in kids, family and  
adult categories
In Brazil, we have now delivered six consecutive quarters of 
revenue growth, with signs of improvement in the macroeconomic 
environment. We lead the liquid concentrates segment in Brazil and 
continue to take share through the development of our three brands; 
Maguary, Dafruta and Bela Ischia. Overall, the concentrates category 
performance has been subdued and we are currently developing new 
liquids and pack formats to lead its rejuvenation. 

Across the portfolio we have launched a range of new pack 

formats, enabling increased distribution across the different regions 
of Brazil. Fruit Shoot growth has been accelerated by the introduction 
of a smaller 150ml pack format, which has increased affordability and 
enabled distribution gains primarily in the North East region. We have 
also continued to expand our category presence across a number of 
new segments. Examples include our coconut water brand, Puro 
Coco, the Natural Tea range and Maguary Selecao, a premium 
grape juice.

In Brazil we buy and process fruit direct from the farm. Once 
our internal requirements are satisfied, our marketing company ‘Be 
Ingredient’ sells the remaining processed fruit to business customers 
around the world. Demand for this business is growing. We also now 
use our business in Brazil to procure certain fruits, on behalf of 
the Group, such as oranges and passionfruit. 

In the United States, despite the success achieved with 

increased distribution in Walmart from 2018, we do not believe 
sufficient momentum has been generated in Fruit Shoot multi-pack to 
build a sustainably profitable business. As a result, we have taken the 
decision to exit the multi-pack operation and refocus our resources in 
the United States on the growth opportunities in our partnership with 
PepsiCo for Fruit Shoot single serve and with London Essence, our 
premium mixers and sodas brand. 

More broadly internationally, we delivered double-digit revenue 

growth in Teisseire. This was led by the expansion of the premium 
Mathieu Teisseire range, targeted at flavouring coffee and alcohol, 
and the Zero sugar free range in grocery in the Netherlands, where 
revenue increased 37%. The travel and export channel also generated 
strong growth this year.

Continue to step-change our business capability
This year we completed our GB Business Capability Programme, 
which has transformed our supply chain infrastructure over the last 
three years. Over this time, we have installed 10 new production lines 
and three new on-site warehouses. We have also invested in the 
footprint of the supply chain to provide space for further expansion, 
and standardised the production processes across the sites, to help 
drive consistency and operational efficiency. During September 2019, 
the Norwich site closed, as we consolidated production at Rugby, 
London and Leeds. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our 
employees affected by the closure for their commitment to the very 
end, and I wish them well for the future.

The programme is delivering benefits ahead of previous 

guidance, with the final cost savings due to be realised in 2020. 
We will now move into the optimisation phase, focusing on our 
production and network efficiency through a continuous improvement 
programme, and on realising the substantial commercial benefits now 
at our disposal. We are enjoying significantly increased capacity, most 
notably in cans and 1.5 litre PET, where we have step-changed our 
ability to compete and are taking greatly increased market share as a 
result. We are also increasingly realising environmental benefits – using 
less power and less packaging, reducing road miles and utilising more 
renewable energy.

This programme has been a great achievement by all those 
involved, and I would like to thank the whole team for their dedication 
and commitment. Their hard work has left Britvic with an exciting 
platform for the future.

Creating a better tomorrow
Our ‘A Healthier Everyday’ sustainable business programme is at the 
heart of how we are making a positive difference to both people and 
planet. During 2019 we transformed our approach to governing our 
‘A Healthier Everyday’ strategy, combining our former Sustainable 
Business Committee with our Non-Financial Reporting Committee 
to form a new Environmental, Social and Governance (‘ESG’) 
Committee. A fuller description of its role and responsibilities can 
be found in the Creating stakeholder value section of the annual 
report on page 20.

Awareness and concern about climate change continued 
to increase around the world, with governments responding to citizen 
pressure and stepping up their carbon reduction commitments. We 
welcome these steps toward a low carbon economy, and we are proud 
to have set our own stretching science-based emissions reduction 
targets to ensure that our carbon strategy reflects the ambition and 
urgency required to keep the global temperature rise to within 1.5°C.

8 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Six reasons to invest in Britvic plc

1

2

3

4

5

6

Clearly there has also been considerable stakeholder focus on 
the environmental impact associated with non-recycled packaging, 
especially plastics. Britvic was a founding signatory to the UK Plastics 
Pact, and we are resolute in our determination to be part of the 
solution. Nearly 100% of our primary packaging is recyclable, and 
we encourage consumers to recycle every time they enjoy one of 
our products. We support the proposed UK Deposit Return Scheme, 
which will help to create a true circular economy for the recycling 
of packaging. 

We have entered into a long-term agreement with Esterform, 

the largest independent converter of PET in the UK, for the supply of 
recycled PET, an important milestone in Britvic’s sustainable business 
programme. We are committed to pursuing a sustainable packaging 
strategy and critical to achieving this is delivering a step-change 
reduction in the use of virgin PET in our packaging and an increase 
in the levels of rPET. Under the terms of the agreement, Esterform, 
will become Britvic’s preferred supplier of rPET in Great Britain and 
Ireland and Britvic will be providing £5m of investment support for 
the construction of new rPET manufacturing facilities at Esterform’s 
site in Leeds.

We are also committed to Britvic being a truly great place 

to be for all our employees. In 2019 our global Great Place to 
Work employee engagement score increased a further 4% to 84%, 
putting us firmly in the top quartile of global companies. In 2019 we 
relaunched our global Diversity & Inclusion (‘D&I’) strategy, B-Yourself, 
and set up a representative steering committee to lead this agenda 
across the organisation. This year we attained our target of 38% 
women in leadership roles across our organisation, and we are 
supported by a range of employee networks to promote every aspect 
of D&I among our workforce. By way of example, we are proud to 
have partnered with Stonewall, a leading LGBT+ charity, which works 
with institutions to create inclusive and accepting cultures, to ensure 
that they understand and value the huge benefits brought to them 
by LGBT+ people, and to empower them as advocates and agents 
of positive change. More broadly, as part of enhancing our total 
employee experience, we are focusing on creating an emotionally 
and psychologically healthy environment, where everyone who works 
for us can be their true selves and feel fully supported at work. We 
are launching a new total wellbeing framework in 2019 – My Life – 
to promote good mental and physical health, vitality and wellbeing 
across our organisation.

Outlook
While the current macro-economic environment remains uncertain, 
we do expect to make further progress in 2020, through the 
combination of our geographical presence, strong portfolio of brands 
and team of committed and passionate employees. Looking further 
ahead, we will continue to evolve and refresh our strategy to enable 
us to respond to changes in the outside world, while at the same 
time taking our corporate responsibilities seriously. Britvic has earned 
a reputation for being an agile, resilient business that consistently 
creates value for all its stakeholders. I am confident we will continue 
to do so in the years ahead.

Simon Litherland
Chief Executive Officer
27 November 2019

Britvic operates in a resilient and growing 
category, and understands consumer needs:
•  A ‘better for you’ portfolio which is moving ahead 

of the market on reformulation

•  Extending our core brands into new occasions 

through premiumisation and different pack formats

•  Targeting emerging, fast-growing categories that 

offer long-term growth potential, such as 
natural energy

•  Offering more premium options across the portfolio

A portfolio weighted towards low and  
no sugar:
• 

In GB and Ireland, we focus on low and no sugar 
brands such as Robinsons, J2O, Pepsi MAX, MiWadi 
and Ballygowan, with 90.8% of our combined 
portfolio in GB and Ireland below or exempt from the 
SDIL and the SSDT
In France and Brazil we have introduced new 
products including Teisseire Fraîcheur de Fruits, 
which has a higher fruit content and less added sugar, 
and Maguary Uno, a concentrate that removes the 
need for consumers to add sugar

• 

A portfolio of market leading brands:
• 

In GB and Ireland, we have a full portfolio of market 
leading owned brands

•  We are also the bottler for PepsiCo in GB and Ireland
In France and Brazil, we have smaller portfolios and 
• 
they include market leading brands in their categories

Growing international presence:
•  39% of our revenue is now generated outside of GB
•  Since our IPO in 2005 we have made acquisitions in 

Ireland, France and Brazil 

•  Our brands are available in 50+ countries

Strong market positions:
• 

In GB and Ireland, we are the number one supplier 
of branded still soft drinks and our portfolio can be 
found in all retail channels
In France we are the number one syrups supplier
In Brazil we are the number one supplier 
of concentrates

• 
• 

Long-term track record of growing 
shareholder value:
•  Our revenue CAGR has been 3.7% (2013 to 2019), 

on a post IFRS 15 basis

•  Adjusted EBIT margin has increased by 350 bps 

(2013 to 2019)

•  This has translated into an EPS CAGR of 9.2% and 

a dividend CAGR of 8.5%

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

9

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Market drivers

Britvic’s insight team 
tracks the consumer 
and market trends 
impacting the soft 
drinks category. Here 
we highlight some 
of these key trends 
and how Britvic 
is responding. 

59%

of consumers claim they are doing 
more to reduce the amount of plastic 
waste they generate 

1/5

of adults worldwide will be 
obese by 2025 

40%

of consumers are interested 
in sophisticated soft drinks 
as an alternative to alcohol 

9%

increase in online grocery 
sales in the UK from  
2017 to 2018

Sustainability 
Creating a circular economy 
for plastics packaging

What’s happening?
•  Society is in the midst of a global plastics pollution 
challenge and there is more public and political 
awareness surrounding plastic waste than ever 
before. Consumers are increasingly concerned about 
the amount of plastic packaging they use, with 59% of 
consumers claiming they are doing more to reduce the 
amount of plastic waste that they generate compared 
with last year1. While plastic packaging is an integral part 
of the global economy and it provides many benefits, 
the traditionally linear value chains currently represent 
environmental challenges. By 2050, projected growth 
in plastics production could lead, in a business-as-usual 
scenario, to the entire plastics industry consuming 20% 
of total oil production and accounting for 15% of the 
annual carbon budget2

•  Today, more than a third of the food sold in the EU 

comes packaged in plastic, with estimates suggesting 
that, by 2020, Europe will consume more than 
900 billion items of packaged food annually3

The impact
•  The food and drink industry, buoyed by legislative 

demands and an increasing public awareness of the 
plastics issue, is taking action. Retailers have committed 
to reducing the amount of plastic packaging in their 
products, while global food and drink manufacturers 
have made pledges to make their packaging reusable, 
recyclable or compostable. Innovative new packaging 
technologies, meanwhile, seek to do away with 
plastics altogether3

•  Consumers are playing their part too. Campaigns  

encouraging shoppers to leave plastic packaging at 
supermarket tills are gaining traction as the general 
population becomes increasingly aware of the 
environmental consequences of the material3.  
However, there is evidence that shoppers still value 
convenience and price, and sentiment is not currently 
translating into widespread plastic-free behaviour4 

How we are responding
•  In 2019 we signed a long-term partnership to enable us 
to significantly increase the use of recycled PET (rPET) 
across our GB and Ireland portfolio of products. In 2020 
we will lead with two brands available in 100% rPET 
•  All of our PET plastic packaging is fully recyclable in the UK 
recycling system and our packaging carries the On-Pack 
Recycling Label to encourage our consumers to recycle

•  We are investing in research and development to 

investigate the use of alternative sustainable materials 
while upholding the highest quality and safety standards

Healthier choices 
Sugar reduction and demand 
for more natural products are key 
drivers influencing soft drink 
purchasing decisions

What’s happening?
•  The desire to live healthier lifestyles continues to be  
the most significant and persistent global megatrend 
impacting beverages

•  The shift towards natural ingredients is a recurring trend 
across food categories, with 66% of global consumers 
actively buying natural food/drink products5

•  Removal of perceived unhealthy ingredients, especially 
sugar, is increasingly important for consumers and 
continues to be a focus for governments looking to 
address rising obesity levels 

•  According to Euromonitor’s international survey6, sugar 
reduction is at or near the top of consumer concerns 
with regard to food and beverage intake in every global 
region. This is a truly global concern with obesity now 
a bigger global public health challenge than malnutrition. 
Studies forecast that about a fifth of all adults around 
the world will be obese by 20257

The impact
•  Public health is increasingly seen as a societal challenge, 
with obesity and associated non-communicable diseases 
putting pressure on health services, and so accountability 
for dealing with it is shifting from individuals to society 
with government led interventions, whether through 
direct measures such as taxes like SDIL and SSDT, or by 
imposing restrictions and obligations on businesses:
 – In January 2019 the UK Government started a 

consultation to restrict volume-based price promotions 
and placement of high fat, sugar and salt (‘HFSS’) 
food and drink, at main selling locations in stores 
including checkouts, aisle ends and store entrances8

How we are responding
•  Health is embedded in Britvic’s business strategy and 
as an industry leader on health, we have taken bold 
steps to help consumers make healthier choices
•  Our approach: (i) Reformulation to reduce calorie 

content with no compromise on taste or quality; (ii) 
continual innovation weighted towards ‘better for you’ 
products; (iii) using the power of our brands responsibly 
to enable consumers to make informed choices
•  This year we have surpassed our original 2020 goal, 

achieving an average of 27.5 calories per 250ml serve 
across our global portfolio which is a 22% reduction 
since 2013

Premiumisation 

Convenience 

A drive towards premium options 

The retail landscape is adapting to 

and tailored experiences

consumer demand for convenience

What’s happening?

What’s happening?

•  Shoppers are looking for higher quality, better 

•  The traditional retail landscape continues to change. 

ingredients with authentic provenance, which is driving 

Consumers expect to find the right product, in the 

increasing demand for indulgent premium soft drinks

right place, at the right time. To capitalise on this 

•  40% of respondents in GlobalData’s 2018 Q4 global 

consumer survey9 said they at least sometimes like to try 

expectation, retailers are seeking to capture as many 

shopper occasions as possible through consolidation 

new or different varieties of soft drinks and more than 40% 

and diversification (e.g. mini supermarkets in petrol 

of consumers globally10 are interested in sophisticated 

‘adult style’ soft drinks as alternatives to alcoholic drinks

stations and university campuses, coffee shops in 

clothes stores, convenience stores in hospitals) 

•  The trend is being fuelled by an ageing population 

•  More consumers are shopping online. In 2018 sales of 

combined with rising global wealth and disposable 

income, prompting consumer demand for sophisticated 

propositions and new, tailored experiences

online groceries in the UK hit £12.3bn, up 9% from the 

previous year11. This is particularly relevant for younger 

consumers (aged 25-34) who are enthusiastic about the 

•  Consumers are also making conscious efforts to reduce 

convenience of having groceries delivered, with 61% 

alcohol consumption but do not want to feel deprived. 

of this group doing some online grocery shopping12 

This rising alcohol avoidance continues to drive demand 

•  The biggest growth channel continues to be 

for more complex adult soft drinks suited to occasions 

discounters, which are seen to be offering high quality 

typically associated with alcohol

products at competitive prices  

The impact

•  Adult soft drinks are a growing opportunity for 

manufacturers, representing a premium, attractive 

alternative for everyday consumption and on 

•  Craft and artisanal soft drinks products continue 

special occasions

to gain momentum 

•  Plant-based formulations (e.g. coconut and other plant 

waters) with a premium, single-serve positioning are 

gaining popularity

•  There is an increased availability of lower alcohol, 

alcohol free, and premium soft drinks which address the 

social, political and economic concerns associated with 

alcohol consumption and drive demand for no/low 

alcohol alternatives  

How we are responding

•  Britvic is well placed to capitalise on the premiumisation 

trend, having invested significantly in premium 

innovations and brand extensions such as: Robinsons 

Cordials, Purdey’s natural energy multi-vitamin drink 

and our Mathieu Teisseire bartender range

•  Britvic’s incubator company, WiseHead Productions’, 

super-premium and naturally light LEC tonics and sodas 

are now available in nearly 80 cities around the world, 

in the most sophisticated bars and restaurants

The impact

•  Online retailers, convenience stores and discounters are 

increasingly gaining relevance due to the convenience of 

shopping they provide paired with extensive choices and 

easy product-price comparison:

 – In the UK, online purchases delivered 8.3% of soft 

drinks value in 2017. This is projected to grow to 

13.5% by 2025 if online purchasing growth continues 

at the same rate12

•  In the UK, discounter growth is expected to continue 

with more store openings planned for the next 

five years13

How we are responding

•  Britvic’s diverse portfolio and flexible supply 

chain capability, combined with our strong customer 

relationships, mean that we are well positioned to 

make the most of the evolving retailer landscape

•  Our portfolio of brands means that we can deliver 

the range of products to meet retailer needs and 

satisfy the full range of consumer occasions

To find out more, please see our Creating 
stakeholder value section on pages 20 – 29

To find out more, please see our Creating 
stakeholder value section on pages 20 – 29

To find out more, please see our Strategy 

To find out more, please see our Strategy 

overview on page 17

overview on page 18

10 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
Notes: 

1 

Kantar Worldpanel LinkQ survey, 
Feb 2018 

2  World Economic Forum: The New 

Plastics Economy – Catalysing action 
– https://bit.ly/2RgyCgx

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

Futures – A plastic-free world? Just 
Drink & Just Food – Dec 2018 – 
Rachel England, with additional 
reporting by Lucy Britner

IRI Hot Topic: We’re Living in the 
Plastic Age Report, May 2018

GlobalData 2016 Q4 global 
consumer survey

Euromonitor – Soft Drinks Global 
Industry Overview slide 26 https://
www.warc.com/content/article/
euromonitor-strategy/soft_drinks_
global_industry_overview/121635

Lancet Journal: Trends in Adult BMI, 
Volume 387, Issue 10026, pg 1389 
https://www.thelancet.com/action/
showPdf?pii=S0140-
6736%2816%2930054-X

Department of Health and Social Care, 
UK – Jan 2019

GlobalData 2018 Q4 global 
consumer survey

10  GlobalData 2018 Q3 global 

consumer survey

11  Mintel – https://www.mintel.com/

press-centre/retail-press-centre/
brits-spent-12-3-billion-on-online-
groceries-in-2018

12  Kantar Worldpanel global 
ecommerce report

13  Kantar Worldpanel Total Grocery, 
12 w/e data to 08 Oct 2017

Sustainability 

Healthier choices 

Creating a circular economy 

Sugar reduction and demand 

for plastics packaging

for more natural products are key 

drivers influencing soft drink 

purchasing decisions

What’s happening?

What’s happening?

•  Society is in the midst of a global plastics pollution 

•  The desire to live healthier lifestyles continues to be  

challenge and there is more public and political 

awareness surrounding plastic waste than ever 

the most significant and persistent global megatrend 

impacting beverages

before. Consumers are increasingly concerned about 

•  The shift towards natural ingredients is a recurring trend 

the amount of plastic packaging they use, with 59% of 

consumers claiming they are doing more to reduce the 

across food categories, with 66% of global consumers 

actively buying natural food/drink products5

amount of plastic waste that they generate compared 

•  Removal of perceived unhealthy ingredients, especially 

with last year1. While plastic packaging is an integral part 

of the global economy and it provides many benefits, 

the traditionally linear value chains currently represent 

environmental challenges. By 2050, projected growth 

sugar, is increasingly important for consumers and 

continues to be a focus for governments looking to 

address rising obesity levels 

•  According to Euromonitor’s international survey6, sugar 

in plastics production could lead, in a business-as-usual 

reduction is at or near the top of consumer concerns 

scenario, to the entire plastics industry consuming 20% 

with regard to food and beverage intake in every global 

of total oil production and accounting for 15% of the 

annual carbon budget2

•  Today, more than a third of the food sold in the EU 

region. This is a truly global concern with obesity now 

a bigger global public health challenge than malnutrition. 

Studies forecast that about a fifth of all adults around 

comes packaged in plastic, with estimates suggesting 

the world will be obese by 20257

that, by 2020, Europe will consume more than 

900 billion items of packaged food annually3

The impact

The impact

•  The food and drink industry, buoyed by legislative 

demands and an increasing public awareness of the 

•  Public health is increasingly seen as a societal challenge, 

with obesity and associated non-communicable diseases 

putting pressure on health services, and so accountability 

for dealing with it is shifting from individuals to society 

plastics issue, is taking action. Retailers have committed 

with government led interventions, whether through 

to reducing the amount of plastic packaging in their 

products, while global food and drink manufacturers 

have made pledges to make their packaging reusable, 

recyclable or compostable. Innovative new packaging 

technologies, meanwhile, seek to do away with 

plastics altogether3

•  Consumers are playing their part too. Campaigns  

encouraging shoppers to leave plastic packaging at 

supermarket tills are gaining traction as the general 

population becomes increasingly aware of the 

environmental consequences of the material3.  

However, there is evidence that shoppers still value 

convenience and price, and sentiment is not currently 

translating into widespread plastic-free behaviour4 

How we are responding

direct measures such as taxes like SDIL and SSDT, or by 

imposing restrictions and obligations on businesses:

 – In January 2019 the UK Government started a 

consultation to restrict volume-based price promotions 

and placement of high fat, sugar and salt (‘HFSS’) 

food and drink, at main selling locations in stores 

including checkouts, aisle ends and store entrances8

How we are responding

•  Health is embedded in Britvic’s business strategy and 

as an industry leader on health, we have taken bold 

steps to help consumers make healthier choices

•  Our approach: (i) Reformulation to reduce calorie 

content with no compromise on taste or quality; (ii) 

continual innovation weighted towards ‘better for you’ 

products; (iii) using the power of our brands responsibly 

•  In 2019 we signed a long-term partnership to enable us 

to enable consumers to make informed choices

to significantly increase the use of recycled PET (rPET) 

•  This year we have surpassed our original 2020 goal, 

across our GB and Ireland portfolio of products. In 2020 

achieving an average of 27.5 calories per 250ml serve 

we will lead with two brands available in 100% rPET 

across our global portfolio which is a 22% reduction 

•  All of our PET plastic packaging is fully recyclable in the UK 

since 2013

recycling system and our packaging carries the On-Pack 

Recycling Label to encourage our consumers to recycle

•  We are investing in research and development to 

investigate the use of alternative sustainable materials 

while upholding the highest quality and safety standards

Premiumisation 
A drive towards premium options 
and tailored experiences

Convenience 
The retail landscape is adapting to 
consumer demand for convenience

What’s happening?
•  Shoppers are looking for higher quality, better 

ingredients with authentic provenance, which is driving 
increasing demand for indulgent premium soft drinks

•  40% of respondents in GlobalData’s 2018 Q4 global 

consumer survey9 said they at least sometimes like to try 
new or different varieties of soft drinks and more than 40% 
of consumers globally10 are interested in sophisticated 
‘adult style’ soft drinks as alternatives to alcoholic drinks

•  The trend is being fuelled by an ageing population 
combined with rising global wealth and disposable 
income, prompting consumer demand for sophisticated 
propositions and new, tailored experiences

•  Consumers are also making conscious efforts to reduce 
alcohol consumption but do not want to feel deprived. 
This rising alcohol avoidance continues to drive demand 
for more complex adult soft drinks suited to occasions 
typically associated with alcohol

The impact
•  Adult soft drinks are a growing opportunity for 

manufacturers, representing a premium, attractive 
alternative for everyday consumption and on 
special occasions

•  Craft and artisanal soft drinks products continue 

to gain momentum 

•  Plant-based formulations (e.g. coconut and other plant 
waters) with a premium, single-serve positioning are 
gaining popularity

•  There is an increased availability of lower alcohol, 

alcohol free, and premium soft drinks which address the 
social, political and economic concerns associated with 
alcohol consumption and drive demand for no/low 
alcohol alternatives  

How we are responding
•  Britvic is well placed to capitalise on the premiumisation 

trend, having invested significantly in premium 
innovations and brand extensions such as: Robinsons 
Cordials, Purdey’s natural energy multi-vitamin drink 
and our Mathieu Teisseire bartender range

•  Britvic’s incubator company, WiseHead Productions’, 

super-premium and naturally light LEC tonics and sodas 
are now available in nearly 80 cities around the world, 
in the most sophisticated bars and restaurants

What’s happening?
•  The traditional retail landscape continues to change. 
Consumers expect to find the right product, in the 
right place, at the right time. To capitalise on this 
expectation, retailers are seeking to capture as many 
shopper occasions as possible through consolidation 
and diversification (e.g. mini supermarkets in petrol 
stations and university campuses, coffee shops in 
clothes stores, convenience stores in hospitals) 

•  More consumers are shopping online. In 2018 sales of 
online groceries in the UK hit £12.3bn, up 9% from the 
previous year11. This is particularly relevant for younger 
consumers (aged 25-34) who are enthusiastic about the 
convenience of having groceries delivered, with 61% 
of this group doing some online grocery shopping12 

•  The biggest growth channel continues to be 

discounters, which are seen to be offering high quality 
products at competitive prices  

The impact

•  Online retailers, convenience stores and discounters are 
increasingly gaining relevance due to the convenience of 
shopping they provide paired with extensive choices and 
easy product-price comparison:
 – In the UK, online purchases delivered 8.3% of soft 
drinks value in 2017. This is projected to grow to 
13.5% by 2025 if online purchasing growth continues 
at the same rate12

•  In the UK, discounter growth is expected to continue 

with more store openings planned for the next 
five years13

How we are responding
•  Britvic’s diverse portfolio and flexible supply 

chain capability, combined with our strong customer 
relationships, mean that we are well positioned to 
make the most of the evolving retailer landscape
•  Our portfolio of brands means that we can deliver 
the range of products to meet retailer needs and 
satisfy the full range of consumer occasions

To find out more, please see our Creating 

stakeholder value section on pages 20 – 29

To find out more, please see our Creating 

stakeholder value section on pages 20 – 29

To find out more, please see our Strategy 
overview on page 17

To find out more, please see our Strategy 
overview on page 18

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

11

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Strategic Report
Our business model

Britvic is a leading supplier of soft drinks 
with a broad portfolio of great tasting brands. 

An overview

We manufacture in Great 
Britain, Ireland, France 
and Brazil. We have a 
commercial presence in 
other markets such as the 
Netherlands, Belgium and 
the United States. In Great 
Britain and Ireland, we are 
a proud partner of PepsiCo, 
bottling and selling its range  
of brands alongside our 
owned brand portfolio. 

1. Consumer insight
The starting point of our business 
is understanding how best we 
can meet the diverse needs of our 
consumers and customers. We use 
our category expertise to ensure that 
we are well placed to understand 
consumer needs and identify future 
growth drivers so we can create 
shared value for our customers. 

Our responsible approach
We take a category approach to 
insight to build a longer-term view; 
understanding emerging trends and the 
wider context the category operates 
in as well as current consumer needs. 
This enables us to build brands that 
consumers love and to deliver retail 
solutions that maximise the growth 
opportunity for our customers. 

2. Sourcing
Our team takes a global approach to 
sourcing the raw materials we need. We 
spend hundreds of millions of pounds each 
year on ingredients and packaging in the 
manufacturing of our brands. We organise 
our sourcing teams based on experience 
of key materials and they work closely with 
suppliers to ensure that we achieve a stable, 
high-quality and sustainable supply. 

Our responsible approach
Britvic is committed to producing high- 
quality soft drinks which are sourced 
and manufactured in a fair, ethical and 
environmentally responsible way. We 
engage with our suppliers to better 
understand the ethical and environmental 
impact associated with the materials that 
we purchase. We use Sedex, a supplier 
data platform, to review our suppliers’ 
approach to ethical and environmental risk 
management and they are audited regularly 
so that we have the right level of assurance. 

Underpinned by our sustainable business programme – helping to create  
‘A Healthier Everyday’ through actions large and small.

The value we create for our stakeholders 

Shareholders 
Delivering total shareholder 
returns (‘TSR’) through 
dividends and share price 
growth. In 2019 our TSR 
was 27.8%. 

Employees 
We provide jobs and 
salaries, creating local 
purchasing power. In 
2019, £166.6m was paid 
in salaries and wages. 

Customers 
We build and maintain  
long-term, trusting 
relationships with our  
customers to co-create  
joint business plans. 

12 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

5. Marketing
We invest in world class marketing to 
build fantastic brands that our consumers 
love. As with many other consumer 
goods companies, we market our brands 
across multiple platforms, from traditional 
television and print through to digital 
and social media. 

Our responsible approach
We follow relevant applicable national 
and local legislation and regulation and 
support voluntary industry codes of 
practice, wherever possible. Our marketing 
also complies with all other relevant Britvic 
policies, such as the Ethical Business Policy 
and our Responsible Marketing Code, 
which sets out the principles we adopt in all 
marketing and advertising activity globally. 

4. Customers
Through our deep knowledge of the 
category, we use our insight, sourcing 
and manufacturing capability to create 
great tasting products. We couple this with 
expertise and resource focused on delivering 
our products into market across different 
channels to drive category growth and 
create shared value with our customers. 

Our responsible approach
We take a category led approach and 
use our insight to create fantastic products 
that consumers want to drink, working in 
partnership with our customers on joint 
business plans to create shared value. 

3. Manufacturing and distribution
In each of our core markets we have 
our own factories where we manufacture 
most of our brands. We offer a range of 
pack formats including PET, glass and 
aluminium. Our main ingredients are fruit, 
flavour concentrates, water, sugar and low 
calorie sweeteners. We also work with 
partners to manufacture our smaller brands, 
to introduce new packaging innovation and 
at peak times when we require additional 
capacity. We work with specialist transport 
companies to distribute our products rather 
than operate our own fleet of vehicles. 

Our responsible approach
We operate our factories to the 
highest standards. We are committed to 
reducing the environmental impact of our 
manufacturing and distribution activity. We 
set targets related to water usage, waste 
and carbon emissions annually, through our 
‘A Healthier Everyday’ sustainable business 
programme. We are also committed to 
ensuring that our employees work in a safe 
environment that supports their health and 
wellbeing and we monitor this closely 
across all our markets. 

Consumers
Our purpose is to make life’s 
everyday moments more 
enjoyable. We aim to produce 
great tasting drinks for lots of 
different occasions to meet 
consumer needs. 

Suppliers 
By manufacturing regionally, 
using local and national 
suppliers, the beneficiaries 
of our value creation are 
geographically widespread. 

Government 
Through paying taxes in the 
markets where we operate, 
we support the development of 
public infrastructure, healthcare, 
education and local services. 
We proactively engage in 
relevant consultations. 

Communities 
We conduct fundraising  
activities and support employees 
in their volunteering efforts.  
In 2019, we donated more  
than £221,000 in charitable 
contributions and provided  
over 2,730 volunteer hours. 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

13

Underpinned by our sustainable business programme – helping to create  

‘A Healthier Everyday’ through actions large and small.

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Our strategy at a glance

Generate profitable growth  
in our core markets

Realise global opportunities in 
kids, family and adult categories

Continue to step-change our  

Build trust and respect  

business capability

in our communities

Increase our participation in growing 
categories and channels through 
investing in our brands, innovation 
and commercial execution

Generate more revenue from outside 
our core markets

Ensure that we have a great team and the right 

Deliver our ‘A Healthier Everyday’ 

infrastructure to deliver our growth ambitions

sustainability programme

What we achieved in 2019 
•  Relaunch of Tango in GB with a range of new sugar free variants, 

What we achieved in 2019 
•  Expanded distribution of our LEC premium tonic and soda brand 

a new design and major marketing campaign

•  Launched ARTO LifeWTR, a PepsiCo-owned premium water brand 

• 

that showcases and advances emerging artists

•  Continued to grow Robinsons through price realisation and the 

into nearly 80 cities around the world 
In Brazil we launched new formulations of our concentrate brands 
and entered new categories including coconut water and ready to 
drink tea-based drinks

success of the premium ranges

•  Entered exclusive discussions regarding the sale of some assets 
in France, which would leave us with a smaller, higher-margin, 
brand-focused business 

•  Ceased the distribution of Fruit Shoot multi-pack in the United 

States as we were unable to achieve the scale required to deliver 
sustainable profitability 

The year ahead
•  Continue to invest in recent innovation launches to ensure the best 

The year ahead
•  Expand distribution of premium adult brands into new  

possible chance for long-term success 

•  Maximise the value of our partnership with PepsiCo
•  Continue our revenue management initiatives and cost 

efficiency focus

international markets 

•  Combine our Group and local capabilities to bring new  

•  Realise further commercial benefits from the improved pack and 

including science-based targets 

products to market in Brazil

liquid capability that the BCP provides

• 

Increase the use of recycled PET across our portfolio through 

our new partnership 

To find out more, please see our 
Strategy overview on page 16

To find out more, please see our 
Strategy overview on page 17

To find out more, please see our 

Strategy overview on page 18

To find out more, please see our Creating stakeholder value 

section on page 20

What we achieved in 2019 

What we achieved in 2019 

•  Completed the BCP investment at our Rugby factory. During the 

•  Achieved a 12% reduction in average calories per 250ml serve 

year three new PET production lines and an aseptic line were 

across our global portfolio, compared with 2018

successfully commissioned

•  We hit our calories per serve 2020 goal a year early

•  We completed the automated high-bay warehouse which is now 

•  All of the electricity powering our GB manufacturing comes from 

fully operational

wind, solar or our new combined heat and power (‘CHP’) plant

•  Closed the Norwich factory during September, successfully 

•  Committed to pursue bolder greenhouse gas emissions targets 

transferring production to our three remaining sites 

by signing up to the Science Based Targets initiative (‘SBTi’)

•  Successfully installed a renewable biomass boiler in Brazil to 

replace our use of carbon-intensive fuel

•  Entered into a long-term agreement for the supply of recycled PET 

The year ahead

The year ahead

•  Deliver further cost benefits from the BCP through a continuous 

•  Deliver our 2020 goals across each of our ‘A Healthier Everyday’ pillars 

improvement programme

•  Establish stretching new sustainability goals for the business, 

14 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
 
 
Generate profitable growth  

in our core markets

Realise global opportunities in 

kids, family and adult categories

Continue to step-change our  
business capability

Build trust and respect  
in our communities

Increase our participation in growing 

Generate more revenue from outside 

categories and channels through 

investing in our brands, innovation 

and commercial execution

our core markets

Ensure that we have a great team and the right 
infrastructure to deliver our growth ambitions

Deliver our ‘A Healthier Everyday’ 
sustainability programme

What we achieved in 2019 

What we achieved in 2019 

•  Relaunch of Tango in GB with a range of new sugar free variants, 

•  Expanded distribution of our LEC premium tonic and soda brand 

a new design and major marketing campaign

into nearly 80 cities around the world 

•  Launched ARTO LifeWTR, a PepsiCo-owned premium water brand 

• 

In Brazil we launched new formulations of our concentrate brands 

that showcases and advances emerging artists

and entered new categories including coconut water and ready to 

•  Continued to grow Robinsons through price realisation and the 

drink tea-based drinks

What we achieved in 2019 
•  Completed the BCP investment at our Rugby factory. During the 
year three new PET production lines and an aseptic line were 
successfully commissioned

•  We completed the automated high-bay warehouse which is now 

fully operational

success of the premium ranges

•  Ceased the distribution of Fruit Shoot multi-pack in the United 

•  Entered exclusive discussions regarding the sale of some assets 

States as we were unable to achieve the scale required to deliver 

•  Closed the Norwich factory during September, successfully 

transferring production to our three remaining sites 

in France, which would leave us with a smaller, higher-margin, 

sustainable profitability 

brand-focused business 

The year ahead

The year ahead

•  Continue to invest in recent innovation launches to ensure the best 

•  Expand distribution of premium adult brands into new  

possible chance for long-term success 

•  Maximise the value of our partnership with PepsiCo

•  Continue our revenue management initiatives and cost 

efficiency focus

international markets 

products to market in Brazil

•  Combine our Group and local capabilities to bring new  

•  Realise further commercial benefits from the improved pack and 

liquid capability that the BCP provides

The year ahead
•  Deliver further cost benefits from the BCP through a continuous 

improvement programme

What we achieved in 2019 
•  Achieved a 12% reduction in average calories per 250ml serve 

across our global portfolio, compared with 2018
•  We hit our calories per serve 2020 goal a year early
•  All of the electricity powering our GB manufacturing comes from 
wind, solar or our new combined heat and power (‘CHP’) plant
•  Committed to pursue bolder greenhouse gas emissions targets 
by signing up to the Science Based Targets initiative (‘SBTi’)
•  Successfully installed a renewable biomass boiler in Brazil to 

replace our use of carbon-intensive fuel

•  Entered into a long-term agreement for the supply of recycled PET 

The year ahead
•  Deliver our 2020 goals across each of our ‘A Healthier Everyday’ pillars 
•  Establish stretching new sustainability goals for the business, 

• 

including science-based targets 
Increase the use of recycled PET across our portfolio through 
our new partnership 

To find out more, please see our 

Strategy overview on page 16

To find out more, please see our 

Strategy overview on page 17

To find out more, please see our 
Strategy overview on page 18

To find out more, please see our Creating stakeholder value 
section on page 20

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

15

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
 
Strategic Report
Our strategy overview

Generate profitable 
growth in our 
core markets
Increase our participation in 
growing categories and channels 
through investing in our brands, 
innovation and commercial execution

The soft drinks levy in the UK has accelerated consumers 
switching to lower sugar brands and we took advantage 
of this at the start of the summer with the relaunch of 
our fruit carbonate brand Tango. Alongside a new and 
improved Tango Orange variant, we launched two new 
sugar free flavours: Tropical and Strawberry & Watermelon. 
In addition, we gave the brand a new, modern, look and feel 
and invested in a major marketing campaign which saw 
Tango back on TV for the first time in four years. As a result, 
Tango has achieved double-digit retail sales value growth, 
reached its highest value share in a year and saw 900,000 
more shoppers buying the brand.

In July 2019 we launched ARTO LifeWTR, a premium spring 
sourced water, into the GB market, the first European market 
for the PepsiCo-owned brand. This is our first product made 
with 50% recycled PET, as part of our broader packaging 
sustainability drive. It also has a unique brand purpose of 
providing a platform for emerging artists. ARTO LifeWTR 
works with three artists every six months, to showcase their 
work and address cultural tensions within art and fashion. 
The launch in GB included an outdoor poster campaign 
at bus stops in 1,200 locations and engagement with 
key social media influencers. 

16 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Realise global 
opportunities in 
kids, family and 
adult categories
Generate more revenue from outside 
our core markets

Founded in 1896 on the banks of the River Thames, the 
London Essence Company developed a knowledge and 
expertise creating exquisite essences for leading perfume 
houses of the era. By applying these secrets to the food 
and drink world they used the science of distillation and 
the art of layering flavours to create natural essences with 
unmatched depth of flavour and complexity.

Today, inspired by the craft and inventiveness of the 
original firm, the LEC crafts luxurious drinks from the 
purest flavours – selecting the finest botanicals and gently 
distilling them to capture their true essence. Each of the 
tonics, gingers and sodas is low in calories, contains no 
artificial sweeteners and delivers carefully calibrated taste 
profiles to accentuate premium spirits or create an exquisite 
standalone drinking experience. Building on its launch 
in 2016 in GB, LEC is now expanding internationally into 
key cities. With a focus on premium bars and restaurants, 
it can now be found in nearly 80 cities, including Athens, 
Singapore, Amsterdam, New York, Taiwan and Miami.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

17

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Our strategy overview continued

Step-change our 
business capability
Ensure that we have a great team 
and the right infrastructure to deliver 
our growth ambitions

In 2019 we completed the BCP, a major capital investment 
in our GB supply chain infrastructure. Over the last few 
years we have installed 10 new production lines, three new 
warehouses, a CHP plant, as well as providing infrastructure 
for future expansion. The final stage of the programme 
at the Rugby factory included new production lines, an 
automated high-bay warehouse and on-site power plant. 
At our Beckton site in 2019 we installed a pilot line enabling 
us to test new concepts which we can bring to market more 
quickly. The new lines across our network are high-speed 
and can produce both carbonated and still products 
across a range of pack sizes. The new on-site warehousing 
significantly improves the efficiency of our network and 
the ability to supply our customers. As well as delivering 
significant cost benefits the BCP will enable us to offer both 
our customers and consumers a wider range of brands and 
packs and will deliver sustainable environmental benefits as 
we use less water and power and generate fewer road miles.

18 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Soft drinks  
Product of the year 
2019

Build trust and respect 
in our communities
Deliver our ‘A Healthier Everyday’ 
sustainability programme

Since 2012 we have significantly reduced the number 
of calories per serve across our portfolio. As well as 
reformulating brands such as Club, Tango and Fruit Shoot 
we have launched new lower calorie brands such as Aqua 
Libra, J2O Spritz and Refresh’d. In addition, we invest our 
marketing behind the low or no sugar variants, such as 
Pepsi MAX and 7UP Free. This focus, and the impact of the 
taxes and levies introduced into the category, has helped us 
deliver a further 12% reduction in calories per serve in 2019.

Our reformulation activities also led to the revitalisation 
of our much-loved Robinsons brand. The launch of Fruit 
Creations and Fruit Cordial saw the brand return to growth. 
Our success has been recognised externally with Robinsons 
Fruit Creations topping the Soft Drinks category Product of 
the Year Award in 2019, the UK’s largest consumer survey of 
product innovation. The campaign also won plaudits from the 
marketing industry, picking up a clutch of marketing awards.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

19

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Creating stakeholder value 

We are dependent upon our stakeholders for our success and we aim to create powerful relationships for 
our future. We engage with our shareholders, employees, communities, customers, consumers, suppliers 
and governments in a variety of ways – to both gain valuable insights to help shape our future direction 
and inform them of our activities. This section highlights our sustainability and stakeholder engagement 
strategies and what we are doing to deliver long-term value for our communities.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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 3 

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1

Our ‘A Healthier Everyday’ strategy continues to frame our 
sustainability approach and this year we have reviewed and 
updated the connection with the United Nations (‘UN’) Sustainable 
Development Goals (‘SDGs’) to those that are most relevant to our 
business. While we acknowledge we contribute, both directly and 
indirectly, to all of the 17 SDGs and they are all inherently interlinked, 
the selected three relate most closely with our material issue areas, 
the trends we are seeing in the market and where we feel we have 
the biggest opportunity to make a positive impact.

SDG 3 – Good health and wellbeing

Ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing at all ages is 
essential to sustainable development. Across all our markets, society 
is facing growing health challenges linked to rising levels of obesity, 
diabetes and deteriorating mental health. We have an opportunity to 
make a positive difference by reformulating our drinks to be healthier, 
encouraging consumers to drink more water through our flavour 
concentrates portfolio and using the power of our brands to inspire 
healthier lives. The health, safety and wellbeing of our people, as well 
as those in our supply chain, also represent key focus areas as we 
strive to create a healthier workplace.

SDG 12 – Responsible  
consumption and production

Global consumption continues to increase and as a consumer goods 
company that heavily relies on natural resources we are acutely aware 
of the environmental challenges presented by the linear ‘take–make–
dispose’ model of consumption. With rising populations, the existing 
pressure on natural resources is set to further increase and as a 
responsible business we are committed to driving resource efficiency 
and waste avoidance within our operations and supporting a more 
circular economy for our packaging.

SDG 13 – Climate action

Climate change is the defining issue of our time and the greatest 
challenge to sustainable development, affecting every country, business 
and person on the planet. Addressing climate change – our contribution 
to it and its impact upon us – makes business sense, reducing costs and 
mitigating risk. We are committed to transitioning towards a low carbon 
economy and operating within the parameters of climate science.

20 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Governance
Sound corporate governance, through having the right structure, 
people, practices and policies in place, is fundamental to ensuring 
Britvic’s ability to create maximum value over the short, medium and 
long term. During 2019 we transformed our approach to governing 
our A Healthier Everyday strategy, forming a new Environmental, Social 
and Governance (ESG) Committee. This Committee is responsible 
for overseeing, on behalf of the Executive team, the development of 

Britvic’s A Healthier Everyday strategy, reviewing ESG risks and 
opportunities and monitoring performance against our sustainability 
KPIs. The ESG Committee meets on a quarterly basis and provides 
updates to the Executive team and the Board on a regular basis. The 
calendar of meetings and topics is set out below. An overview of our 
corporate governance framework, including an introduction to our Board, 
Executive team and the key practices and policies that are in place, is 
set out in the Corporate Governance section of this report, starting on 
page 40. 

Sustainable 
Business 
Committee
•  FY18 Annual 

Report 
assurance 
findings 

Sustainable
Business 
Committee
•  Employee 

communications 

•  Diabetes UK  
partnership

Board
•  Diversity and 

inclusion deep dive

Board
•  ESG update

OCT 18

NOV 18

DEC 18

JAN 19

FEB 19

MAR 19

APR 19

MAY 19

JUN 19

JUL 19

AUG 19

SEP 19

ESG  
Committee
•  Q3 ESG 

performance 
update
•  Science 
Based 
Targets 
deep dive

ESG 
Committee
•  Q2 ESG 

performance  
update
•  Packaging 
deep dive

Executive team
•  Q2 ESG  

performance 
update

•  Policy deep 

dive

Executive team
•  Q1 ESG 

performance 
update

ESG 
Committee
•  Q4 ESG 

performance
•  F20 targets 
Risk update 

Executive 
team
•  Q4 ESG  

performance  
update

Materiality and reporting
Each year we engage with internal and external stakeholders to 
ensure that our sustainability strategy is addressing the material 
issues – for further information please see page 26. Insight gathered 
this year confirmed that health continued to be a priority issue for our 
stakeholders, particularly around healthier diets and sugar reduction. 
This year we also witnessed a marked increase in interest, especially 
from our customer base, on the environmental impacts associated with 
plastic packaging. Further information on these trends can be found on 
pages 28 – 29. We are committed to listening and responding to our 
stakeholders and as a result the format of this section will reflect the 
issues of greatest interest, providing information about our activity and 
performance over the course of the year. Further information on our full 
sustainability programme, including performance datasheets, can be 
found on our corporate website www.britvic.com/sustainable-business.
Britvic’s 2019 Basis of Reporting is available on our website and 

outlines the scope and methodological principles for the collation of 
our key sustainability metrics. We continue to enhance the robustness 
of our performance data, and where any misstatements have been 
identified in prior year figures, these have been restated for accuracy 
within this report.

Independent assurance 
Britvic plc appointed Ernst & Young LLP to provide limited independent 
assurance over selected sustainability content within the Strategic Report 
(‘the Report’), as at and for the period ended 29 September 2019. The 
assurance engagement was planned and performed in accordance with 
the International Standard for Assurance Engagements (‘ISAE’) 3000 
Revised, Assurance Engagements other than Audits or Reviews of 
Historical Financial Information. 

These procedures were designed to conclude on the accuracy 

and completeness of the sustainability performance indicators, which 
are indicated in the Report with an obelus (†).

A limited assurance report was issued and is available on  

www.britvic.com/sustainable-business, along with further details 
of the scope, respective responsibilities, work performed, limitations 
and conclusions.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

21

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Creating stakeholder value continued

Healthier People 

We continue to lead all cola advertising with no sugar Pepsi MAX 
which we have done since 2005. In all markets we operate in, where 
both regular and reduced sugar variants of a brand exist, we include 
the reduced sugar variants in our marketing.

2020 goal:
At least 73% of drinks volume sold is low/no calorie drinks 
(as consumed) across the Group

In 2013 we set ourselves 
a target of reducing calories 
per serve by 20% by 2020.  
We have achieved this goal a  
year early through our continued  
focus on creating great tasting 
products with low or no  
added sugar.

In June 2019 we launched 
Ballygowan Activ+ in Ireland, 
a range of low calorie, zero 
sugar fitness drinks with added 
electrolytes and minerals to 
support active adults looking 
to optimise their workout.

Consumers
Helping consumers to live healthier lives is part of our DNA. With a 
heritage dating back to the 1930s, our business was built on bringing an 
affordable source of vitamins to consumers at a time when diets lacked 
important nutrients. Today, the health challenges facing our consumers 
may have changed but we still believe we have an important role to play 
in making it easier for our consumers to make healthier choices. 

The global obesity crisis continues to affect many of our markets 

and while obesity is a complex issue with many contributing factors, 
diets high in calories are a major cause of people becoming overweight 
and obese. In recognition of this, in 2013 we set ourselves the goal of 
reducing the number of calories in our drinks by 20% by 2020 and have 
been cutting sugar and calories from our portfolio every year as we 
work towards this goal. This year we have surpassed our original 2020 
goal, achieving an average calorie per 250ml across our global portfolio 
of 27.5†, a 12% improvement on last year1 and a 22% reduction since 
2013. This achievement was principally driven by strong growth in low 
and no calorie sales, especially Pepsi MAX in the UK. Across the 
Group 73% of all volume sold (as consumed) was in low/no 
calorie drinks2.

In the UK and Ireland we witnessed the anniversary of the SDIL 
and SSDT. Ahead of the introduction of these taxes our portfolio was 
already heavily skewed towards low and no sugar drinks and this 
continued this year. 

UK

Ireland

Total portfolio 
below/exempt 
(including 
PepsiCo)

Owned brand 
portfolio 
below/exempt

91.5%

84.1%

99.5%

91.1%

Tango introduced three new sugar free flavours: Tropical, Strawberry 
& Watermelon and Orange sugar free, alongside a new packaging 
design. This year also saw the arrival of Pepsi MAX Raspberry as the 
latest addition to the Pepsi MAX range.

Alongside the continued demand for low and no sugar drinks, this 

year we have also witnessed growing trends in plant-based diets and 
drinks with added nutritional and/or functional benefits. We are proud that 
92% of our global owned brand portfolio is suitable for vegetarians and 
vegans, and this year in Brazil we launched a new range of almond milks 
and tea products. In France, demand for organic and preservative free 
products continued. In response, our Teisseire classic range has been 
reformulated to contain no preservatives, and in April we launched a 
new Teisseire Bio range, offering an affordable organic proposition to 
French consumers.

We encourage our consumers to discover healthier options, 

including low or no sugar. We were the first UK soft drinks business 
to introduce colour-coded front of pack labelling. Our strict Responsible 
Marketing Code sets out the principles we adopt in all marketing and 
advertising activity globally, and we do not advertise high sugar 
products to under 16s in GB. 

1 

2 

Please note the 2018 average calories per serve was reported as 29.8 and has since 
been restated as 31.3.

Low calorie beverages are defined as those with fewer than or equal to 20 kcal/100ml.  
No calorie beverages are fewer than 4 kcal/100ml.

22 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Communities 
We want the communities in which we operate to thrive and, through our 
community support programmes, we offer a variety of mechanisms by 
which our employees can support their communities including paid 
volunteering days, matched fundraising and drinks donations. 

As part of our ongoing commitment to addressing societal 
health issues that affect both our consumers and employees, this year 
we announced our three year partnership with Diabetes UK. Diabetes 
is one of the most devastating and fastest-growing health crises of our 
time, affecting more people than any other serious health condition in 
the UK – more than dementia and cancer combined. Our partnership 
aims to actively support those living with and at risk of diabetes – helping 
our colleagues to reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes by offering ‘Know 
your Risk’ assessments.

Over the course of our partnership with Diabetes UK, Britvic aims 

to raise £500,000 to directly improve the lives of children and families 
affected by diabetes. Through our corporate donations and employee 
fundraising we have delivered over £190,000 in the first year. Our 
network of charity champions has played a critical role and their impact 
has been every bit as impressive as their creativity. Alongside Diabetes 
UK’s Swim22 Challenge, One Million Step Challenge and the London 
Bridges Challenge, they have shown their support through head shaving, 
Tough Mudders, Task Angels, fancy dress contests and more. 

We also support children with Type 1 diabetes and their families 

through the Diabetes UK ‘Make the Grade’ school programme. This 
year Diabetes UK received over 500 applications for the Good Diabetes 
in School Awards with 81 schools receiving the award and over 2,000 
‘Make the Grade’ school packs ordered and downloaded. Each pack 
includes information about what Type 1 diabetes is, practical tips and 
guidance on training to help teachers put in place the necessary 
measures to support children living with diabetes.

In Ireland, the Britvic MiWadi team continued its support of 
Temple Street Foundation for the seventh year in a row. The team 
helped to raise funds for vital, life-saving equipment for the children’s 
hospital through its annual ‘Trick or Treat’ campaign. In France, we 
entered the fourth year of our partnership with youth charity Apprentis 
d’Auteuil and 100 employees raised over €8,000 this summer by 
completing the charity’s step challenge. In Brazil, our Araguari site is 
sponsoring a project to help develop the writing and reading, as well as 
imagination and creativity, of children in four local schools. The project 
will culminate in the publication of a book of essays by the children.

2020 goal:
Continue to support our corporate charity Diabetes UK to improve 
the lives of people living with diabetes by donating over £300,000*

* 

Since the start of the partnership in November 2018.

Our team in Ireland continued to support families facing 
homelessness and crisis situations by participating in Focus 
Ireland’s Shine a Light Night in October 2018. Our colleagues 
participated in the Sleep Out event, raising more than €20,000 
for this great cause. 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

23

Members of Britvic’s Executive team joined thousands of others  
in the London Bridges Challenge. The team took on the 10-mile 
challenge and conquered 12 iconic London bridges to help 
Diabetes UK reach a future where diabetes can do no harm.

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Creating stakeholder value continued

Employees 
The foundation for achieving our strategy and continued success 
will be determined by the capability and capacity of our workforce and 
this year we have delivered a broad range of people initiatives, from 
ensuring that we are promoting a safe, healthy and inspiring workplace 
to raising our game in creating a truly diverse and inclusive culture for 
all our employees. Our overall score in this year’s Great Place to Work 
(‘GPTW’) trust index, our annual satisfaction survey, rose to 77% from 
73%1 in 2018. The biggest improvement came from GB which jumped 
from 70% to 76%, confirmation of the work we did to address feedback 
from the previous year. Employee engagement also remains strong. 
This year our overall engagement scores increased from 80% to 84%, 
in a year that saw record levels of participation. Clearly engagement and 
trust will continue to be priorities for us and in 2020 we will be building 
more frequent opportunities to respond to our employee voice. 

Wellbeing, health and safety
At Britvic, prioritising health and employee wellbeing is a critical part of 
our company culture. Our employees cannot be fulfilled in their career or 
give their best performance if they are not supported physically, mentally 
and emotionally. Our GPTW wellbeing score went from 71% in 2018 to 
70% this year. Three new wellbeing measures were introduced this year 
by GPTW. When these new measures are removed to enable a direct 
comparison between 2018 and 2019, our scores show a 3%2 rise in how 
employees feel when it comes to Britvic being a psychologically healthy 
place to work. 

This year employees across our markets got active through our 

step challenges. In GB 15 employee teams took part in the One Million 
Step Challenge to raise funds for Diabetes UK, in Ireland 23 teams took 
part in a step challenge supporting the launch of Ballygowan Activ+ 
and in France 20 teams took part in the annual ‘Je marche pour’ walk 
held by youth charity Apprentis d’Auteuil. In total 125 million steps 
were completed, which is the equivalent of walking approximately 
twice around the world. As part of our commitment to providing a healthy 
environment for employees, Britvic is launching a new wellbeing framework 
in 2020 – My Life – which will promote good emotional health, energy and 
physical wellbeing as well as helping to build resilience and mindfulness. 
Across the Group, our focus has been on improving our safety 
performance and standardising the proactive mechanisms we have 
in place to identify hazards and control the risks from our operational 
activities. Key to this has been building our new reporting tool 
for health, safety and environment. This will support compliance 
with external standards as well as those we set for ourselves 
internally. The sophisticated business intelligence offered by the tool 
also enables us to access data and respond to trends with greater 
agility. Our efforts have also continued to centre on creating a ‘zero 
harm’ culture through behavioural safety observations, near miss and 
hazard reporting. Engagement with local teams led to the successful 
embedding of our Safety Critical Rules, designed to raise awareness and 
compliance with our significant risks and controls. Against this backdrop 
of activity, the number of employee lost-time accidents has decreased 
by 5.1% year on year, resulting in a lost-time injury frequency rate of 
0.81†. While we are encouraged by these figures, we remain committed 
to reducing them further in line with our goal of zero harm. 

1 

This year’s data does not include Norwich and France. If they are removed from last 
year’s score it gives 75% in 2018, which means a 2% increase in 2019.

2 

Excluding France and Norwich employees as they did not take part in this year’s survey.

2020 goal:
All employees have access to wellbeing programmes that support 
healthier lifestyle choices and we achieve a wellbeing score 
of 81% in the GPTW survey across the company

Diversity and inclusion 
By appreciating and celebrating our differences we are creating 
a Britvic that is a more dynamic and inspiring place to be for our 
employees. We are working hard to ensure that our workforce reflects 
the diverse communities we serve, and we create an inclusive culture 
where each employee can truly be themselves at work.

In 2019 we relaunched our global Diversity and Inclusion (‘D&I’) 
Strategy, B-Yourself, and set up a representative steering committee 
to lead this agenda across the organisation. Our Executive team also 
all completed unconscious bias training to help them lead this agenda 
from the top. Supplementing this strategy, we have a series of self-run 
employee networks that represent specific cross-sections of our 
employee community. These networks, while at different stages of 
evolution, are all gaining momentum. They include: 

•  B-Empowered – helping to stamp out gender inequality;
•  B-Proud – promoting inclusion and celebrating diversity;
•  See-Me – supporting Britvic’s diverse-ability network.

We successfully grew B-Proud, our LGBT+ network, this year through 
our new partnership with Stonewall, a charity that believes we are 
stronger united and will help us create real change for the better. In 
July 2019, during Pride season, we launched our Allies programme to 
support employees with any questions they may have on LGBT+ 
issues – and we’re proud to say we have almost 200 Allies.

The overall gender balance across all employees within the 
business at year end was 29% female and 71% male†. This figure 
is indicative of our industry, with a high proportion of operational 
employees typically being male, and has remained largely unchanged 
since the previous reporting period. This year the representation of 
women in leadership roles increased to 38%† and we are on track to 
meet our target of women holding at least 40% of leadership positions 
by 2020. This is being achieved through targeted female development, 
diverse shortlists and a leadership team committed to this change. 
We are also committed to improving ethnic diversity within our 
leadership population. 

Embracing diversity underpins our commitment to providing 

equal opportunities to our current and potential employees and 
applying fair and equitable employment practices. We codify this 
through our Equality and Diversity Policy, our D&I Strategy and 
our values. 

Board

Executive team

Male

5 (62%)

10 (83%)

Female

3 (38%)

2 (17%)

Senior managers (Band D+)

235 (62%)

144 (38%)

All employees

3,275 (71%)

1,327 (29%)

2020 goal:
Women are represented in 40% of senior manager roles (Band 
D+) across the company

24 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

GB gender pay gap
The following results show our GB gender pay gap for the 
1,867 people who were employed by Britvic on 5 April 2019.

The gender pay gap is the difference between the average 

earnings of men and women across the business regardless of the 
nature of their work. It is different from equal pay. Equal pay relates to 
men and women being paid equally for equivalent jobs. This is a legal 
requirement in the UK and one that Britvic believes in fully across all of 
our markets. We are confident that men and women are paid equally 
for equivalent work, however because different jobs pay differently 
and the number of men and women performing these jobs varies, a 
gender pay gap exists.

The mean pay gap is the difference between average hourly rate 

of men and women. The median pay gap is the difference between 
the midpoints in the ranges of hourly rate of men and women. In both 
cases, a positive figure indicates that men receive the higher pay and a 
negative figure indicates that women do.

Pay quartile (%)

Upper quartile (%)

 65.8

Upper middle quartile (%)

 72.7

GB employees by gender

Lower middle quartile (%)

Male 

Female 

72%

28%

 81.8

Lower quartile (%)

 72.3

34.2 

27.3 

18.2 

27.7 

Our total gender pay gap is skewed towards women which means 
that the average earnings of women are higher than men. Britvic 
has a -13% median pay difference against the UK average of 18% 
median. The primary driver of this is the structure of our workforce 
which, in line with the industry we operate in, is weighted towards 
manufacturing and distribution operations, where the balance of the 
workforce is predominantly male (7:1). The roles in our manufacturing 
and distribution operations have, on average, lower salaries and bonus 
payments than those in our office functions.

We have proportionally fewer women in our leadership roles 

that, on average, attract higher pay rates, as shown by the upper 
quartile pay gender split (65.8% men). The mean bonus payment is 
2.6% in favour of males primarily because higher bonuses are paid 
at a senior executive level.

Difference in pay between genders (%)

Mean

-5

Median

-13

Difference in bonus payments between genders (%)

Mean

2.6

Median

-59

Proportion of men and women receiving a bonus (%)

 86.9 

 82.8  

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

25

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Creating stakeholder value continued

Government
Despite being politically neutral, the regulatory environment is critical 
to our success as a business, and therefore we engage openly and 
transparently with governments and political bodies in the markets 
in which we operate. We do not make donations to, nor receive 
donations or services from, political parties; however, we do represent 
our views on the issues that affect our business to political actors, both 
directly and with relevant industry bodies and trade associations. We 
will always do so while complying with any relevant laws regulating 
political activity, and, where appropriate, we submit regular updates 
to lobbying registers.

We work proactively and positively with policy makers and this 
year we conducted research in the UK to seek their views on issues 
affecting the soft drinks industry. Concern in relation to sugar and 
plastic packaging dominated the feedback, albeit with differing levels 
of sentiment. Across respondents, sugar is broadly considered an 
ongoing concern in relation to public health but one that the soft 
drinks industry has made significant progress on. In contrast, the 
plastic packaging issue is a relatively new issue for UK policy makers 
but one that is gaining considerable momentum with impending 
regulation to support a more circular economy. 

 “ It is a fairly responsible sector 
overall because it responded very 
well to the challenge that we, the 
Government, set them around sugar 
and that has been to their credit.”

Policy stakeholder

Customers 
Our customers are essential to our business as our main route 
to market, and as partners on joint business plans where we can 
create shared value with our category-led approach. With our deep 
knowledge of the soft drinks category and fantastic products, we 
share our expertise with our customers to drive category growth. 
As befits these close partnerships, we engage regularly with our 
customers with face-to-face meetings, conferences and events, 
webinars and hosting customer facing websites and online platforms. 
As well as day-to-day operational contact, we have regular reviews 
of joint business plans to ensure that we deliver beyond what is 
necessary to reach our shared goals.

This year we once again published our Soft Drinks Review, the 
annual barometer of the soft drinks industry containing data and our 
insight on consumer trends, broken down by channel. Linked to the 
launch, we hosted many co-creation events with our customers to 
find solutions to their challenges, often at our equipment centre in 
Mica Point or our commercial environment showcase space at our 
head office.

Suppliers
We engage with suppliers to address challenges and drive positive 
change through our procurement and supplier quality assurance teams 
and processes, as well as through conferences and training sessions 
for suppliers. This year the Britvic Brazil team co-hosted the AIM-
PROGRESS Supplier Capability Building event in São Paulo aimed at 
raising awareness of responsible sourcing and knowledge in the areas 
of anti-corruption, forced labour, the value of social audits, wages and 
working hours, and health and safety at work.

We are committed to sourcing the ingredients and materials that 
go into our drinks in a responsible manner and continually strive for the 

highest ethical standards, holding our suppliers and partners to the 
same criteria. Our Ethical Business Policy details our commitment to 
human rights and covers bribery and corruption, conducting business 
with respect, integrity and equality, and managing personal activities 
and interests. Our approach is guided by international conventions 
and standards, including the UN Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. 
Our policy extends to our suppliers and other trading partners and 
compliance is monitored through our responsible sourcing programme. 
Following the integration of Brazil into our responsible sourcing 
programme last year, we are proud to have grown the percentage 
of direct suppliers linked to us on Sedex, the ethical supply chain 
data platform we use, from 57% to 92% across the Group over the 
course of 2019. Full details on our Sedex scorecard and our approach 
to protecting human rights and preventing modern slavery across our 
business can be found within our Modern Slavery Statement published 
on our website at www.britvic.com/modernslavery. 

Trade associations
Britvic plays an active role in promoting the growth, development 
and understanding of our business and the wider industry, and we 
are proud to work alongside and support a wide variety of relevant 
trade bodies and associations in our key markets. These organisations 
primarily provide us with the opportunity to work in partnership 
with the wider industry to communicate values and concerns to 
key stakeholders such as consumers, governments, media and 
regulators. This helps to ensure that the best interests of the soft 
drinks and wider food sectors are represented at all levels of decision 
making, and that our perspective is always considered and respected. 
We also benefit from the wide variety of professional services offered 
by many of these associations – including advice on policy, regulation 
and best practice – and we often take advantage of training 
opportunities and important stakeholder events and receptions. 
Last year we played a key role in a number of associations, 
including sitting on the relevant boards and executive councils of 
organisations including the Food and Drink Federation, the British Soft 
Drinks Association, Food Drink Ireland and the Irish Beverage Council. 
We are active participants in a number of working groups most 
relevant to our strategic priorities.

In GB, our Sensational Drinks trade platform gives independent 
pub and restaurant operators a helping hand by providing a free 
suite of services, support tools and inspiration. The site includes 
a range of advice and guidance, access to the latest innovations, 
free promotional material, recipe inspiration and advice from 
leading bartenders, and tips and advice for driving footfall. 

26 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Healthier Planet

As a soft drinks business, our long-term success depends on 
our ability to source our ingredients and raw materials, which in 
turn depends upon a stable healthy natural environment. The climate 
crisis and the inefficient way in which resources are consumed have 
hit the headlines this year and governments, business leaders and 
communities at large are waking up to the fact that something needs 
to change, and more must be done to tackle the environmental 
challenges we face. We are committed to playing our part. 

Climate action

This year we have seen a huge swell in concern about climate change, 
with governments around the world responding to citizen pressure and 
enhancing their carbon commitments. We welcome these steps 
towards a low carbon economy.

This year we were proud to commit to setting a science-based 

emissions reduction target to ensure that our carbon strategy reflects 
the ambition and urgency required to keep global temperature rise 
to within 1.5°C. We have targeted an overall absolute reduction of 36% 
vs 2017 by 2025. To set this target, we completed a full value chain 
analysis including engaging with over 300 suppliers to understand 
their current carbon impact and programmes in place to reduce it. 
This baseline dataset has enabled us to identify hotspot areas and 
develop projects that will have the biggest impact on reducing our 
indirect emissions footprint. Going forward, this information will aid us 
to better measure and understand the climate change risk in our key 
supply chains, as we step towards incorporating the recommendations 
of the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. 

We continued our commitment to the green energy transition 
in 2019. Over the course of the year, we reduced our market-based1 
manufacturing emissions intensity by 20%, primarily through the 
switch of our GB grid-sourced manufacturing electricity to wind 
power. This has meant that overall, our percentage of energy sourced 
from renewables has increased from 28% last year to 46%† and we 
are continuing to investigate new clean energy opportunities. The 
proportion of hybrid/electric vehicles in our GB company car fleet 
increased to 27% and we additionally supported carbon sequestration 
through an employee tree planting project in Brazil and Teisseire’s 
brand partnership with the National Forests Office in France.

Our investment in operational excellence and efficiency has 

counterintuitively caused a temporary increase in our location-based1 
manufacturing emissions intensity this year to 27.41 tonnes CO2e/
thousand tonnes production†. This 2.6% increase in our overall emissions 
intensity was primarily driven by the energy required for commissioning 
four new manufacturing lines and a CHP plant at our Rugby site.

However, we believe it is essential to invest now to recoup emissions 
savings over the long term. The new lines are highly energy efficient, 
while the CHP plant converts natural gas into electricity and also 
captures waste heat and steam for use in on-site processes such as 
pasteurisation, thus improving the generation efficiency compared 
with a traditional grid connection. This year we also installed new 
biomass-powered boilers at our Araguari site, which are estimated 
to halve the manufacturing emissions from our Brazil business unit 
once fully operational, and in France we trained ten energy champions 
across our sites through a government-certified programme, each 
of whom is developing energy reduction initiatives. 

Manufacturing energy sources

Electricity – renewable 

Natural gas 

Biomass 

Combined heat and power (’CHP’) 

Fuel oil 

Electricity – non-renewable 

Liquid petroleum gas (’LPG’) 

32%

28%

14%

12%

7%

5%

2%

Location-based emissions method

Scope 1

Scope 2

Total scope 1 & 2 emissions

Scope 1 & 2 emissions intensity 
(per thousand tonnes production)

Market-based emissions method

Scope 1

Scope 2

Total scope 1 & 2 emissions

Scope 1 & 2 emissions intensity (per 
thousand tonnes production)

Downstream emissions

Scope 3 – Business travel4

Scope 3 – Logistics

Notes:

2019 
(tonnes 

CO2e)2,3†

28,060 

34,765 

62,825 

2018 
(tonnes 
CO2e)

31,048 

31,067 

62,115 

28.86 

29.03 

28,060 

10,191 

38,251 

31,048 

17,414 

48,462 

17.57 

22.65 

4,136 

52,050 

4,700 

53,711 

1 

2  

3 

4 

The GHG Protocol (2015) defines location-based Scope 2 emissions as reflecting 
‘the average emissions intensity of grids on which energy consumption occurs’ 
and market-based Scope 2 emissions as reflecting ‘emissions from electricity that 
companies have purposefully chosen’.

2019 figures refer to the 52 weeks ended 29 September 2019. Please refer to 
Britvic’s 2019 Basis of Reporting available at www.britvic.com/sustainable for full 
scope, boundary and methodology disclosure for our greenhouse gas reporting. 
This data is independently assured by Ernst & Young LLP.

Figures include all office and non-manufacturing emissions.

Business travel includes our Brazil business unit for the first time and 2018 data have 
been restated for comparability. 

2020 goal:
•  Launch science-based target and roadmap
•  7% reduction in location-based scope 1 and 2 manufacturing 

emissions intensity

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

27

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Creating stakeholder value continued

Responsible consumption and production 
Resource stewardship
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report has listed 
water crises among the top five risks in terms of impact for eight 
consecutive years (World Economic Forum, 2019). While none of 
our manufacturing sites are located in high water risk areas (as per 
the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Aqueduct 
water risk tool), we remain committed to minimising our water 
footprint and continue to monitor this risk.

In 2019, our manufacturing water intensity ratio increased by 2% to 
2.18m3/tonne produced†. Decreases in our GB and Ireland business units 
were offset by a larger (16%) increase in water intensity in Brazil. This 
was caused by numerous factors, including new clean-in-place testing 
and borehole cleaning. This water performance was disappointing and 
we have initiated a series of third party water audits and internal projects 
across our manufacturing sites to identify water-saving opportunities in 
our operations to turn this performance around.

We continued our journey to become a zero waste to landfill 

business this year. We sent zero manufacturing waste to landfill 
across GB, Ireland and France and diverted 99%† of manufacturing 
waste generated from landfill overall. Our focus for 2020 is therefore 
to stop the small amount of waste still going to landfill from our Brazil 
sites. As well as encouraging our consumers to recycle, we led by 
example ourselves. Over 95% of our GB manufacturing plastic waste 
was recycled or reused, up from 87% in 2018, with the remaining sent 
for energy recovery, and we also installed new filtered water fixtures 
throughout our head office.

2020 goal
•  Achieve a water intensity ratio of 1.98m3/tonne produced 

across our global manufacturing sites

•  Achieve zero waste to landfill across our global 

manufacturing sites

Packaging and the circular economy
The world is facing unprecedented pressure on natural resources, 
leading to price volatility and restricted availability on certain raw 
materials. As a business dependent on resources including energy, 
water, packaging materials and agricultural commodities, we are 
committed to reducing our risk exposure by using resources as 
efficiently as possible and supporting a more circular economy.

This year the focus of many of our stakeholders has been on 

the environmental impact associated with plastic packaging. Across 
our global portfolio we use a variety of different packaging formats 
including PET plastic, aluminium cans, glass and carton. Plastic is 
a hugely versatile packaging format that offers a wealth of benefits 
including its lightweight, hygienic, resealable properties but we share 
our stakeholders’ concerns in relation to the wasteful nature in which 
this resource is used and we are committed to being part of 
the solution.

Our ambition is to see a world where packaging never becomes 

waste. This year we continued to be a proud signatory to the UK 
Plastics Pact, an initiative launched in April 2018, bringing together 
all parts of the plastic value chain aimed at keeping plastics in the 
economy and out of the natural environment. In support of the pact 
this year, we launched our new packaging strategy that focuses on 
actions that will reduce, recycle, reframe and reinvent the way we 
handle plastic packaging.

1. Reducing
We work collaboratively with our suppliers to reduce the amount 
of packaging we use across all format types. This year we successfully 
removed 646 tonnes† of plastic through packaging redesign and new 
technology in GB and Ireland. We are working closely with PepsiCo 
to drive global best practice in our PET bottle light-weighting – a key 
enabler of our commitment to remove at least an additional 500 tonnes 
of plastic packaging next year.

In support of the circular economy we are also committed to 

ensuring that all our packaging is recyclable and its value is retained. 
This year we switched our Squash’d black plastic bottle to a recyclable, 
non-black format and all of our cans and PET bottles are recyclable in 
GB and Ireland.

2. Recycling
As well as ensuring that the materials we use are recyclable, in order 
to create a closed loop for packaging, we recognise these recycled 
materials need to be viewed as a valuable resource and to do so 
business needs to incorporate more recycled content into the packaging 
used. This year we were proud to launch ARTO LifeWTR in a PET 
bottle which contained 50% recycled content (rPET) and we kicked off 
trials for the introduction of recycled content in our trade shrinks.

Next year, enabled by our transformational strategic partnership 
with Esterform, the UK’s largest independent preform manufacturer, 
we will accelerate rPET roll out across GB and Ireland, achieving at 
least an overall average 15% rPET level, including at least 100% rPET 
content on two of our brands. 

28 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

3. Reframing
Consumers and customers tell us they want to reduce the amount of 
plastic and packaging they use and for it to be easy for them to recycle. 
We have an important role to play and through the unique reach and 
scale of our brands we have an opportunity to reframe the 
conversation on packaging waste.

This year we have continued to feature the On-Pack Recycling 

Label (‘OPRL’) on all our packaging and we significantly increased 
our consumer facing recycling communications with ‘Recycle Me’ 
messaging featuring on our Pepsi, Robinsons and 7UP TV campaigns 
and on-cap messaging on Pepsi, Tango and Ballygowan brands. 
Working with WRAP and Recycle Now, our biggest brands supported 
Recycle Week through their social channels.

We are pleased that the UK Government is addressing the 
current packaging waste challenges and we welcomed the opportunity 
to respond to the policy consultations on Extended Producer 
Responsibility, deposit return schemes and plastics packaging tax 
this year. We are committed to playing our part and will continue 
to work with our industry peers to influence the design and 
development in support of a more circular economy.

4. Reinventing
We see exciting possibilities for reinventing how drinks are packaged. 
This part of our packaging strategy looks to future initiatives and next 
generation technologies in the aim of reducing the total 
environmental footprint.

2020 goal
•  Remove over 500 tonnes of additional packaging through new 

• 

light-weighting initiatives
Increase rPET in our GB and Ireland portfolio at 15% with 
100% recycled content for at least two brands

•  By year end, 100% of our trade and consumer advertisements 

in GB and Ireland carry a recycling message

1 Reducing

Recycling

2

3

Reframing

Reinventing

4

Recycle
me

Our partnership with Esterform 
accelerates Britvic’s ability to meet our 
plastic reduction targets across our GB 
and Ireland portfolio. We are investing 
£5m to support the construction of 
new rPET manufacturing facilities at 
Esterform’s site in Leeds. rPET is plastic 
material made from recycled plastics 
and presents an alternative to virgin 
fossil-based packaging. This gives rPET 
significant environmental benefits and 
contributes towards creating an effective 
circular economy. However, there is a 
significant industry issue in accessing 
the quantity and quality of food-grade 
rPET required to satisfy the demand, 
with insufficient capacity currently 
available in the UK. This deal, therefore, 
provides Britvic with secure access to 
UK-sourced rPET and offers Esterform 
the security to invest in a major capital 
project that will enhance the UK’s efforts 
to create a circular economy.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

29

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Chief Financial Officer’s review

“ I am delighted to have joined Britvic as  
Chief Financial Officer. Since joining in 
September 2019 I have spent time 
understanding the business and have had 
an opportunity to visit our teams in Brazil, 
Ireland and France. My early impressions 
are very positive, and I very much look 
forward to working with everyone in Britvic 
to deliver our strategy and continued strong 
returns for shareholders.”

Joanne Wilson,
Chief Financial Officer

Overview 
In 2019, group revenue increased by 1.4%* and adjusted EBIT increased by 4.4%*, with a solid 40 bps* improvement in adjusted EBIT margin. 
As a result, adjusted earnings per share increased 6.2%, and the Board has proposed a final dividend of 21.7 pence, reflecting the strong financial 
performance and free cash flow generation. Reported profit after tax declined 30.9% as we included adjusting items of £84.6m. As well as 
adjusting items related to the BCP, past pension costs and the closure of the Fruit Shoot multi-pack operation in the United States, we have also 
incurred additional adjusting items in relation to the proposed sale of the juice manufacturing sites in France. These include transaction costs and 
an impairment charge as we write down the value of the assets held for sale.

Below is an outline of the segmental performance as well as explanatory notes related to items including the taxation charge, interest paid and 
free cash flow generation.

GB carbonates

Volume (million litres)

ARP per litre

Revenue

Brand contribution

Brand contribution margin

52 weeks 
ended 
29 September 
2019 
£m

52 weeks 
ended 
30 September 
2018
 £m

1,301.7

1,294.8

51.0p

663.6

259.0

39.0%

47.2p

610.6

251.7

% change 
actual

% change 
excluding 
SDIL

0.5%

8.1%

8.7%

2.9%

0.5%

4.7%

5.2%

2.9%

41.2%

(220) bps

(90) bps

GB carbonates revenue increased 5.2%, excluding the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL), with ARP growth of 4.7%. This was achieved through 
pack mix and disciplined revenue management. Volume growth in the second half of the year was strong compared to last year, when carbonates 
sales were limited by the CO2 shortage. Volume growth from our portfolio of low and no sugar brands, including Tango, Pepsi MAX, 7UP Free and 
R Whites, more than offset the expected decline in full sugar brands. Brand contribution margin declined 90 bps due to a combination of pack mix, 
a significant increase in advertising and promotion (‘A&P’) spend and cost of goods inflation.

* 

Constant exchange rate adjusts for constant currency and excludes the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) in GB and the Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax (SSDT) in Ireland. Adjusting items 
includes acquisition related amortisation of £10.4m, impairment charge relating to assets held for sale in France of £31.2m and other adjusting items of £42.5m. Total adjusting items 
includes £0.5m in finance costs.

30 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

GB stills

Volume (million litres)

ARP per litre

Revenue

Brand contribution

Brand contribution margin

52 weeks 
ended
29 September 
2019 
£m

52 weeks 
ended
 30 September 
2018 
£m

355.1

79.4p

281.8

120.5

42.8%

370.1

75.8p

280.7

116.6

% change 
actual

(4.1%)

4.7%

0.4%

3.3%

% change 
excluding  

SDIL

(4.1%)

4.5%

0.4%

3.3%

41.5%

130 bps

120 bps

GB stills revenue increased 0.4%, led by the Robinsons range, Refresh’d and Lipton Ice Tea. Strong ARP growth of 4.5%, excluding the SDIL, 
was achieved through disciplined revenue management across the portfolio and the growth of premium variants such as Robinsons Creations and 
Cordials. Volume declined 4.1% due to a combination of the impact of revenue management and a strong second half performance last year when 
we switched promotional activity from carbonates to stills in response to the CO2 shortage. Brand contribution and margin benefited from the 
positive mix, lower A&P spend and strong price realisation.

France

Volume (million litres)

ARP per litre

Revenue

Brand contribution

Brand contribution margin

52 weeks 
ended 
29 September 
2019
 £m

52 weeks 
ended 
30 September 
2018
 £m

240.2

102.0p

244.9

80.0

32.7%

263.0

102.4p

269.2

81.4

30.2%

% change 
actual 
exchange 
rate

(8.7%)

(0.4%)

(9.0%)

(1.7%)

% change 
constant 
exchange
 rate

(8.7%)

(0.5%)

(9.2%)

(1.7%)

250 bps

250 bps

Revenue declined 9.2%, driven by an 8.7% fall in volume. The revenue decline was in both private label sales, as we continued to focus on 
managing the profitability of these contracts, and our branded portfolio. Fruit Shoot declined due to a combination of intense price competition 
and new entrants into the category. The EGalim law, which regulates both promotional activity and margins, had an adverse impact across the 
brand portfolio. The decline in brand contribution was partially mitigated by the benefit of raw material savings earlier in the year.

Ireland

Volume (million litres)

ARP per litre

Revenue

Brand contribution

Brand contribution margin

52 weeks 
ended 
29 September 
2019 
£m

52 weeks 
ended 
30 September 
2018 
£m

211.9

60.6p

175.8

52.0

29.6%

221.3

56.3p

174.0

53.5

% change 
actual
 exchange 
rate

(4.2%)

7.6%

1.0%

(2.8%)

% change 
constant 
exchange rate 
excluding
SSDT

(4.2%)

3.9%

(1.6%) 

(2.9%)

30.7%

(110) bps

(40) bps

Note: Volumes and ARP include own brand soft drinks sales and do not include factored product sales included within total revenue and brand contribution.

Revenue declined 1.6%, excluding the Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax (SSDT), with volume down 4.2% and ARP increasing 3.9%. The volume 
decline was in part due to Ballygowan water performance, compared to an exceptionally warm summer last year and changes this year to 
promotional pricing. MiWadi and Pepsi were in strong growth but were offset by a decline in 7UP and Club full sugar variants. Counterpoint 
revenue, which includes the sale of third-party alcohol brands, declined compared to last year, reflecting a contraction in the on-trade channel.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

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Chief Financial Officer’s review continued

International

Volume (million litres)

ARP per litre

Revenue

Brand contribution

Brand contribution margin

52 weeks 
ended
 29 September 
2019 
£m

52 weeks 
ended
 30 September 
2018
 £m

49.8

108.6p

54.1

11.3

20.9%

43.8

111.9p

49.0

10.2

20.8%

% change 
actual
 exchange
 rate

13.7%

(2.9%)

10.4%

10.8%

10 bps

% change 
constant 
exchange
 rate

13.7%

(3.1%)

10.2%

16.5%

110 bps

Note: Concentrate sales are included in both revenue and ARP but do not have any associated volume.

Revenue increased a robust 10.2% with all sub-channels in growth except Fruit Shoot in the United States where sales of the multi-pack ceased 
in the final quarter of the year. Revenue excluding United States multi-pack increased 12.7%. ARP declined 3.1% due to channel mix, led by the 
growth of sales in the Travel & Export channel, which benefited from new account wins and increased sales to overseas markets. In Benelux, 
channel growth was led by the Teisseire Zero sugar free range. A&P spend was modestly down on last year. Brand contribution and margin 
increased due to the withdrawal from Fruit Shoot multi-pack in the United States and mix.

Brazil

Volume (million litres)

ARP per litre

Revenue

Brand contribution

Brand contribution margin

52 weeks 
ended 
29 September 
2019
 £m

52 weeks 
ended 
30 September 
2018
 £m

222.2

56.2p

124.8

28.3

22.7%

210.6

57.0p

120.1

24.8

20.6%

% change 
actual  
exchange  

rate

5.5%

(1.4%)

3.9%

14.1%

210 bps

% change 
constant 
exchange  

rate

5.5%

4.3%

9.9%

20.4%

200 bps

Strong revenue growth of 9.9% was achieved through a balance of ARP and volume. The ready to drink portfolio was in strong growth, 
across the juice, coconut water and tea ranges. In addition, both Fruit Shoot and the Be Ingredient operation, which supplies both Britvic and 
third-party companies with concentrated juices, also grew compared to last year. Brand contribution and margin were significantly ahead of last 
year, reflecting the positive product mix and absorbing an increase in A&P spend. Within revenue there was a one-off benefit of approximately 
£1.1m related to reclaimed federal taxes.

Fixed costs – pre-adjusting items

Non-brand A&P

Fixed supply chain

Selling costs

Overheads and other

Total

Total A&P investment

A&P as a % of own brand revenue

52 weeks 
ended 
29 September 
2019
 £m

52 weeks 
ended 
30 September 
2018
 £m

% change 
actual
 exchange 
rate

% change 
constant 
exchange
 rate 

(10.5)

(108.0)

(83.0)

(135.5)

(337.0)

(65.9)

4.4%

(11.1)

(110.1)

(79.5)

(131.3)

(332.0)

(65.6)

4.6%

5.4%

1.9%

(4.4%)

(3.2%)

(1.5%)

5.4%

1.8%

(4.5%)

(2.6%)

(1.3%)

A&P spend of £65.9m was slightly ahead of last year with increased spend in Brazil and GB carbonates offset by lower spend in the 
other segments. 

Fixed supply chain costs of £108.0m were lower than last year primarily due to co-packing costs, which were higher in 2018 due to rebuilding of 
stocks following the CO2 shortage. Selling costs increased due to additional investment in selling resource and field sales activity. Overheads and 
other increased 2.6% to £135.5m as we include costs related to Brexit planning. 

Interest 
The adjusted net finance charge* for the 52-week period for the Group was £19.2m, compared with £19.8m in the prior year. The reduction was 
due to the impact of maturing debt being refinanced at lower rates. The reported net finance charge was £19.7m (2018: £20.3m).

32 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Adjusting items – pre-tax
In the period, we incurred and have separately disclosed a net charge 
of £84.6m (2018: £40.4m) of pre-tax adjusting items. These include:

•  Strategic restructuring – BCP costs of £33.0m (2018: £40.3m), 

which include employee costs and asset impairments in respect of 
the Norwich site closure, as well as other restructuring costs related 
to the programme and the operating model in GB and Ireland

•  Acquisition related amortisation of £10.4m
•  A charge in France relating to the revaluation of assets held for sale 

of £31.2m, and related transaction costs to date of £2.5m
•  Costs in relation to the closure of the Fruit Shoot multi-pack 

operation in the United States of £2.1m

•  Pension related costs of £6.2m, including past service costs relating to 
GMP equalisation of the pension schemes in GB and Northern Ireland

•  A fair value loss of £0.5m and other of £(1.3)m

The cash cost of adjusting items pre-tax in the period was a £31.3m 
outflow. Further detail on adjusting items can be found on page 147.

Taxation 
The adjusted tax charge was £36.8m, which equates to an effective 
tax rate of 19.9% (2018: 21.6%). This primarily resulted from a change 
of geographical profit mix and prior period adjustments. The reported net 
tax charge was £29.4m (2018: £28.7m), which equates to an effective 
tax rate of 26.7% (2018: 19.7%). The increase relates to an impairment 
in France which is not tax deductable. A small benefit continues to be 
reflected due to a reduction in deferred tax liabilities in the UK as a 
result of lower future UK corporate tax rates. Included within prior year 
adjustments is £1.8m relating to the release of uncertain tax positions 
for which the statute of limitation has passed and a deferred tax prior 
year adjustment of £1.3m relating to deferred tax on fixed assets and 
loss recognition in the UK and Ireland respectively.

Earnings per share (EPS)
Adjusted basic EPS for the period was 59.8 pence, up 6.2% on the 
same period last year. Basic EPS for the period was 30.6 pence, 
compared with 44.4 pence last year.

Dividends
The Board is recommending a final dividend of 21.7 pence per share, 
an increase of 6.9% on the dividend declared last year, with a total 
value of £57.3m. The full year dividend is 30.0 pence, representing a 
year-on-year increase of 6.4%. The final dividend for 2019 will be paid 
on 5 February 2020 to shareholders on record as at 6 December 2019. 
The ex-dividend date is 5 December 2019.

Cash flow and net debt
Adjusted free cash flow was a £116.0m inflow, compared with 
a £65.0m inflow the previous year. Working capital generated an 
outflow of £20.2m (2018: £15.5m inflow), primarily due to higher 
inventory levels. Capital expenditure of £74.8m, (2018: £143.5m) 
as the transformational business capability programme completed. 
Adjusted net debt at 29 September 2019 of £566.1m decreased 

by £9.4m compared to adjusted net debt* of £575.5m at 30 September 
2018. This has generated adjusted net debt* leverage of 2.1x (2018: 2.2x).

IFRS 16
IFRS 16, the new financial reporting standard on accounting for leases, 
was adopted on 30 September 2019 using the ‘modified retrospective’ 
transition approach, meaning that comparative financial information at 
29 September 2019 will not be restated. Adoption of the standard will 
have no cash impact, but will change the way assets, liabilities and 
related income statement balances are presented. The impact on profit 
before tax and EBIT is not expected to be material. Further detail on the 
impact of IFRS 16 can be found in Note 3 to the financial statements. 

Treasury management
The financial risks faced by the Group are identified and managed 
by a central treasury department, whose activities are carried out in 
accordance with Board approved policies and subject to regular Audit 
and Treasury Committee reviews. The department does not operate 

as a profit centre and no transaction is entered into for trading or 
speculative purposes. Key financial risks managed by the treasury 
department include exposures to movements in interest rates and 
foreign exchange rates, whilst managing the Group’s debt and liquidity, 
currency risk, interest rate risk and cash position. The Group uses 
financial instruments to hedge against interest rate and foreign 
currency exposures. 

At 29 September 2019, the Group had £945.0m of committed 
debt facilities, consisting of a £400.0m bank facility which matures in 
2021, and a series of private placement notes with maturities between 
2019 and 2033, providing the business with a secure funding platform. 
At 29 September 2019, the Group’s unadjusted net debt of 

£634.5m (excluding derivative hedges) consisted of £67.0m drawn 
under the Group’s committed bank facilities, £614.5m of private 
placement notes, £2.7m of accrued interest and £1.0m of finance 
leases, offset by net cash and cash equivalents of £49.0m and 
unamortised loan issue costs of £1.7m. Including the element of the 
fair value of interest rate currency swaps hedging the balance sheet 
value of the private placement notes, the Group’s adjusted net debt 
was £566.2m, which compares with £575.5m at 1 October 2018.

Pensions
At 29 September 2019, the Group had IAS 19 pension surpluses in Great 
Britain and Northern Ireland totalling £142.4m and IAS 19 pension deficits 
in Ireland and France totalling £14.9m (net of asset held for sale pension 
deficit in France of £1.3m), resulting in a net pension surplus of £127.5m 
(1 October 2018: net surplus of £86.9m). The net surplus has increased 
primarily due to changes in the financial and demographic assumptions, 
and additional employer contributions made to the GB plan of £20m. The 
defined benefit section of the GB plan was closed to new members on 
1 August 2002 and closed to future accrual for active members from 
1 April 2011, with new employees being invited to join the defined 
contribution scheme. The Northern Ireland scheme was closed to new 
members on 28 February 2006 and future accrual from 31 December 
2018, and new employees are eligible to join the defined contribution 
scheme. All new employees in Ireland join the defined contribution plan. 
Following completion of the 31 March 2016 GB plan actuarial 
valuation, agreement has been made with the Plan Trustee on a number 
of key principles, including allowing a longer period to fund the deficit 
and agreeing that no additional contributions will be payable over and 
above those payments to 2019 agreed at the 2013 valuation. Future 
contributions beyond 2019 will be on a contingent basis. The Ireland 
and Northern Ireland defined benefit pension plans have an investment 
strategy journey plan to manage the risks as the funding position 
improves. The GB pension plan mainly has credit-type investments and 
the Trustees have developed proposals to manage the investment risks. 
Following the Lloyds GMP equalisation case in October 2018, which 

ruled that treatment of men and women be brought in line for schemes 
with a guaranteed minimum pension, the vast majority of UK-based 
defined benefit schemes will need to recalculate member benefits. 
The impact of the GMP equalisation is £6.0m which has been recognised 
as a past service cost as part of adjusting items in the current period.

Risk management process
As with any business, we face risks and uncertainties. We believe 
that effective risk management supports the successful delivery of 
our strategic objectives. The management of these risks is based on 
a balance of risk and reward, determined through assessment of 
the likelihood and impact as well as the company’s risk appetite. The 
Executive team performs a formal robust assessment of the principal risks 
facing the company annually, which is reviewed by the Board. Similarly, 
all business units and functions perform formal annual risk assessments 
that consider the company’s principal risks and specific local risks relevant 
to the market in which they operate. Risks are monitored throughout the 
year with consideration to internal and external factors and the company’s 
risk appetite, and updates to risks and mitigation plans are made as 
required. The principal risks that could potentially have a significant impact 
on our business have not changed since year end and are set out on 
pages 35 – 38 of the 2019 annual report.

Joanne Wilson
Chief Financial Officer
27 November 2019

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

33

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report
Risk management 

Our approach
As with any business, we face risks and uncertainties especially as 
we look to grow our business here in the UK and around the world. 
Effective risk management helps support the successful delivery of 
our strategic objectives. We have an established risk management 
framework to identify, assess, mitigate and monitor the risks we face 
as a business and help deliver a balance between risk and opportunity. 
The risk management framework incorporates both a top down 
approach to identify the company’s principal risks and a bottom 
up approach to identify operational risks. The Executive team is 
responsible for identifying, managing and monitoring the principal 
risks. The Board is accountable for the overall risk management 
process and determining the effectiveness of the Executive team’s risk 
management. Similarly, all business units and functions are responsible 
for identifying and assessing their risks, both current and emerging, 
and measuring them against the defined criteria, considering the 
likelihood of occurrence and the potential impact to the company. This 
includes an assessment of the movement in the risks, the strength of 
the controls relied upon and the status of the mitigation actions. 
The viability statement on page 39 provides a broader 
assessment of the long-term liquidity and solvency of the company 
after consideration of the principal risks. 

Key areas of focus
The risks facing Britvic continue to be wide-ranging with both external 
and internal factors providing a high level of uncertainty across the 
year. This has ranged from common business risks, such as Brexit 
and sustainability, through to those more specific to Britvic, such 
as moving through the final stages of our BCP. 

The company has a Brexit steering group in place to ensure that 
we are being proactive in monitoring developments and taking action 
where appropriate. Given the continuing uncertainty regarding the 
outcome of the Brexit withdrawal process, the steering group has 
focused this year on being prepared for a ‘no-deal’ exit and ensuring 
that adequate preparations are made where these are within the 
company’s control. This has ranged from building additional raw 
material stock in the run up to the various Brexit deadlines, securing 
additional warehouse space both in GB and Ireland and assessing the 
readiness of our suppliers for Brexit. The impact of Brexit including a 
‘no-deal’ outcome has not been presented as a separate risk but 
instead is reflected in the relevant principal risks, notably the risks 
around supply chain and treasury. 

Risk appetite
The UK Corporate Governance Code requires companies to determine 
their risk appetite. This is an expression of the amount and types of 
risk that the company is willing to take in order to achieve its strategic 
and operational objectives. We have agreed a set of company appetite 
statements for our principal risks. A risk that can seriously affect the 
performance, future prospects or reputation of the company is 
deemed a principal risk. These are aligned to the company’s strategic 
goals and priorities. We use the articulation of risk appetite in decision 
making across the company, and to define and validate the mitigating 
activities required to manage our risks.

Risk management framework

I dentify

d
n
a
r
o
t
i

n
o
M

t
r
o
p
e
R

Risk
management
process

l

E
v
a
u
a
t
e

Respo n d

n
w
o
d
p
o
T

p
u
m
o
t
t
o
B

Board of Directors
Assesses principal risks and sets risk 
appetite. Overall responsibility for 
maintaining sound risk management 
and internal controls.

Audit Committee
Sets the risk management framework. 
Assesses the effectiveness of the 
Group’s risk framework and internal 
control systems.

Executive team
Identifies and monitors principal risks and 
undertakes reviews of operational risks 
reported from business units.

Risk team
Co-ordinates risk management activity, 
provides expertise and support to business 
risk owners and reports risk information 
across the organisation.

Internal Audit 
Provides independent and objective 
assurance that the system of internal 
control is adequately designed and is 
operating effectively to mitigate key risks.

Operational management
Owns and reviews operational risks, 
operates controls and implements 
mitigation actions.

34 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
 
Principal risks and uncertainties 

The table below sets out the principal 
risks faced by the company, the link to 
the company’s strategies, movement in the 
risk score, examples of relevant controls, 
mitigating factors, and recent developments. 
The company is exposed to a wide range 
of other risks in addition to those listed. 

The risk score movement from the prior year 
for each principal risk is presented as follows:

Alignment to strategy key

No change

Increased

Decreased

Generate profitable growth  
in our core markets
Realise global opportunities  
in kids, family and adult categories
Continue to step-change our 
business capability
Build trust and respect  
in our communities

Consumer preference: Innovation

Principal risk
Failure to successfully evolve our portfolio to take advantage of growth 
categories and/or reinvent our core brands to meet consumer needs. 

Controls and mitigating activities
•  We have a broad portfolio of products across a number of sub-

categories and markets to increase coverage of consumer trends 
•  Continuous assessment of consumer/customer trends, insight and 
behaviours in order to anticipate changes in preferences and match 
our offering to these trends 

•  Every period, the Category Board meets to oversee the overall 

Marketing & Innovation pipeline. The Category Board has visibility 
and oversight on project progress, resourcing and spend

•  Ongoing prioritisation exercise underway to ensure that the innovation 

pipeline is balanced between long-term and more immediate opportunities 

Health concerns

Principal risk
Failure to respond to growing health concerns of key stakeholders, from 
public health bodies and government officials.

Risk description
Consumer preferences, tastes and behaviours change over time and differ 
between the markets in which we operate. As part of this, the consumer’s 
desire for healthier choices and premiumisation are significant trends. Our ability 
to anticipate these trends, innovate and ensure the relevance of our brands is 
critical to our competitiveness in the market place and our performance. 

2019 developments
•  92% of our innovation in GB and Ireland was in low or no added sugar 

drinks this year

•  We refreshed our Tango brand with three new sugar free flavours, 

a new packaging design, supported by a marketing campaign
•  Our premium adult mixer brand, LEC, grew its presence to nearly 

80 cities in 29 countries 

Risk description
There is a high and ever increasing level of media and government scrutiny on 
health and obesity in all of the markets we operate in, highlighted in the UK by 
the potential introduction of regulation over HFSS products. It is important that 
we continue to take a leadership position on health issues.

Controls and mitigating activities
•  We have a wide range of soft drinks, many of which are low or no sugar 
which means we are well placed to take advantage of the consumer’s 
increased demand for healthier products 

•  Ongoing evaluation and development of the brand portfolio and 

innovation pipeline; our innovation pipeline is weighted towards lower 
sugar or nutritionally enhanced brands

2019 developments
•  We exceeded our 2020 calorie reduction goal a year early, achieving a 22% 

reduction in average calories per 250ml serve vs 2013

•  This year saw the start of a strategic partnership with Diabetes UK, 

through which we supported the delivery of over 1,400 ‘Make the Grade’ 
packs to help schools better care for children with diabetes 

•  Commercial assessment of the impact of the potential introduction 

•  We work closely with non-government organisations and trade 

of regulation on advertising and sales of HFSS products 

associations in our markets to fully participate in the debate and help 
shape solutions 

•  92% of Britvic’s total GB portfolio by volume and 84% of Britvic’s volume 
in Ireland is now exempt/below the levy/tax threshold (including PepsiCo)

Retailer landscape and customer relationships

Principal risk
We may not be able to maintain strong relationships with our key customers 
or respond to changes in the retailer landscape (e.g. consolidation).

Risk description
Maintaining strong relationships with our existing customers and building 
relationships with new customers and technology-enabled channels is critical 
for our brands to be readily available and well presented to our consumers. 
A failure to do this may impact our ability to obtain competitive pricing and 
trade terms and/or the availability and presentation of our brands.

Controls and mitigating activities
•  We operate across many different customer channels and markets and 

2019 developments
•  Continued to strengthen our position in the licensed and leisure channel, 

continuously monitor customer performance and trends

including extending our relationship with Mitchells & Butlers

•  We develop joint business plans with customers that include investment 

•  Continued to prepare as necessary where consolidation may occur, 

and activation plans

for example ahead of the now unsuccessful Asda/Sainsbury’s merger

•  We have capabilities in the soft drinks category which enable us to find 

•  Implementation of the SDIL in GB and SSDT in Ireland successfully 

new ways to improve customer performance and enhance 
our relationships

embedded in ‘business-as-usual’ processes

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

35

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic Report
Principal risks and uncertainties continued

Third party relationships

Principal risk
Partnerships may not be renewed or are renewed on less favourable terms. 

Controls and mitigating activities
•  Robust governance and management of relationship with PepsiCo 

and other partners

Risk description
We currently bottle and co-market a number of PepsiCo products in GB and 
Ireland, including 7UP and Pepsi. Additionally we have a relationship with a 
number of partners to grow our family, adult and kids brands outside of our 
core markets. Our partnership with PepsiCo and distributors and franchisees 
is an important part of our business and delivery of our strategy 
going forward. 

2019 developments
•  Pepsi and Pepsi MAX have gained more share of the cola market in 2019 

in GB. This continues our strong performance, which we have been driving 
for well over a decade

•  Continued success with the Pepsi MAX Taste Challenge which saw 65% 

of responses choose Pepsi MAX over its rivals

•  ARTO LifeWTR was jointly launched in the UK by PepsiCo and Britvic 
in May 2019. This premium water showcases the work of emerging 
local artists

Supply chain 

Principal risk
Supplier failure, market shortage or an adverse event in our supply 
chain impacts sourcing of raw materials or the cost of our products 
is significantly affected by commodity price movements.

Risk description
Our business depends on purchasing a wide variety of products and services, 
efficient manufacturing and distribution processes. Brexit presents a specific 
risk which is explored in further detail in the 2019 developments below. 

Controls and mitigating activities
•  Flexibility in being able to manufacture key products at multiple sites 

and strong relationships with contract packers to support 
business interruption

•  We have robust supplier strategy, selection, monitoring and 

management processes 

2019 developments
•  The GB supply chain investment programme has improved the flexibility 

and resilience of our supply chain. Over the past year, this programme has 
moved from the build phase through commissioning new lines and has 
now moved into business as usual

•  At Rugby we have opened a new fully automated warehouse and are 

•  We monitor market conditions for commodities and, where appropriate, 

installing a combined heat and power plant to increase capacity

hedge our contractual positions 

•  Externally certified management systems across the supply chain

•  We have worked closely with our suppliers to understand their level of 
preparedness, reviewed supply alternatives, explored tariff mitigation 
opportunities and increased the level of raw materials held in the run up to 
the key Brexit deadlines in both March and October 2019. We will continue 
to manage any changes as a result of Brexit through the Brexit 
Steering Committee

Sustainability and environment

Principal risk
Climate change presents a risk to our ability to source, manufacture 
and market our drinks. The increased focus from all stakeholders 
(governments, customers and consumers) on sustainability means 
there is increased risk of regulation on our packaging, and increased 
requirements to source sustainably and appropriately report on the 
impact of a changing climate. 

Risk description
Increasing regulatory requirements and growing societal pressure with 
regards to packaging (plastics in particular) may present a financial and/or 
reputational risk to our existing packaging portfolio and impact upon our 
ability to market our products. In addition, climate change presents risks, 
operationally, financially and reputationally, across the business from 
reduced stock availability to supply interruption. 

Controls and mitigating activities
•  Within our A Healthier Everyday sustainability programme we make 
environmental commitments, including carbon emission reductions, 
water savings and reducing the environmental impact of our packaging
•  We have externally certified management systems in place to monitor 
and reduce the environmental impact of our operations and ensure 
compliance with environmental legislation

•  We were a founding signatory to the UK Plastics Pact and 100% of our 

cans, glass and PET bottles are recyclable in the UK

•  Through our trade associations and directly, we continue to proactively 
engage with government on the feasibility of a deposit return scheme 
and other actions to increase recycling and reduce littering

2019 developments
•  In 2019 we switched our grid-sourced manufacturing electricity in GB 

to 100% renewable, joining Ireland and Brazil which are already sourcing 
green electricity 

•  We committed to setting a 1.5°C-aligned science-based carbon 

reduction target

•  We removed nearly 646 tonnes of primary plastic in 2019 
•  Established the ESG Committee, with key representatives from HR, Risk, 
Supply Chain, Corporate Relations and Health and Safety teams to govern 
our response to this risk

•  Working on packaging alternatives so we can adhere to impending 

regulation, across our markets, for example on plastic straws 
(outside of GB&I) and recycled plastic requirements

36 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
International expansion

Principal risk
Failure to grow our business internationally in line with strategic aims due 
to the risks associated with start-up profitability (new markets and new 
brands) and regulations. 

Risk description
To achieve our strategy of growing internationally, it is important that we have 
the appropriate governance, systems and processes in place and that our 
brand propositions respond appropriately to local consumer preferences. 

Controls and mitigating activities
•  Strategic plan in place for international business unit built on Global 

2019 developments
•  In Brazil we continue to look for growth in core and new brands against 

Premium Adult and foundation channels

a backdrop of improving macro conditions

•  We carry out extensive due diligence prior to entering a new market
•  Monitoring of regulations (current and proposed or future changes)

•  We have closed our multi-pack Fruit Shoot business in the US to focus on 
growth opportunities, such as with LEC in the US and Teisseire in Benelux

Quality of our products and 
the health and safety of our people

Principal risk
Risk that a faulty or contaminated product, either through malicious 
contamination, human error or equipment failure, is supplied to the market.

Risk description
The quality of our products is of the utmost importance to us and 
it is essential that we manage product quality and integrity. 

Risk associated with the safe management of employees, contractors and 
visitors when working on Britvic sites and when working or travelling on 
behalf of Britvic or on customer premises.

Controls and mitigating activities
•  We have robust quality management standards applied and 

rigorously monitored 

2019 developments
•  Rolled out a new reporting tool to help monitor and maintain quality, 

safety and environmental standards across all our sites

•  Where incidents do occur, we have a clear Incident Management Policy 

•  Evolved management systems and quality processes to reflect the 

and conduct annual scenario testing across all markets 
•  We have supplier assurance and management processes
•  We have dedicated central teams to oversee quality and supplier 

assurance, working closely with the business units

new technology in the GB supply chain 

•  Ongoing support to sites from Quality and Health and Safety teams 

involved in the BCP

•  Conducted incident management training with the Brazilian senior 

•  External compliance and system audits performed regularly through 

management team 

accredited bodies

Legal and Regulatory

Principal risk
Non-compliance with local laws or regulations or breach of our internal 
policies and standards.

Risk description
Britvic is subject to a wide range of legislation, regulation, guidance and codes 
of practice in areas such as labelling, packaging, marketing, advertising, safety, 
environment, competition, data privacy, ethical business, anti-bribery and 
corruption, and tax. Failure to comply with such requirements could have 
a significant impact on our reputation and/or incur financial penalties.

Controls and mitigating activities
•  Britvic’s key global policies, including our Code of Conduct, are rolled 
out to new joiners and training is performed at regular intervals, such 
as competition law training for commercial teams 

•  A Speak-Up Code operates across the business enabling reporting 
of breaches of regulation and company policy via an independent 
third party

2019 developments
•  Building a strategy to deal with non-compliance in a clear and consistent 

manner, supported by a new compliance intranet site

•  Ongoing data protection processes and compliance will be overseen by 

the Data Privacy Committee, which is led by the company’s Global Head 
of Compliance

•  External providers in place to support horizon scanning processes to help 

•  We monitor processes to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation 

monitor changes in law and regulation

and regulations

•  A Brazil compliance committee has been formed to drive progress in 

•  We work closely with our external advisors and the regulators, 

this area

government bodies and trade associations regarding current and future 
legislation which would impact upon the company

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

37

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic Report
Principal risks and uncertainties continued

Technology and information security

Principal risk
We experience a major failure of IT infrastructure or breach in system 
or information security.

Risk description
We interact electronically with customers, suppliers and consumers, 
and our supply chain operations are dependent on reliable IT systems and 
infrastructure. Disruption to our IT systems could have a significant impact 
on our sales, cash flows and profits. Additionally, cyber security breaches 
could lead to unauthorised access to, or loss of, sensitive information. 

Controls and mitigating activities
•  Disaster recovery plans tested every year with annual penetration 

2019 developments
•  We continue to see an increasing frequency in cyber-attacks (including 

testing also performed 

•  Central governance and decision-making processes for system changes
•  Information and IT policies are in place and are regularly reviewed 
•  Incident response plans are in place, recognising that while this risk can 

be managed it cannot be eliminated

phishing and ransomware) in the market place 

•  We have increased investment to improve information and cyber security 

controls and cyber risk awareness

•  Continued to deliver cyber awareness programmes including phishing tests 
•  Began the preparatory steps to implement cyber insurance 

Treasury, tax and pension

Principal risk
Changes to exchange, interest or tax rates can have an impact on profits 
and cash flows. Business changes also present a risk as to how we are 
financed or taxed.

Risk description
Britvic is exposed to a variety of external financial risks relating to treasury, 
tax and pensions. Changes to exchange rates and interest rates can have an 
impact on business results and the cost of interest on our debt.

Controls and mitigating activities
•  Robust monitoring of exchange rates and interest rates
•  Active risk management and hedging strategies are in place to 
manage exchange and interest fluctuations, overseen by the 
Treasury Committee

•  Monitoring of investment and funding strategies for the pension fund 
•  Strong relationships with external stakeholders (such as HMRC and tax 

specialists) to ensure that a high standard of advice is provided to 
the business

Talent

Additionally, the GB and Ireland businesses have defined benefit pension 
plans which, while closed to new employees, are exposed to movements 
in interest and inflation rates, values of assets and increased life expectancy. 

2019 developments
•  The recent depreciation of sterling has led to higher input costs across 
a number of our key commodities. The risk of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit could 
elevate this risk further. We closely monitor and manage this risk through 
a rolling 18 month hedging policy which is governed by the 
Treasury Committee

•  Triennial pension valuation discussions have kicked off ahead of completion 

in 2020

Principal risk
Limited capacity and/or capability impacts our ability to deliver our 
business plans for growth. In addition, our ability to retain and attract 
talent can impact our ability to achieve our objectives. 

Risk description
We rely on key individuals to contribute to the success of Britvic. We need 
our people to continue to develop and be fit for the future and ensure we 
continue to attract top talent to the business.

Controls and mitigating activities
•  Talent and succession planning processes in place
•  Annual GPTW survey takes place across the company to obtain 

employee feedback on a wide range of topics

•  Annual performance management processes in place

2019 developments
•  In this year’s GPTW survey, GB’s overall Trust Index scores increased this 
year by 4% to 77%, our highest ever score, and our overall engagement 
scores also increased by 4% to 84%

•  Activities in place to launch a new Learning and Development tool 

for employees

•  We have launched a new D&I Strategy and a new offering to enhance the 
wellbeing of our employees including establishing employee network 
groups and updated our Wellbeing and Resilience Policy 

38 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  The stress test scenarios were then reviewed against the 

company’s current and projected debt and liquidity position 
•  Finally, a stress test was performed which allowed the Directors 
to assess the circumstances that would render the business 
model unviable. To support the final conclusion on viability, the 
assessment also took into account the mitigations available to 
the company to protect against these downside scenarios.

Based on the results of this analysis, the Directors have a reasonable 
expectation that the company will be able to continue in operation 
and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the three year period to 
September 2022.

Viability statement

During the year, the Directors assessed the viability of the 
company, taking into account the company’s current financial position 
and the principal risks, particularly those that could threaten the 
business model. These risks and the actions being taken to manage 
or mitigate them are set out in the previous four pages. The Directors 
have determined that a three year period is an appropriate timeframe 
for the assessment given the dynamic nature of the FMCG sector, and 
this is in line with the company’s strategic planning period. The starting 
point for the viability assessment is the strategic and financial plan, 
which makes assumptions relating to the economic climate in each 
of our markets, the growth of the soft drinks category, input cost 
inflation and growth from the company’s value drivers. The process for 
assessing the viability of the company involved input from a number of 
functions across the business to model a series of theoretical ‘stress 
test’ scenarios based on the materialisation of principal risks:

•  Firstly, the Directors considered the impact of severe but plausible 
scenarios for each principal risk. For example, from a sustainability 
perspective, additional costs such as the introduction of a deposit 
return scheme or a plastic packaging tax or an increase in the cost 
of Packaging Recovery Notes were estimated

•  Additionally the costs associated with a ‘no-deal’ Brexit in the period 
immediately following the eventual Brexit date, or a major supplier 
failure that could impact across multiple production sites

•  Secondly, the Directors assessed different scenarios that group 

together principal risks. As part of this, the Directors considered the 
interconnectivity between principal risks but also scenarios where 
unconnected risks occur at the same time, as on their own, it is not 
considered that any of these scenarios would test the viability of 
the company 

The Strategic Report was approved by the Board and signed 
on its behalf by Simon Litherland.

Simon Litherland
Chief Executive Officer
27 November 2019

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

39

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Chairman’s introduction

Financial reporting, risk management and internal control
The Board has ultimate responsibility for the internal control and 
risk management systems operating throughout the Group and for 
reviewing their adequacy and effectiveness. 

On behalf of the Board, the Audit Committee assessed the 
adequacy and effectiveness of the risk management systems and 
internal control procedures during the year and confirmed to the Board 
that the company had procedures in place throughout the year and up 
to 26 November 2019, the date of approval of this Annual Report, 
which accord with the Guidance on Risk Management, Internal 
Control and Related Financial and Business Reporting published by 
the Financial Reporting Council (‘FRC’) in September 2014. These 
included internal control and risk management systems in relation to 
the company’s financial reporting process and the Group’s process 
for preparation of consolidated accounts. 

The Board confirms that a robust assessment of the principal risks 
facing the company, including those that would threaten its business 
model, future performance, solvency or liquidity, has been carried out. 
The Board considered the nature and extent of the risks it was willing 
to take in order to achieve its strategic goals. This articulation of risk 
appetite is used across the company to define and validate the 
mitigating activities required to manage our risks. A description of 
the principal risks and the relevant controls and mitigating activities 
is set out on pages 35 – 38.

The Directors are confident that it is appropriate for the going concern 
basis to be adopted in preparing the financial statements (see note 3 
on accounting policies on page 91). The Board has also considered 
the company’s longer-term viability, based on a robust assessment 
of its principal risks. This was done through the work of the Audit 
Committee which recommended the viability statement to the 
Board, as set out on page 30.

Fair, balanced and understandable
The Board as a whole is responsible for the preparation of the 
Annual Report and Accounts and ensuring that it is fair, balanced 
and understandable. Drafts of this document have been reviewed by 
the relevant Committee Chairs and other Board members. The Board 
requested that the Audit Committee review the Annual Report in 
detail and provide its opinion on whether the report is fair, balanced 
and understandable. The Audit Committee’s opinion is set out on page 
59. The Board has reviewed the Annual Report and the opinion of 
the Audit Committee and, taken as a whole, considers it to be fair, 
balanced and understandable, and that it provides shareholders with 
information necessary to assess the company’s position, performance, 
business model and strategy (see the Directors’ statement on page 
79). In arriving at this conclusion, the Board’s review draws on its 
collective knowledge of the business, which is regularly updated by 
management reports and presentations at scheduled Board and 
committee meetings and other business updates provided 
between meetings. 

John Daly
Chairman
27 November 2019

John Daly
Chairman

Dear Shareholder
I am pleased to present the Corporate Governance Report for 
the year ended 29 September 2019. The report sets out our 
governance framework, the Board’s key actions during the year, 
our approach to Board composition and diversity, as well as our 
approach to how we promote Board effectiveness.

UK Corporate Governance Code
The publication of the new UK Corporate Governance Code (the ‘2018 
Code’) in July 2018 has given us the opportunity to thoroughly review 
our governance framework and identify any areas where we need to 
update our practices, or report on current practices, to meet 
the requirements. 

You will notice that this year’s Annual Report includes references to 
both the 2018 Code and its 2016 predecessor (the ‘2016 Code’). Both 
versions of the Code can be found at www.frc.org.uk. As our financial 
year started in October 2018, before the 2018 Code was implemented, 
we are not required to report our compliance against it this year. I do 
however confirm, on behalf of the Board, that we have been fully 
compliant with the 2016 Code during the year, and we now comply 
with the 2018 Code as of 1 October 2019. 

The following report sets out how the 2016 Code principles relating 
to the role and effectiveness of the Board have been applied, and 
includes information on how certain of the 2018 Code provisions 
have been adopted. For example, the new Provision 1 includes a 
requirement to describe how the company’s governance supports 
strategy, which we present on the facing page. I look forward to 
reporting more comprehensively on the adoption of the 2018 Code 
next year. 

40 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Q    How do you think the 2018 Code will affect your 

engagement with stakeholders?

The Board welcomes the publication of the 2018 Code, which 
reinforces the importance of diversity and long-term thinking, together 
with shareholder and stakeholder engagement. The Board recognises the 
importance of regular, open and constructive dialogue with shareholders 
and other stakeholders and a key aspect of our culture and decision making 
is understanding the Group’s stakeholders and their different perspectives. 
The Board is fully committed to continuing and enhancing its engagement 
with our stakeholders and more information is set out on pages 20 – 29.

Q    How does the Board satisfy itself that workforce 

policies and practices are consistent with the 
company’s values, and support its long-term 
sustainable success?

Our people are our most valuable asset and the collective efforts of our 
employees will be key to the delivery of Britvic’s vision to be the most 
dynamic, creative and trusted soft drinks company in the world. Our 
success depends upon creating and embedding a high-trust, values led 
culture within Britvic, and as a Board we are committed to ensuring the 
workforce policies and practices of the Group are aligned with the values 
and culture of the organisation. More information on how we manage and 
engage with this key stakeholder community is set out on pages 24 – 25. 

Q    As Chairman, what are the challenges in promoting 

a culture of openness and constructive debate at 
the Board?

As Chairman, I am responsible for the leadership and effective 
working of the Board in a way that is honest, transparent and 
accountable. I seek to create a culture of openness and debate, 
while facilitating constructive Board relations and the effective 
contribution of Board members. I aim to create an environment 
in which Non-Executive Directors are able to balance the need 
to constructively challenge strategy and performance, and hold 
management to account, while also providing support with the 
benefit of their independent insight, guidance and specialist advice.

Q    How does the Board’s mix of skills and experience 

support the company’s strategy?

Our Directors have a wide range of backgrounds not only in terms 
of the industries they have worked in but the type of roles they 
have undertaken in those businesses. It is of particular importance 
that all our Directors have experience with international companies, 
supporting our global business. The strong mix of skills relating to 
digital, business transformation, consumer goods and data, supported 
by core financial and strategic competence, sets a strong foundation 
for the company’s continuing growth journey.

How governance supports strategy

Strategic priority

Read more 
on page 16

Strategic priority

Read more 
on page 17

Generate profitable growth 
in our core markets

Realise global opportunities in kids,  
family and adult categories

The Board’s governance role
The Board approves the Group’s strategy and annual operating plan, 
reviews subsequent progress and makes decisions related to matters 
reserved for the Board in order to support the delivery of this strategy. 

Areas of focus in 2019
•  Updates on consumer trends in GB and Ireland
•  Regular reviews on key sustainability issues such as packaging
•  Understanding key customer relationships 
•  Monitoring potential Brexit disruption and mitigation plans
•  Approving the new ARTO LifeWTR and renewed Lipton Ice Tea 

agreements with PepsiCo

The Board’s governance role
The Board reviews all proposals for global growth and monitors 
progress of our international business. 

Areas of focus in 2019
•  Understanding global market drivers and positioning the 

company’s brands, particularly relating to innovation such 
as progress of the LEC brand

•  Reviewing Fruit Shoot performance in the United States and 

approving closure of the multi-pack business

•  Approving disposal of non-core business in France

Strategic priority

Read more 
on page 18

Strategic priority

Read more 
on page 19

Continue to step-change  
our business capability

Build trust and respect  
in our communities

The Board’s governance role
The Board reviews key proposals relating to business capability, 
including the supply chain transformation.

Areas of focus in 2019
•  Monitoring completion of the GB business capability 

transformation and reviewing measured benefits against 
original expectations

•  Reviewing the international supply chain including scalability 

and efficiency

The Board’s governance role
The Board reviews the strategy for sustainable growth and 
leverages its collective experience of the regulatory environment 
to advise on related matters.

Areas of focus in 2019
•  Monitoring numerous policy and regulatory developments, 

and consumer trends, related to health and environmental issues 
and considering the impact these may have

•  Understanding the approach to driving diversity and inclusion 

•  Understanding the role of technology investment to support 

throughout the business

core business activities

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

41

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information2

4

6

8

Corporate Governance
Board of Directors

1

3

5

7

A  Audit Committee

N  Nomination Committee

R  Remuneration Committee

 Chairman of the Committee

1 John Daly
Non-Executive Chairman

John was appointed Chairman of the Board 
in September 2017. He joined the Board as 
a Non-Executive Director in January 2015 
and became Senior Independent Director 
in January 2016.

Skills, competence and experience:
John brings strong international and consumer 
expertise to the Board, having held various 
executive leadership positions over the course 
of 20 years at British American Tobacco plc 
(‘BAT’). His most recent positions at BAT were 
Chief Operating Officer (2010-2014) and Regional 
Director for Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong 
(2004-2010). John is a former Director of Reynolds 
American Inc., which at the time was a US public 
company owned 42% by BAT. Prior to his time 
with BAT, he held various sales and marketing 
positions with Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers 
Squibb, Pennwalt Corporation, Schering-Plough 
and Ferguson plc.

Committee membership:
N    R

External public directorships:
Non-Executive Chairman of Vivo Energy plc.

Non-Executive Director of Glanbia plc and a 
member of the Remuneration Committee 
(effective May 2019).

2 Simon Litherland
Chief Executive Officer

Simon has been Chief Executive Officer since 
February 2013, having joined Britvic in September 
2011 as Managing Director, GB.

Skills, competence and experience:
Simon’s earlier career was with Diageo plc, a 
global leader in alcoholic beverages. His last role 
was Managing Director of Diageo Great Britain, 
having previously run Diageo’s businesses in 
South Africa, Ireland and Central and Eastern 
Europe. Prior to this he led various functions 
and held a variety of international finance director 
roles in Diageo, IDV and Grand Metropolitan.

Simon was the President of the Incorporated 
Society of British Advertising from 2015 to 2017.

Simon was born in Zimbabwe and qualified as a 
Chartered Accountant with Deloitte in South Africa 
having gained a business degree at the University 
of Cape Town.

External public directorships:
Non-Executive Director of Persimmon plc 
and a member of the Audit, Nomination and 
Remuneration Committees.

42 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

3 Joanne Wilson
Chief Financial Officer

5 Sue Clark
Independent Non-Executive Director

7 Ian McHoul
Senior Independent Director

Joanne was appointed as Chief Financial Officer 
in March 2019 and her appointment to the Board 
became effective in September 2019.

Sue was appointed as a Non-Executive Director 
in February 2016 and since September 2017 
has been Chair of the Remuneration Committee.

Ian was appointed as Senior Independent Director 
in September 2017, having joined the Board as 
a Non-Executive Director in March 2014. 

She is responsible for Finance, Legal, Estates, 
and Risk and Audit Management.

Skills, competence and experience:
Before joining Britvic, Joanne was Chief Financial 
Officer at dunnhumby, a global leader in customer 
data science and part of the Tesco group. Prior to 
this, she held a variety of financial and commercial 
roles at Tesco, internationally as well as in the UK. 
Joanne started her career at KPMG, where she 
qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

External public directorships:
None.

4 Suniti Chauhan 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Suniti was appointed as a Non-Executive Director 
in November 2017.

Skills, competence and experience:

Suniti brings over 20 years of experience in strategy, 
finance and M&A through a career in corporate 
development and investment banking, most 
recently as Director of Corporate Development for 
Rexam plc, a multinational consumer packaging 
company. Formerly, Suniti was a Managing Director 
at Morgan Stanley, focused on UK M&A and the 
consumer and retail industry. She is currently a 
partner at Tulchan Communications and advisor 
to GrowthEnabler, a digital platform providing 
intelligence on tech start-ups globally to facilitate 
corporate innovation, and she has previously served 
as a trustee of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the 
leading breast cancer research charity in the UK.

Suniti graduated from Dartmouth College in the 
United States with a degree in Economics and 
attended the General Management Program at 
Harvard Business School.

Committee membership:

 A

External public directorships:
None.

Skills, competence and experience:
Sue has strong international credentials and has 
worked in the global FMCG sector for the last 
15 years. Prior to the merger with Anheuser-
Busch InBev in October 2016, Sue held the role 
of Managing Director of SABMiller Europe and was 
an Executive Committee member of SABMiller 
plc. She joined SABMiller in 2003 as Corporate 
Affairs Director and was part of the executive team 
that built the business into a top FTSE company.

Previously, Sue held a number of senior roles in UK 
companies, including that of Director of Corporate 
Affairs for Railtrack Group and Scottish Power plc. 

Sue has an MBA from Heriot-Watt University 
and was a Director on the Board of the Edinburgh 
Business School from 2017 to 2019. She is 
also a Non-Executive Director of Tulchan 
Communications Group Ltd, a leading 
advisory firm. 

Committee membership:

 R

External public directorships:
Non-Executive Director of Bakkavor Group plc. 

Member of the Supervisory Board of AkzoNobel 
N.V.

Skills, competence and experience:
Ian served as Chief Financial Officer of Amec 
Foster Wheeler plc for nine years. Prior to this, 
he was Finance Director of Scottish & Newcastle 
plc and Finance and Strategy Director of the 
Inntrepreneur Pub Group Ltd. In addition, Ian spent 
10 years with Foster’s Brewing Group in a variety 
of roles. He brings substantial financial expertise, 
and extensive knowledge and experience of strategy 
and the beverage and retail industry, to the Board. 
Ian was a Non-Executive Director and Chairman 
of the Audit Committee of Premier Foods plc 
(2004-2013), the last year of which he was also 
the Senior Independent Director.

Committee membership:

A    N    R

External public directorships:
Chairman of Vitec Group plc (effective 
February 2019).

Non-Executive Director of Young & Co’s Brewery 
plc and Chair of the Audit Committee.

Non-Executive Director of Bellway plc, Chair 
of the Audit Committee and a member of the 
Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Non-Executive Director of Imperial Brands PLC 
and Chair of the Remuneration and the Succession 
& Nominations Committees.

8 Euan Sutherland
Independent Non-Executive Director

Euan was appointed as a Non-Executive Director 
in February 2016. 

Skills, competence and experience:
Euan served as Group Chief Executive Officer of 
SuperGroup Plc (2014–2019) and prior to this as 
Group Chief Executive Officer for the Co-op group 
of companies. Earlier in his career he was Group 
Chief Operating Officer at Kingfisher plc, Chief 
Executive Officer of B&Q and Chief Executive 
of AS Watson UK, owner of Superdrug. Euan has 
over 22 years’ experience within the retail and 
FMCG sectors, having held roles with Boots, 
Dixons, Coca-Cola and Mars.

Euan has a first class Honours degree in 
Managerial and Administrative Studies from 
Aston University. 

Committee membership:
 A    N

External public directorships:
None.

6 William Eccleshare
Independent Non-Executive Director

William was appointed as a Non-Executive Director 
in November 2017.

Skills, competence and experience:
William has strong international experience in 
business transformation, expansion, marketing, 
branding, restructuring and digital innovation. 
He has run the European divisions of major 
advertising agencies WPP and Omnicom and is a 
former partner of McKinsey & Co where he led the 
firm’s European marketing practice. William also 
served as a Non-Executive Director of Hays plc 
from 2004 to 2014.

William is Worldwide CEO of Clear Channel 
Outdoor Holdings Inc., and led the global ‘out 
of home’ advertising business through a major 
digital transformation.

William is also a Director of Donmar Warehouse 
Projects Ltd.

Committee membership:

 R

External public directorships:
Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent 
Director of Centaur Media plc.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

43

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Executive team

1

4

7

2

5

8

3

6

9

10

11

12

44 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

1 Simon Litherland
Chief Executive Officer

See Simon’s biography 
on page 42

2 Joanne Wilson
Chief Financial Officer

See Joanne’s biography 
on page 43

3 Matt Barwell
Chief Marketing Officer

Matt is responsible for all aspects of Britvic’s 
global brand strategy and execution, innovation, 
corporate affairs and the company’s 
sustainability agenda.

Matt joined Britvic in 2014 from Diageo where 
he held a number of senior positions over 15 years, 
including Marketing and Innovation Director for 
Diageo Africa and, later, Diageo Europe. He started 
his career as a graduate trainee at Mars, working 
in sales and marketing across the pet food and 
confectionery businesses. 

Matt is a Fellow of the Marketing Society, a 
council member of the Marketing Group of Great 
Britain, and an active member of the Institute of 
Practitioners in Advertising Effectiveness Group 
and the Ehrenberg Bass Institute. He is a council 
member of the Advertising Association (‘AA’) and 
was also Chairman of the AA’s Front Foot Group 
for four years.

4 Zareena Brown
Chief Human Resources Officer

Zareena was appointed as Chief Human Resources 
Officer in June 2018 and is responsible for global 
talent management, capability building, diversity, 
organisation development, reward and all aspects 
of the people strategy for the Group. 

Zareena has extensive HR experience over 
a 25 year career with major multinational 
companies. Before joining Britvic, she worked 
for InterContinental Hotels Group in a variety 
of senior human resources positions including 
Senior Vice President Talent, Learning and 
Leadership Development and Vice President of 
Human Resources, Asia, Middle East and Africa. 
Her earlier career was with Hilton Hotels and 
a number of FTSE 100 retailers. She has 
experience of living and working in Asia.

5 Clive Hooper
Chief Supply Chain Officer

9 Olivier Mercier
Managing Director, France

Clive was appointed Chief Supply Chain Officer in 
October 2016 having joined the business in 2006 
as Production Director. Clive has responsibility for 
production, logistics and warehousing across all 
Britvic sites. Prior to joining Britvic, he held senior 
management, production and planning roles at 
Greencore, Procter & Gamble and CeDo. Clive has 
a BEng in Engineering from the Royal Naval 
Engineering College.

Olivier joined Britvic France in 2015 as Commercial 
Director and was appointed Managing Director 
in January 2018. Prior to joining Britvic, Olivier 
worked for large multinational FMCG businesses 
including Heineken, Kellogg’s and Kraft Mondelez, 
and has strong international experience having 
worked in both Russia and the Middle East.

Olivier holds a Master of Business Administration 
from HEC Paris.

6 Steve Potts
Chief Information, Transformation and 
Digital Officer

Steve joined the business in October 2014 with 
responsibility for IT. He took on the additional 
responsibility for the ‘One Britvic’ transformation 
in May 2016, which created a new operating 
model within Britvic. Steve joined the Britvic plc 
Executive team in June 2018, when he also 
became responsible for Britvic’s overall 
digital approach.

Prior to joining Britvic, Steve was at Marks & 
Spencer plc where he was responsible for IT for 
UK stores, the international businesses in more 
than 40 countries, and the critical commercial 
and supply chain systems used across the foods 
business. Earlier in his career, he worked for both 
Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser where 
he performed a number of director-level roles 
within IT, and was CIO at Tarmac Group, where 
he combined running the IT function with the 
Programme Director role of Tarmac’s Business 
Transformation Programme.

7 Paul Graham 
Managing Director, GB

Paul joined Britvic in September 2012 having 
worked in a range of commercial roles across 
all trade channels for United Biscuits and Mars 
Confectionery. He was promoted to the role of 
Managing Director, GB in July 2013 and leads 
the largest business unit in the Group.

Paul is a graduate of the University of Manchester 
and sits on the Executive Council of the British 
Soft Drinks Association.

10 João Caetano de Mello Neto
Chief Executive Officer, Brazil

João Caetano joined Britvic following the 
acquisition of Ebba in September 2015. He was 
co-founder of Ebba, creating a new company with 
two iconic brands in Brazil – Maguary and Dafruta. 
He brings with him over 30 years of executive 
management experience in the consumer 
goods industry.

Previously, João Caetano worked for Cia. Müller de 
Bebidas (Caninha 51) where he spent 14 years and 
acted as Chief Executive Officer for seven of those 
years. He then worked for J. Macedo for seven 
years as Chief Executive Officer of Hidracor, a 
leading decorative paint company in Brazil, before 
founding Ebba.

11 Hessel de Jong
Managing Director, International

Hessel joined the business in September 2015 
with over 20 years of management experience 
in the international FMCG industry.

Prior to joining Britvic, Hessel worked as an 
advisor to a number of private equity companies, 
including Blackstone and Bencis Capital Partners. 
From 2008 to 2014, he was Managing Director 
of the Dutch and Benelux operations of the 
Coca-Cola Company. Before 2008, Hessel held 
various regional and global leadership positions 
at Heineken and SCA Group in Europe and Asia.

Hessel is based in Amsterdam and holds a Master 
of Business Administration from INSEAD and a 
Bachelor of Business Administration from 
Nyenrode University.

8 Kevin Donnelly
Managing Director, Ireland

12 Jonathan Adelman
Company Secretary

Kevin joined Britvic Ireland in September 2008 as 
Marketing Director and was appointed Managing 
Director in June 2013. He has over 30 years 
experience in sales, marketing and general 
management in FMCG companies, including 
Unilever and Dairygold.

Kevin holds a first class Honours degree in 
Marketing from Trinity College Dublin and a 
postgraduate diploma in Digital Marketing.

Jonathan joined Britvic in January 2015 as Acting 
General Counsel and Company Secretary and is 
currently the Company Secretary and Strategic 
Projects Director. He was previously General 
Counsel and Company Secretary of Ladbrokes plc. 
Prior to that, Jonathan served as Vice President 
and Senior Counsel at Hilton Hotels Corporation, 
where he also sat on the Board of its international 
operating company, Hilton International. 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

45

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
The Britvic governance framework

2,640 shareholders as at 29 September 2019

Shareholders

Board

Chairman 
John Daly
The Chairman is primarily 
responsible for the workings 
of the Board, for ensuring 
that its strategic and supervisory 
role is achieved and for ensuring 
effective communication 
with shareholders.

Senior Independent 
Director
Ian McHoul
The Senior Independent 
Director is available to 
shareholders if they have 
concerns which are not 
resolved through the normal 
channels of Chairman, Chief 
Executive Officer or Chief 
Financial Officer, or for which 
such contact is inappropriate.

Non-Executive Directors  
Suniti Chauhan, Sue Clark,  
William Eccleshare,  
Euan Sutherland
The Non-Executive Directors’ 
role is to provide critical and 
constructive challenge to 
the Executive Directors. They 
bring independent judgement  
and oversight on issues of 
strategy, performance and 
resources, and, through the 
Board’s committees, on 
matters such as remuneration, 
risk management systems, 
financial controls, financial 
reporting, the appointment 
of further Directors and 
social responsibility.

Committees

Nomination Committee
Responsible for Board appointments, succession 
planning and reviewing the structure, size and 
composition of the Board, ensuring that there is 
a healthy balance of skills, knowledge, experience 
and diversity on the Board.

Committee Report 
on pages 54 – 55

Audit Committee
Monitors the integrity of the Group’s external 
reporting and provides oversight and governance 
of the Group’s internal controls, risk management 
and the relationship with external auditors.

Committee Report 
on pages 56 – 59

Executive 
team

Chief Marketing Officer

Managing Director, GB

Managing Director, France

Chief Supply Chain Officer

Managing Director, 
Ireland

Managing Director, 
International

Chief Human 
Resources Officer

Chief Information, 
Transformation and 
Digital Officer

CEO, Brazil

Company 
Secretary

46 

 Jonathan Adelman
The Company Secretary supports both the Board and the Executive team, ensuring good information flows and  
advising on all corporate governance matters.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

2,640 shareholders as at 29 September 2019

Chief Financial Officer  
Joanne Wilson
The Chief Financial Officer 
is responsible for the 
financial, legal and risk 
management operations  
of the business. She has 
primary responsibility for 
all financial related 
activities including the 
development of financial 
and operational 
strategies, strategic 
planning, deal analysis  
and negotiations, and 
investor relations.

Chief Executive 
Officer  
Simon Litherland
The Chief Executive  
Officer is responsible  
for the day-to-day 
management of the 
business, developing the 
Group’s strategic direction 
for consideration and 
approval by the Board, 
and implementing the 
agreed strategy. He is 
supported by the other 
members of his 
Executive team.

Remuneration Committee
Responsible for setting the remuneration policy and 
individual compensation for the Chairman, Executive 
Directors and senior management to ensure that it is in line 
with the long-term interests of the Group.

Committee Report 
on pages 60 – 75

CFO

CEO

 Jonathan Adelman

The Company Secretary supports both the Board and the Executive team, ensuring good information flows and  

advising on all corporate governance matters.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

Governing Documents

1

2

3

4

Articles of association
The articles of association set out the 
rules agreed between shareholders as 
to how the company is run, including the 
powers and responsibilities of the Directors. 
Britvic’s articles were updated in January 
2019 to incorporate best practice and 
current legal and governance standards. 

Matters reserved to the Board
The formal schedule of matters 
specifically reserved for the Board’s 
decision includes responsibility for the 
overall management and performance of 
the Group and the approval of its long-term 
objectives, commercial strategy, annual 
and interim results, annual budgets, 
material acquisitions and disposals, material 
agreements, major capital commitments, 
going concern and long-term viability 
statements and key policies.

Committee Terms of Reference
The Board is assisted by three board 
committees to which it delegates matters 
as appropriate. Each Committee has full 
terms of reference that have been approved 
by the Board and which can be found on our 
website at www.britvic.com/governance.

Statement of authorities
The Britvic statement of authorities is 
an internal document that sets out the 
delegations below Board level. It provides 
a structured framework to ensure the 
correct level of scrutiny of various decisions 
covering matters including contracts, capital 
expenditure, tax, treasury and HR decisions.

Service contracts
Details of the Executive Directors’ service contracts and 
the Chairman’s and the Non-Executive Directors’ letters 
of appointment are set out in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report on page 75. These documents are available for 
inspection at the registered office of the company during 
normal business hours and at the AGM.

See pages 42 – 45 for biographies of the Directors 
and Executive team members.

Directors’ indemnities
The company maintains Directors’ and Officers’ liability 
insurance which provides appropriate cover for legal 
actions brought against its Directors. Each Director has 
been granted indemnities in respect of potential liabilities 
that may be incurred as a result of their position as an 
officer of the company. A Director will not be covered 
by the insurance in the event that they have been 
proven to have acted dishonestly or fraudulently.

47

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
How the Board works

The role of the Board

Strategy
The Board is focused on strategic matters and has a forward-
looking agenda that considers economic, social, environmental and 
regulatory issues and any other relevant external matters that may 
influence or affect the company’s achievement of its goals.

Performance and monitoring
The Board evaluates and oversees current performance and is 
responsible for approving annual plans and budgets, results, 
dividends and announcements, including the going concern and 
viability statements. 

Performance monitoring includes non-financial performance such 
as quality, health and safety, employee wellbeing, environmental 
and social measures and ethical business practice.

Internal controls and risk management
The Board sets the company’s risk appetite, assesses principal 
and emerging risks and reviews mitigation plans. Responsibility for 
monitoring the company’s risk management and internal control 
systems is delegated to the Audit Committee.

Leadership and people
The Board is responsible for succession planning and remuneration 
policy for Board roles, Executive Directors, the Company Secretary 
and senior management. 

The Board engages directly with the wider workforce through a 
variety of channels and monitors policies, practices and behaviour 
and how they support strategy. 

Governance and shareholders
The Board acts fairly between shareholders and engages 
in appropriate dialogue to obtain the views of shareholders 
as a whole. The Board reports to shareholders in the form of 
an Annual Report and Accounts, quarterly trading updates and 
full and half year results updates, as well as various other statutory 
non-financial statements.

The Board considers the views of, and effects on, the company’s 
key stakeholders in board discussions and decision making.

Meetings
The Chairman, in conjunction with the CEO and Company Secretary, plans an annual programme of business prior to the start of each financial 
year. This ensures that essential topics are covered at appropriate times, and that space is built in to give the Board the opportunity to have 
in-depth discussions on key issues. 

The Board met seven times during the year as scheduled, excluding sub-committee meetings to approve the financial results. One additional 
meeting was convened at short notice and held by audio conference, to deal with matters related to the disposal of the French juice business. 
Wherever possible, when upcoming time-sensitive approvals were expected to be required before the next scheduled meeting, the Board 
authorised sub-committees to be convened as appropriate. Each meeting included time for the Chairman to meet with the Non-Executive 
Directors without the Executive Directors present.

The Chairman and the Company Secretary ensure that the Directors receive clear, timely information on all relevant matters. Board papers are 
circulated electronically via a secure Board portal in advance of meetings to ensure that there is adequate time for them to be read and to facilitate 
robust and informed discussion. The portal is also used to distribute reference documents and other useful resources.

Board attendance

Membership and attendance

John Daly

Simon Litherland

Suniti Chauhan

Sue Clark
William Eccleshare1
Ian McHoul2
Euan Sutherland3
Joanne Wilson4

Former members
Mathew Dunn5

Notes: 

Number of 
Board meetings

Number of 
Audit 
Committee 
meetings

Number of 
Remuneration 
Committee 
meetings

Number of 
Nomination 
Committee 
meetings

AGM 
attendance

8/8

8/8

8/8

8/8

7/8

8/8

7/8

1/1

4/4

–

–

4/4

–

–

4/4

4/4

–

–

8/8

–

–

8/8

7/8

7/8

–

–

–

3/3

–

–

–

–

3/3

3/3

–

–

–

1  William Eccleshare was unable to attend scheduled Board and Remuneration Committee meetings in July 2019 due to urgent business commitments elsewhere. 

2 

3 

4 

Ian McHoul was unable to attend a Remuneration Committee meeting called at short notice in March 2019 due to prior business commitments elsewhere.

Euan Sutherland was unable to attend a scheduled Board meeting in October 2018 due to urgent business commitments elsewhere.

Joanne Wilson was appointed to the Board as Chief Financial Officer on 9 September 2019.

5  Mathew Dunn resigned from the Board effective 19 April 2019.

48 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Board composition and diversity

Britvic recognises the importance of 
diversity at the Board and all levels of the 
Group. We are committed to increasing 
diversity across our operations and have 
a wide range of activities to support the 
development and promotion of talented 
individuals, regardless of factors such as 
gender, age, ethnicity, disability, sexuality 
and religious belief.

The Board is committed to remaining effective and recognises 
that, to do so, it must ensure that it has the right balance of skills, 
independence and knowledge of the company in order to effectively 
discharge its duties and responsibilities. The Board believes that 
diversity encompasses not only visible differences such as gender 
and ethnicity, but also background, experience, attitude and thought. 

The appointment of Joanne Wilson as Chief Financial Officer has 
increased the percentage of women on the Board from 25% to 37.5%. 
Joanne brings to the Board a wealth of financial, commercial and retail 
experience and in-depth knowledge of the delivery of consumer data 
science services.

Britvic operates an Equality and Diversity Policy which applies to the 
whole workforce including the Board and Executive team. The Board 
monitors the company’s commitments and targets related to diversity, 
and progress towards meeting those targets, as well as broader 
cultural measures that help inform its understanding of the 
effectiveness of inclusion within the business.

Information on the policy and our diversity and inclusion strategy, 
targets and implementation can be found in the Creating stakeholder 
value section on page 24. 

Board composition

Chairman 

Executive Directors 

12.5%

25%

Independent Non-Executive Directors  62.5%

Board skills and experience

Manufacturing

Retail / marketing

Consumer

International

Finance

 7 

 6 

 7 

 8 

 6 

Gender diversity at 
year end

Gender diversity at prior
year end

Board tenure

Male 

Female 

62.5%

37.5%

Male 

Female 

75%

25%

< 3 years 

> 3 years 

62.5%

37.5%

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

49

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate Governance
The Board in action

Strategy
The Board engaged with senior leadership throughout the year to 
review progress against current strategy and emerging themes for 
the next phase of the company’s growth.

It conducted a series of strategy deep dives and held two full day 
meetings with members of senior management in March and July, 
covering the development of the next phase of Britvic’s growth 
strategy. Detailed market, consumer and customer insight studies 
were commissioned across key geographies and categories, to 
inform strategy development and execution.

Consideration was given to the culture, capabilities, talent and 
resources that would be required to meet emerging strategic aims, 
and employee insights were taken on board in developing people 
strategies, especially for diversity and inclusion, and wellbeing.

The Board regularly spent time reviewing the evolution of the Group’s 
sustainable business strategy, informed by multi-stakeholder insights, 
including government and non-governmental organisations (‘NGOs’).

As part of the development of the strategy, the future role for Britvic 
France was discussed and it was confirmed that private label juice was 
not considered core to the future of the business. For further information 
see page 7. 

Performance and monitoring
At every scheduled meeting, the Board received detailed reports 
from the CEO and CFO on current trading performance and outlook, 
including investor relations reports detailing market movements 
and trends.

The Board’s monitoring of financial performance was informed by 
in-depth presentations from senior executives covering key areas 
including supply chain, innovation, market specific business units such 
as GB, Ireland and France, and category and brand evaluations such as 
Fruit Shoot in the United States and the performance of the London 
Essence Company in the Global Adult Premium category.

Non-financial performance was monitored via comprehensive 
sustainability updates including wellbeing and ethical business 
metrics, delivered via the ESG Committee, and updates at every 
meeting on quality, health, safety and environmental performance 
(see pages 20 – 29 for more detail).

The Board reviewed and approved the interim and full year results, 
including recommended dividends and market announcements. 
The Board also reviewed and approved the annual budget and 
operating plans.

Internal controls and risk management
The Board received presentations from the Director of Internal 
Audit and Risk three times during the year. It reviewed key risks 
and mitigation plans, paying particular attention to high-probability 
and high-impact risks, and any increases in risk scores. This included 
detailed reviews of the company’s preparedness for a no-deal Brexit 
and a continued focus on cyber security risks.

The Board received updates at each meeting on any reports received 
through the company’s whistleblowing provision, and steps being 
taken to investigate and resolve issues raised.

The assessment of the company’s system of internal controls and 
risk management is delegated to the Audit Committee, and the Board 
received verbal updates from the Audit Committee Chair after each 
Committee meeting. A description of the main features of the 
company’s internal control and risk managements systems can be 
found on page 34, and the Audit Committee’s Report can be found 
on pages 56 – 59. The Board’s statement on viability is on page 39.

The Board also reviewed and approved the annual insurance 
renewal proposal.

Leadership and people
Twice during the year, the Chief Human Resources Officer 
presented to the board on culture, diversity and inclusion, talent 
and succession planning. 

A full overview of the company’s annual employee survey was 
presented to the Board, including trust and engagement scores in 
various segments of the Group. The insights provided by the survey 
gave an overview of culture and helped to inform the Board’s plans 
for ongoing employee engagement – see opposite. Further information 
on these results can be found on page 24.

The company looks to employ talented people, develop and train them, 
and provide a diverse and inclusive culture in which they can thrive. 
The Board received presentations on the development plans for the 
Executive team and senior management positions, to understand the 
actions being taken to deepen and enhance the diverse pipeline 
for succession. 

The Board reviewed the company’s approach to diversity, to ensure 
that it represents the communities in which the business operates 
and the consumers who buy the company’s products. Following the 
establishment of the Diversity and Inclusion Action Group, the Board 
considered the company’s commitments in this area, and noted the 
positive impact being delivered by the new employee network groups 
recently established. Further information on D&I policy and targets can 
be found on page 24.

50 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Employees
As part of the review of governance practices, the Board reviewed 
its current approach to employee engagement, and received several 
presentations from the Chief Human Resources Officer and the 
Director of Reward. The Board concluded that practices already 
in place could be adapted and enhanced to provide an effective 
mechanism to understand the views of employees. Proposed 
enhancements include:

•  Regular ‘pulse’ surveys, the results of which will be shared  

with the Board to facilitate an understanding of issues that may  
be raised or which the Directors may wish to raise in two-way 
dialogue opportunities.

•  Market, office or site visits already built into the Board’s Programme 
of Business will include formal time for the Non-Executive Directors 
to spend with colleagues.

•  One or more Non-Executive Directors will attend at least one of  

the company’s existing employee forums.

The Board acknowledged that this is not one of the recommended 
approaches set out in the 2018 Code. Instead, by adopting a range  
of different engagement practices, the Board will be provided with 
opportunities to hear the employee voice in a variety of settings. The 
Board considers this will be more effective than allocating responsibility 
to a single Director or limiting engagement to an advisory panel.

Governance
Various actions were completed to ensure continued good governance 
of the Board including reviews of Director independence and conflicts 
of interest and reviewing Non-Executive Director fees. The Board 
received verbal updates from the three Committee Chairs after each 
Committee meeting. At each Board meeting it received a governance 
update from the Company Secretary, including developments in 
corporate governance and legal and regulatory updates, as well as 
details of any matters reserved to the Board requiring approval 
or decision.

An effectiveness review of the Board and all the Committees was 
carried out, as described on page 53, and each Director was required 
to evaluate their own performance.

In addition to approving the Annual Report, going concern and viability 
statements, the Board also reviewed and approved the modern slavery 
transparency statement, the gender pay gap report and the annual 
disclosure of tax strategy.

The Terms of Reference of each Committee were updated and 
approved. The revised Terms of Reference can be viewed on the 
company website at britvic.com/governance.

51

Board visit to Kylemore manufacturing site
The October 2018 Board meeting took place in Dublin, providing 
Board members with the opportunity to visit the Irish business. 
The Board toured the company’s Kylemore manufacturing and 
office facility and was able to see the results of the investments 
made at the site as well as being able to spend time with 
Kylemore-based staff. The Irish management team provided a 
detailed review of the local market including the customer and 
competitor landscape as well as the strength and positioning of 
the company’s brands. The Board also spent time visiting various 
types of outlet to understand the local market dynamics.

Shareholders
The Board is committed to maintaining strong communications with 
shareholders and believes that engagement with shareholders and 
institutional investors should be an ongoing process. The Board 
regularly connects with shareholders through a variety of channels 
including face-to-face meetings and via online content. The Directors 
are available to meet the company’s major shareholders if requested. 
There is a regular programme of meetings with major institutional 
shareholders to consider the Group’s performance and prospects. 

A report on investor relations, which includes updates on meetings 
with major institutional shareholders, is given at each Board meeting. 
In addition to this, the Board receives regular reports prepared by an 
independent capital market advisory firm, which provide comprehensive 
information relating to the company’s major shareholders. The company’s 
brokers also met with the Board as required during the year.

Principles of ownership, corporate governance and voting guidelines 
issued by the company’s major institutional shareholders, their 
representative bodies and advisory organisations are circulated to, 
and considered by, the Board.

Private shareholders may access our website for our company reports 
and business information, or contact us via email with detailed enquiries 
(investors@britvic.com). Enquiries about specific shareholder matters 
should be addressed to our Registrar, Equiniti, in the first instance 
(see page 143 for contact information). 

At the AGM, the Chief Executive Officer gives an update on the 
positioning and outlook for the business. Shareholders are invited to 
ask questions formally during the meeting and to follow up on these 
discussions with the Directors on a one-to-one basis afterwards. All 
Directors are present and available to respond to questions at the AGM. 
Our 2019 AGM was well attended, and all proposed resolutions were 
passed. We look forward to welcoming our shareholders to our AGM 
in January 2020 and to updating them on our business developments. 
The Notice of Meeting can be reviewed at www.britvic.com/agm.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Effectiveness

Induction
The Chairman, with the support of the Company Secretary, is responsible for preparing and co-ordinating a comprehensive and personalised 
induction programme for newly appointed Directors. Directors have access to appropriate training as required and they are encouraged to develop 
their understanding of the business. 

Joanne Wilson took up the role of Chief Financial Officer in September 2019. The following table shows the activities included in the induction 
that she received both prior to and after joining the company:

Type of induction activity

Summary

Documentation

Face-to-face meetings

Copies of relevant company documents were made available early on in the programme including the most recent 
Annual Report and Accounts, the Group structure chart, the company’s articles of association, key policies and recent 
Board and Executive team minutes and papers.

Meetings were arranged with the Chairman, CEO, individual Non-Executive Directors, members of the wider 
Executive team, and finance leadership in order to provide an understanding around culture, values, strategy, recent 
developments, an overview of financials, key challenges and opportunities, and to provide insight into the roles and 
responsibilities of different teams within the business. While Joanne’s induction was tailored to focus on the finance 
function, care was taken to include a broad range of relevant topics. These included:

Strategy

Joanne was comprehensively briefed on current performance and strategy with the CEO, the Strategy and Planning 
Director and the Director of Strategy Development. 

Investor relations  
and media views

An overview of investor relations activities, market facing issues and investor sentiment was provided by the Director 
of Investor Relations and the Director of Corporate Relations. Joanne met with the company’s brokers and a number 
of key shareholders and select analysts who cover Britvic, and spent time with the company’s financial PR agency.

Talent and resources Joanne spent time with the Chief Human Resources Director and the Director of HR with responsibility for the 

finance function.

Governance, risk 
and litigation

Joanne met with the Company Secretary and the General Counsel and was given information about Board policies, 
procedures and processes. She also spent time with the company’s external lawyers for a briefing on Directors’ duties 
and governance.

Site visits

Audit Committee 

Joanne visited both the Rugby factory and the National Distribution Centre with the Chief Supply Chain Officer, and 
completed market visits with both the GB and Ireland Managing Directors. She also spent time at the Financial 
Services Centre in Solihull. Market and site visits covering the Brazil, France and Ireland businesses took place and 
further visits covering the International business and remaining GB sites are scheduled to take place in due course.

Joanne met with the Chair and members of the Audit Committee outside the schedule of meetings in order to 
understand the Committee’s remit and obtain an overview of topical issues, policies and developments. She also met 
with Ernst & Young LLP (‘EY’), the external auditors, and the Director of Internal Audit and Risk.

Independent advice
The Board has approved a procedure for Directors to seek independent 
professional advice at the company’s expense if necessary. No such 
advice was sought by any Director during the year. In addition, the 
Directors have direct access to the advice and services of the General 
Counsel and the Company Secretary.

Ongoing training
A combination of tailored Board and Committee agenda items and 
other Board activities, including briefing sessions, assist the Directors 
in continually updating their skills, and their knowledge of and familiarity 
with the company, as required to fulfil their roles. 

The Board received presentations throughout the year from various 
departments within the business on key topics including human 
resources, legal, audit, risk and compliance, health and safety, 
sustainability and corporate finance. 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

“ The induction programme was tailored to 
ensure that I spent time with key internal 
and external stakeholders, and covered 
relevant topics before I joined the company, 
enabling me to hit the ground running 
from day one.”

Joanne Wilson
Chief Financial Officer

52 

Board, Committee and Director performance evaluations 
The Board operates a three year cycle of evaluations. Year one of the cycle comprises an externally facilitated evaluation involving both questionnaires and 
interviews with all Board Directors, carried out by an independent consultant. The direct input of each Board member is kept confidential by the external 
consultant, allowing for honest and in-depth feedback. 

Years two and three build on the outcomes of the year one evaluation utilising internally devised questionnaires, and the process is facilitated by 
the Company Secretary. In all years the evaluation separately assesses the effectiveness of the Board, each Committee and the Chairman. Each 
Director is also required to complete a self-evaluation. The results of the Chairman’s evaluation are reviewed by the Senior Independent Director.

2018 evaluation
A year one externally facilitated evaluation was carried out in the summer of 2018 by an independent consultant, Lintstock, which has no other 
connection with the company. The results were presented to the Board, and reported in the 2018 Annual Report, confirming that the Board and 
its committees were operating effectively. The review noted a number of areas for the Board to focus on during 2019 outlined below, alongside 
the actions subsequently undertaken in response.

Focus area

Actions

Review the strategy development process to ensure clear articulation of 
risk appetite and ambition as the company continues to pursue growth.

The Board focused on strategy development via a series of deep dives 
and ongoing engagement with senior management throughout the year 
(see page 50 for more detail).

Support the newly appointed Chief Human Resources Officer in developing 
diverse talent pipelines internationally at all levels of the business, and plan 
additional time to reflect on culture, values and reputation.

The Board met formally with the Chief Human Resources Officer twice 
during the year and held sessions covering culture, wellbeing, talent and 
succession (see page 50 for more detail).

Build on existing monitoring of markets, customers and other key 
stakeholders with particular focus on international businesses 
and opportunities.

All business performance reviews were required to include content on 
stakeholder views and engagement, and particular focus was given 
to global trends and market drivers.

2019 evaluation
A year two evaluation was carried out in the summer of 2019. The process was divided into three stages:

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

The Company Secretary, the Chairman 
and the CEO devised comprehensive 
questionnaires covering best practice 
and issues specific to the company. 
These built on the prior year evaluation 
and included requests for feedback on 
the outcome and actions from that 
evaluation. Complementary questionnaires 
were also issued covering the Chairman’s 
performance, individual Director self-
assessments and the performance of 
each Committee. 

The Company Secretary created a report 
compiling all the feedback and presenting 
conclusions on the effectiveness of the 
Board, the Committees and the Directors. 
The report included recommendations for 
areas of focus in the forthcoming year.

The Senior Independent Director led 
the review of the Chairman’s performance 
in consultation with the other Non-
Executive Directors.

The Board reviewed the report and 
recommendations and agreed a plan of 
action to improve areas highlighted by the 
evaluation over the forthcoming year.

Findings
The evaluation covered areas including Board composition and expertise as the company looks at the next phase of its growth journey, risk management 
and internal control, and succession planning. Overall the effectiveness of the Board, its Committees and the Chairman was rated good to excellent, with 
each review showing improved effectiveness from the previous year.

Good alignment was reported among Board members on the priority areas for the coming year:

•  Supporting the next stage in the company’s strategic growth journey
•  Talent development, succession planning, diversity and culture to support strategy
•  Continuing to develop the Board’s understanding of key markets and consumers

Outcomes
Further to discussion of the evaluation findings, the Board agreed a number of actions to further improve effectiveness and support the business 
over the next year:

•  Development of the remuneration policy to reflect alignment with strategy and non-financial metrics
•  Additional focus on culture, diversity and internal talent and succession
•  Continued focus on key risks and control environments
•  Build on existing monitoring of markets, consumers and other key stakeholders

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

53

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Nomination Committee Report

Committee at a glance
On behalf of the Nomination Committee (‘the Committee’), I am 
pleased to present its report for the 52 weeks ended 29 September 
2019. This report describes how the Committee has carried out its 
responsibilities during the year.

Committee members  
John Daly (Chair)

Ian McHoul

Euan Sutherland

The Committee is comprised solely of independent  
Non-Executive Directors.

John Daly
Nomination Committee Chair

Role of the Committee
The Committee’s role is to keep under review the structure, size and 
composition of the Board and its committees, to ensure progressive 
refreshing of the Board, and to maintain an appropriate balance of 
skills, knowledge and experience to meet current and future needs. 
The Committee oversees the process for considering and recommending 
to the Board candidates for appointment as Executive and Non-
Executive Directors and for other senior management roles and 
ensures that the procedure for appointing Directors is formal, rigorous, 
transparent, objective, merit-based and has regard for diversity.

Responsibilities
•  Keeping under review the leadership needs of the organisation, 
both Executive and Non-Executive, with a view to ensuring the 
continued ability of the organisation to compete effectively in the 
market place

•  Ensuring that plans are in place for orderly succession of Directors, 
the Executive team and other members of senior management
•  Overseeing the development of a diverse pipeline for succession, 
taking into account the challenges and opportunities facing the 
company, and the skills and expertise needed on the Board in 
the future
Identifying and nominating candidates to fill Board vacancies as and 
when they arise

• 

•  Reviewing annually any conflict declarations by Directors, and any 

conflict authorisations granted by the Board

•  Reviewing annually the independence of each Non-Executive Director
•  Making recommendations to the Board as required concerning 

suitable candidates for the role of Senior Independent Director and 
membership of the Board committees

•  Making recommendations to the Board regarding the reappointment 
of any Non-Executive Director at the conclusion of their specified 
term of office

As part of the annual review of the Committee terms of reference 
the updated requirements of the 2018 Code were incorporated. 
The updated terms of reference can be found on our website at  
www.britvic.com/governance. 

In order to ensure sufficient time to properly carry out these additional 
duties, the number of meetings scheduled for each year has been 
increased from two to three.

Main activities during the year
Only Committee members have a right to attend meetings, but they 
invite to attend, as appropriate, the Chief Executive Officer and the 
Chief Human Resources Officer as well as any other members of the 
senior management team that the Committee feels necessary for a full 
discussion of matters on the agenda. The Committee met three times 
during the year, at scheduled meetings in October and January and for 
a short notice audio meeting in February, called as part of the CFO 
appointment process (see opposite). Committee meetings usually take 
place prior to a Board meeting and the Chair of the Committee 
subsequently reports on the activities of the Committee and matters 
of particular relevance to the Board as appropriate.

Key agenda items during the year included:

•  Overseeing the search process for the appointment of a new 

Chief Financial Officer and subsequently recommending a preferred 
candidate to the Board

•  Renewal of appointment contracts for Sue Clark and 

Euan Sutherland

•  Reviewing orderly and emergency succession plans at Board and 

Executive level

•  Reviewing the findings of the 2018/19 Board evaluation with 
respect to the composition of the Board and its committees 
(see page 53)

•  Reviewing Directors’ potential conflicts of interest 

and independence

54 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Succession planning
The Board has had a stable year with no Non-Executive Directors 
leaving or joining. Both Sue Clark and Euan Sutherland completed 
their first three year term contracts in March and the Committee 
considered and approved their renewal for a further three years. 
Euan did not participate in the discussion or vote with respect to 
his own contract renewal. 

The Committee assesses the aggregate skills and experience of the 
Directors in light of the current and future needs of the Board, both on 
a routine basis and in particular when considering renewal of contracts 
and potential new appointments. The Committee recommended that 
all serving Directors be put forward for re-election at the 2020 AGM.

The whole Board reviewed papers presented by the Chief Human 
Resources Officer on succession plans for all members of the 
Executive team and is satisfied that both short and long-term 
succession is regularly evaluated.

Conflicts of interest and independence
On behalf of the Board, the Committee reviewed the independence 
of each Non-Executive Director and is satisfied that all Non-Executive 
Directors, including the Chairman, remain independent under the 
definition in the 2018 Code. Furthermore, the Committee is satisfied 
that each of the Non-Executive Directors commits sufficient time to 
meet their Board responsibilities. 

All Directors are required to submit an annual declaration of 
conflicts of interest and to declare any new conflicts as they arise. 
The Board delegates to the Committee the responsibility for reviewing 
the procedures for assessing, managing and, where appropriate, 
recommending the approval of any conflicts of interest to the Board. 
The Committee reported to the Board that the current procedures are 
appropriate and that they have operated effectively during the year.

Board and Committee evaluation
The Committee reviewed those elements of the Board evaluation 
that related to the composition of the Board and its committees, and 
the time commitment required from Non-Executive Directors. These 
were rated good to excellent overall, and the Committee continues to 
monitor the skills and experience requirements throughout the year.

The Committee also reviewed its own performance and was satisfied 
that it had been effective during the year and specifically in handling 
the recent Chief Financial Officer appointment process.

John Daly
Nomination Committee Chairman
27 November 2019

Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

Further to the announcement of Mathew Dunn’s resignation as 
Chief Financial Officer in October 2018, a search was undertaken 
to find a successor.

1

2

3

4

5

Criteria
At the October meeting, the Committee reviewed 
and approved search criteria including experience 
in a wide range of areas such as consumer goods 
or brands, corporate activity, risk management, 
international exposure and strategy, in addition 
to appropriate qualifications and demonstrated 
leadership qualities. The need for a diverse list 
of candidates was emphasised even if this could 
potentially prolong the appointment process.

Search
An external search consultancy, Spencer Stuart, 
was appointed to lead the search, drawing on expertise 
in financial recruitment. Spencer Stuart has no other 
connections to the company. Spencer Stuart provided 
a long list of candidates meeting some or all of the 
criteria and a shortlist of strong candidates was 
generated from this, which was presented to the 
January Committee meeting.

Interviews
The shortlisted candidates were interviewed initially 
by the CEO and Chief Human Resources Officer. The 
preferred candidate then went on to a second stage 
interview with the Chairman and the Chair of the 
Audit Committee.

Offer and contract
Further to interviews the preferred candidate was 
confirmed, and the Committee approved initiation of 
the offer process and authorised the Remuneration 
Committee to formulate the offer.

Appointment
The appointment of Joanne Wilson was announced 
to the market in March, and she joined the company 
in September having served her notice period with 
her previous employer.

Due to the length of time taken to secure the preferred candidate, 
and despite Mathew Dunn staying with the Company for six months 
after resigning, the Committee also considered the matter of interim 
arrangements for the period between his departure and a new 
CFO being available to join. Due to resilience and strong leadership 
within the finance team, there was a strong preference not to appoint 
a formal interim CFO. Ownership of Mathew’s various functions was 
divided between several key personnel, with the CEO taking overall 
responsibility including direct oversight of certain areas.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

55

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Audit Committee Report

Committee at a glance
On behalf of the Audit Committee (the ‘Committee’), I am pleased 
to present its report for the 52 weeks ended 29 September 2019. 
This report describes how the Committee has carried out its 
responsibilities during the year. 

Committee members  
Ian McHoul (Chair) 

Suniti Chauhan

Euan Sutherland

The Committee is comprised solely of independent Non-Executive 
Directors. The Board is satisfied that Ian has recent and relevant 
financial experience as required by the Code and, further, that the 
Committee as a whole has competence relevant to the sector in 
which the company operates.

The terms of reference for the Committee were updated 
in November 2019 and can be found on our website at 
www.britvic.com/governance.

•  Ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place for individuals 

to raise issues with the Board where a breach of conduct 
or compliance, including any financial reporting irregularity, 
is suspected.

Committee meetings
The Committee met three times as scheduled in the year: in 
November and May to review the Annual Report and Accounts and 
interim report respectively and to consider the external audit findings, 
and in September to review the activities of the previous year and the 
plan for the year ahead, and to consider any emerging issues. At each 
meeting the performance and findings of the internal audit team were 
reviewed, including any outstanding audit actions. An additional 
meeting was held by phone to approve final project readiness for 
a systems transition project (see Deep dives on page 59).

All members of the Committee attended all four meetings (see page 48 
for attendance report). Only Committee members have a right to attend 
meetings, but the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief 
Financial Officer, the Director of Financial Control and Governance, 
the Director of Internal Audit and Risk, and the external auditor, EY, are 
invited to attend as appropriate, as well as any other members of the 
senior management team that the Committee feels necessary for a 
full discussion of matters on the agenda. Committee meetings usually 
take place prior to a Board meeting. The Chair of the Committee 
subsequently reports on the activities of the Committee and matters 
of particular relevance to the Board. 

Each meeting allows time for the Committee to speak with key people 
without the presence of the others, in particular the external auditors 
and the Director of Internal Audit and Risk.

Evaluation
The Committee was evaluated as part of the overall Board evaluation 
described on page 53. The conclusion of the evaluation was that 
the Committee continues to work effectively and was highly rated 
overall. Improvement in performance was noted in several areas since 
the previous evaluation, notably with respect to the Committee’s 
effectiveness in reviewing the quality of the Group’s financial reporting.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Ian McHoul
Audit Committee Chair

Role of the Committee
The Committee’s role is to monitor the preparation of the Group’s 
financial reporting statements, the effectiveness of systems of internal 
control and risk management and the integrity of the Group’s external 
and internal audit processes, including assessing the independence 
and objectivity of the external auditors.

To enable the Committee to discharge its responsibilities, discussions on 
a broad range of topics and reports were held with management, internal 
audit and the external auditors throughout the year. This provided the 
Committee with insight into the progress towards the company’s 
strategic goals and the challenges and risks, and how they are 
being managed. 

The Committee has an open dialogue throughout the year with the 
Director of Audit and Risk and the external auditors in order to raise 
challenges and questions to support understanding while sharing 
experience and an independent perspective. 

Responsibilities
•  Reviewing the financial results announcements and financial 
statements, and any significant financial reporting issues and 
judgements which they may contain

•  Advising the Board on whether the Annual Report and Accounts, 

taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and provides 
the information necessary for shareholders to assess the 
company’s performance, business model and strategy

•  Ensuring compliance with applicable accounting standards and 

reviewing the appropriateness of accounting policies and practices 
in place

•  Assessing the adequacy of the internal control environment and the 
processes in place to monitor this, including reviewing the activities 
and performance of the internal audit team

•  Reviewing risk management processes and considering the 

adequacy of the actions being taken to identify risks and reduce the 
exposure of the Group to those risks

•  Overseeing the relationship with the external auditor, reviewing 
their activities, and making recommendations to the Board in 
relation to their appointment, remuneration and terms of 
engagement, independence, objectivity and effectiveness

•  Advising the Board on the assessment of the viability of 

the company

56 

Committee activities

Review of financial statements
For both the interim and full-year results statements, the 
Committee reviewed:

•  Any changes to accounting policies
•  Key accounting judgements and considered potential issues raised 
– details of significant areas considered are shown in the table on 
page 59

•  The external audit findings, including any accounting and 

audit adjustments

At the request of the Board, the Committee considered whether 
the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, 
balanced and understandable. Details of this process are shown 
on pages 58 – 59 and the Board statement is on page 79.

Internal audit
The internal audit function carries out work across the company, 
providing independent assurance and advice to help the organisation 
identify and mitigate potential control weaknesses. Both the internal 
audit and risk management functions have a role in identifying 
emerging risks that may threaten achievement of the company’s 
strategic priorities.

Prior to the start of the financial year, the Committee reviewed and 
agreed the audit plan to be undertaken by the internal audit team 
during the year ahead. The audit plan coverage is based on risk, 
strategic priorities and consideration of the strength of the 
control environment. 

The Committee reviewed the results of the internal audit reports 
during each meeting, looking in detail at any reports where processes 
and controls required improvement or any reports that were particularly 
pertinent to delivery of strategic objectives or priorities. 

The Committee was also provided with regular updates on: 

•  Significant internal audit findings
•  Agreed actions and progress against previous outstanding actions
•  Management’s responsiveness to the findings 

and recommendations

•  The development of the overall control environment

Where internal or external circumstances gave rise to an increased 
level of risk, the audit plan was modified accordingly during the year. 
Any changes to the agreed audit plan were presented to and agreed by 
the Committee. Detailed updates on specific areas were provided at 
the request of the Committee; examples are outlined under Deep 
dives opposite.

Whistleblowing
The Group’s whistleblowing policy contains arrangements for an 
independent service provider to receive, in confidence, reports of 
breaches of any legal or company policy requirements, including 
those related to accounting, auditing, risk, internal control and related 
matters. The Committee reviews these arrangements on a regular basis 
and confirms that appropriate processes have been in place throughout 
the year. Any disclosures raised through these arrangements, and the 
actions taken to investigate and resolve them, are reported to the Board.

Internal control and risk management
The Board is responsible for reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness 
of the risk management framework and the system of internal controls. 
The Board has delegated responsibility for this review to the Committee.

Each year the Executive team performs a robust assessment 
of the principal risks facing the company which is reviewed by 
the Board. Further details of the overall risk management process, 
including designation of principal risks, and a summary of the principal 
risks and uncertainties to which the business is exposed, can be found 
on pages 35 – 38. 

The Committee, through the internal audit function, reviewed the 
risk management process at each meeting to ensure that it is set 
up to deliver appropriate risk management and effective prioritisation 
across the Group. The Committee also reviewed the adequacy and 
effectiveness of the Group’s internal control procedures, and was 
satisfied that procedures were in place during the year and up to the 
date of this Annual Report, that accord with the requirements of the 
Guidance on Risk Management, Internal Control and Related Financial 
and Business Reporting published by the FRC.

Where any potential weaknesses or areas for improvement were 
identified, these were monitored to ensure that they were addressed 
within agreed timelines. The Committee confirms that no significant 
failings or weaknesses were identified in the review for the 2019 
financial year.

Viability statement
The Committee reviewed management’s work in conducting a 
robust assessment of those risks which could threaten the business 
model and the future viability of the company. This assessment 
included identifying severe but plausible scenarios for each of our 
principal risks as well as considering inter-dependencies and scenarios 
involving multiple risks. Additionally, stress testing was carried out, 
allowing the Committee to model circumstances that could render 
the business unable to pay its liabilities as they fall due. To support the 
final conclusion on viability, the assessment also took into account the 
mitigations available to the company to protect against these downside 
scenarios. Based on this analysis, the Committee recommended to 
the Board that it could make the viability statement on page 39.

Deep dives
Where any weaknesses or areas for improvement were identified by 
the business or as the result of an internal audit review, the Committee 
received additional briefings. These included:

•  Receiving regular updates on the control environment with 

particular focus on cybersecurity and Brazil

•  Receiving a presentation on a post-implementation review of the 
launch of new payroll software, including lessons learned which 
have been embedded into business transformation processes 
going forward

•  Monitoring a project to transition business systems from four-
weekly periods to calendar months, and a review of project 
readiness before approving the final ‘go-live’. 

The further detail provided by these briefings gave comfort to the 
Committee that no material failings or weaknesses were present.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

57

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Audit Committee Report continued

External audit
There are a number of areas that the Committee considers in relation 
to the external auditor including their performance in discharging 
the audit and the interim review, their independence and objectivity, 
and their reappointment and remuneration. The Chair of the 
Committee has regular contact with the external audit partner 
outside of Committee meetings and without the management 
of the business present. 

Independence and reappointment
The Committee reviews the independence and objectivity of the 
auditors throughout the year and confirms that it considers EY to remain 
independent. The Committee confirms compliance with the Statutory 
Audit Services for Large Companies Market Investigation (Mandatory Use 
of Competitive Tender Processes and Audit Committee Responsibilities) 
Order 2014, having last carried out a competitive tender for audit services 
in 2016. EY has been auditor to the company since flotation in 2005.

The external auditor, EY, provided the Committee with their plan 
for undertaking the year-end audit which highlighted the proposed 
approach and scope of the audit for the coming year and identified 
the key areas of audit risk, including the audit approach for these areas. 
The Committee reviewed and, where appropriate, challenged the basis 
for the audit plan before agreeing the proposed approach and scope of 
the external audit. 

EY prepared a comprehensive report of their audit findings at the 
year end, which they took the Committee through at its meeting in 
November 2019. The findings were reviewed and discussed in detail 
by the Committee, particularly in relation to the key areas of audit risk 
previously identified. A similar review of the external auditor report 
of their findings at the half year was undertaken by the Committee.

The Committee considered the effectiveness of the audit in relation 
to its robustness, the quality of the audit delivery and the quality of the 
people and service. The EY UK 2019 Transparency Report was taken 
into account as part of this process, and the Committee concluded that 
EY remain effective as external auditor.

The external auditor is required to rotate the lead audit partner 
every five years. The current lead partner has been in place since 
the FY18 audit. Based on the Committee’s recommendation, the 
Board is proposing that EY be reappointed to office at the AGM in 
January 2020.

Non-audit fees
The Group has a policy regarding the provision of non-audit services 
by the external auditor. Any non-audit services provided must be 
pre-approved by the Committee Chair unless the activity will have a 
total value of less than £5,000 and falls within the allowed services 
defined by FRC guidance. 

Control over total non-audit fees is also exercised by reviewing spend 
on all activities proposed or provided by the external auditor and the 
Committee confirms that these are within scope and maximum level 
of fees set out in the FRC’s Ethical and Auditing Standards (see note 7 
on Auditor’s remuneration on page 103).

Fair, balanced and understandable assessment 

At the request of the Board, the Committee considered whether the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and 
understandable and provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the company’s position and performance, business model and 
strategy. To enable the Board to have confidence in making this statement, the Committee considered the elements in the table below: 

Fair

Balanced

Understandable

Is the whole story being presented? 

Has any sensitive material been 
omitted that should have 
been included?

Are the key messages in the 
narrative reflected in the 
financial reporting?

Are the KPIs disclosed at an 
appropriate level based on the 
financial reporting?

Is there a good level of consistency between the narrative in the front section 
and the financial reporting in the back section of the report?

Is there a clear framework to 
the report?

Is the Annual Report considered a document fit for shareholders?

Are statutory and adjusted measures explained clearly with 
appropriate prominence?

Are the key judgements referred to in the narrative reporting and the significant 
issues reported in the Audit Committee Report consistent with the disclosures 
of key estimation uncertainties and critical judgements set out in the 
financial statements? 

How do they compare with the risks that the auditors plan to include with 
their report?

Are the important messages 
highlighted appropriately throughout 
the document? 

Is the layout clear with good linkage 
throughout in a manner which reflects 
the whole story?

To form its opinion, the Committee reflected on the information and reporting it received from management and the external auditor and the 
discussions that took place during the year. Key considerations for the Committee in 2019 included the following: 

•  The financial statements comply with all applicable financial reporting standards and any other required regulations
•  Material areas of significant judgement have been given due consideration by management and reviewed with the external auditor
•  The application of acceptable accounting policies and practices is consistent across the Group
•  The disclosures provided are clear, and as required by financial reporting standards
•  Reporting and commentary provides a fair and balanced view of company performance
•  Any correspondence from regulators received in relation to our financial reporting are considered and disclosures are updated if required

58 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

To ensure that these considerations are met, reviews take place based on information provided by the Chief Financial Officer and their team 
at each Committee meeting as well as reports from the external auditors based on the outcomes of their half year review and annual audit.

Financial statements and significant areas considered

Going concern 
basis for the 
financial 
statements and 
viability statement

Revenue 
recognition

Valuation of 
goodwill and 
assets

The Committee reviewed and challenged management’s assessment of going concern, longer-term prospects and viability 
statement with consideration of forecast cash flows, including sensitivity to trading and mitigating actions including the potential 
impacts of the uncertainties arising from Brexit. The Committee also considered the Group’s financing facilities and future funding 
plans. Based on this, the Committee confirmed that the application of the going concern basis for the preparation of the financial 
statements continued to be appropriate and recommended the approval of the viability statement.

Revenue recognition is a key area of focus. The control environment surrounding long-term discounts, promotional discounts 
and account development funds was reviewed throughout the year to ensure that the accounting treatment was deployed in 
a consistent and accurate manner and was compliant with the relevant International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRSs’).

The review of goodwill and intangible assets is based on a calculation of value in use, using cash flow projections based on market 
measures and financial budgets prepared by senior management and approved by the Board of Directors. 

The Committee has considered management reports on potential triggers of impairment and the outcome of sensitivity testing for 
all areas of the Group, including France, Ireland and Brazil. The disposal of the juice manufacturing sites in France triggered a 
thorough review of the assets held within the French business unit. The Committee reviewed the methodology and assumptions 
used by management in concluding the carrying values of the underlying assets are supportable. 

Adjusting items

Adjusting items are not reported as part of the financial statements but are used in the Annual Report to provide clarity on 
underlying performance for users of the accounts. 

The classification of adjusting items is defined by a Group policy, as approved by the Committee, and includes items of significant 
income and expense which, due to their size, nature or frequency, merit separate presentation to allow shareholders to understand 
better the elements of financial performance during the year. The Committee reviewed and challenged items to be included with the 
Committee throughout the year in order to confirm appropriateness. 

Derivative and 
hedging activities

The Group has derivative instruments to which hedge accounting is applied and which swap principal and interest of US private 
placement notes. The Committee reviewed reporting on comparisons of valuations to external confirmations and assessment of 
hedge effectiveness in order to be satisfied with the quality of financial statement disclosures.

Taxation

Uncertain tax positions within the Group were reviewed to ensure that the balance sheet provisions are complete, and that the 
Group effective tax rate is calculated appropriately.

Defined benefit 
pension scheme 
liabilities 
valuation

IFRS 16 ‘Leases’

The Committee reviewed the assumptions that are provided by the Group’s actuaries and used to value the pension liabilities for 
the four defined benefit schemes. The underlying assumptions based on market conditions and the characteristics of the schemes 
are reviewed by management and conclusions reported to the Committee. 

The impact of the guaranteed minimum pension (‘GMP’) equalisation ruling has been built into the assumptions. 

At each meeting, the Committee received an update in relation to the Group’s proposed approach to the adoption of IFRS 16. The 
Committee regularly reviewed the controls in place to ensure the completeness of lease data across the Group and understood 
the systems and processes established to allow the efficient adoption of IFRS 16 on 30 September 2019. The Committee 
discussed the broader reporting impacts of IFRS 16 on reported assets, liabilities and the Group income statement, as well as the 
classification of cash flows relating to lease contracts. Particular attention was paid to the treatment of the agreement for the new 
combined heat and power plant at the Rugby site (see note 29 to the accounts on page 131).

Chief Financial 
Officer

During the period between the departure of Mathew Dunn and the new CFO, Joanne Wilson, joining the company, the 
responsibilities of the CFO were divided between several key personnel, with the CEO retaining overall accountability. The 
Committee Chair spent additional time during that period with the people leading the relevant functions, as well as the Head of 
Internal Audit and Risk and the Director of Finance Control & Governance.

The Committee subsequently recommended to the Board that, taken as a whole, the Company’s 2019 Annual Report is fair, balanced and 
understandable and that it provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the Group’s position and performance, business model 
and strategy. The Board statement is on page 79.

Ian McHoul 
Audit Committee Chairman
27 November 2019

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

59

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Directors’ Remuneration Report

Committee at a glance
As Chair of the Committee, I am pleased to present the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report for the year ended 29 September 2019. This 
report describes how the Committee has carried out its 
responsibilities during the year.

Committee members  
Sue Clark (Chair) 

John Daly

William Eccleshare

Ian McHoul

In line with the 2016 UK Corporate Governance Code, throughout 
the year the Committee consisted wholly of independent Non-
Executive Directors. While the Chair, who was independent on 
initial appointment, is a member of the Committee, she is not 
present when her own remuneration is under discussion.

Our remuneration principles
Our Remuneration Policy is designed to support our overall vision to 
become the most dynamic, creative and trusted soft drinks company 
in the world. Our people are at the heart of our business. Our aim is to 
attract, engage and retain the very best talent from across our global 
sector. To determine the shape, size and variability of each element 
of pay the Committee follows five key remuneration principles:

Competitive 
market 
positioning 
and opportunity

To attract, retain and engage the Executive 
talent we need to realise our vision and deliver 
our strategy, our remuneration arrangements 
need to be sufficiently competitive but 
not excessive.

Pay aligned 
with sustainable 
long-term 
performance

The mix between both fixed and variable pay, 
as well as the balance between rewarding 
short versus long-term performance, are critical 
to ensure that we reward those behaviours that 
will lead to the realisation of our long-term 
vision without compromising short-term gain. 

All forms of variable pay are only fully 
delivered in return for performance materially 
above the standards required by Britvic and our 
shareholders – in other words, the superior pay 
opportunity available can only be realised in 
return for superior performance.

Incentive 
metrics aligned 
with our 
strategy and 
key KPIs

The performance measures selected to 
determine both our annual bonus and long-term 
incentive plans have been carefully considered 
to focus on a simple and effective selection of 
those key drivers of our strategy and long-term 
value creation for our shareholders.

Sue Clark
Remuneration Committee Chair

Annual statement from the Remuneration 
Committee Chair

Dear Shareholder
During the year the Committee has sought to understand the evolving 
expectations of stakeholders around the way that Executives are 
rewarded and the implications of the 2018 Code and other initiatives 
from proxy agencies and shareholders. The Committee understands 
its duty to ensure that Executives are incentivised and rewarded for 
the delivery of excellence while at the same time ensuring fairness and 
balance. This will be front of mind as we move into the review of our 
remuneration policy in the coming year. In preparation for that we have 
appointed new remuneration consultants to support the Committee 
with its work and have extended the number of times we will meet 
to ensure that we have the time to debate and consider any changes.

One of the main activities of the Committee over the last year has been to 
set the remuneration package of the Chief Financial Officer. As announced 
in March 2019, we welcomed Joanne Wilson to the Board of Britvic as 
Chief Financial Officer effective 9 September 2019. The Committee set 
Joanne’s remuneration in line with the approved Remuneration Policy, 
and being cognisant of the focus on executive pensions, has aligned her 
pension to that available to the wider workforce. To secure her recruitment 
it was necessary to partly compensate Joanne for payments that would 
have been due had she remained at Tesco. The Committee has structured 
those, that they have agreed to pay, on the value of awards forgone along 
with clawback and deferral provisions as appropriate. The full details of 
Joanne’s package are set out in the ‘At a glance’ section on pages 62 – 65.

Following the announcement in October 2018 of Mathew Dunn’s 
resignation, he left the business on 19 April 2019. He received 
his salary and benefits up to the point of departure but did not receive 
an annual bonus or long-term incentives in respect of the 2018/19 
financial year, and all unvested or unexercised awards lapsed upon 
his cessation of employment. No payments were made to Mathew 
Dunn for loss of office.

60 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Alignment of 
Executive and 
shareholder  
interests

Mindful of 
our wider  
stakeholder 
responsibilities 

To ensure the continued alignment of 
Executive and shareholder interests, the 
greatest potential pay opportunity for Executives 
is via our long-term incentive plans. Share-based 
awards are dependent on a balance of absolute 
and relative growth in long-term value creation 
for shareholders. In particular, the mix of share 
options and performance shares is designed 
to ensure that Executives are only rewarded 
for superior market performance and the 
realisation of our vision. This is further reinforced 
by meaningful shareholding guidelines for 
Executives so that their long-term wealth 
remains tied to Britvic’s sustained long-
term success.

In support of our vision, our Executive 
Directors’ pay arrangements are not only 
focused on financial returns but also mindful 
of performance against our wider long-term 
stakeholder goals. The Committee takes great 
care to set appropriate targets that do not 
compromise our wider stakeholder aspirations. 
Both malus and clawback provisions are in 
place to address potentially inappropriate 
actions or risk-taking when determining 
incentive plan payouts.

UK Corporate Governance Code
The Committee welcomes the changes under the Code which will 
provide greater transparency to all stakeholders and aligns to one of 
our key remuneration principles. The Committee has reviewed the 
2018 Code with advisors and sought to understand its implications 
for the company ahead of implementation by Britvic for the financial 
year beginning 30 September 2019. The Committee noted that it 
is already undertaking substantive elements of the Code, such as 
having responsibility for Executive team remuneration, and where 
necessary has worked to develop a framework that will allow the 
Committee to review broader workforce policies and take these into 
consideration when setting Executive pay. The Committee has 
considered the Code’s impact on its terms of reference which has 
resulted in minor amendments to them, and the revised terms of 
reference can be found at www.britvic.com/governance.

In addition, during the year the Committee has worked with the 
Board on establishing a process to ensure that we also hear the voice 
of the wider workforce in the boardroom. This was a journey which 
the Board had already begun, with further visits to Britvic locations 
during the year, including our manufacturing site at Kylemore, Ireland, 
where we were able to engage directly with both the workforce 
and customers. Along with previous visits to Rugby, the Board and 
Committee can experience the culture first-hand, and garner direct 
feedback. This is an area in which we believe it is the role of the whole 
Board to be involved; a fuller plan has been developed, with a number 
of interventions scheduled for the coming year, and we will report on 
their impact in next year’s Annual Report. 

Business performance and remuneration outcomes 
for the year
As detailed in the Chief Financial Officer’s review, the business 
has remained resilient and, despite the pressure on revenues, has 
delivered another strong performance. This has resulted in the 
following outcomes:

•  Annual bonus payout at 46.9% of the maximum opportunity, 

which reflects a decline over last year’s bonus due to the revenue 
outturns, although performance on profit and cash flow were  
in line with expectations

•  The performance share plan (‘PSP’) awarded in 2016 will vest at 

82.0% of the maximum opportunity. EPS compound annual growth 
of 6.5% will realise a 76.0% vesting. This is reflective of the 
progress on earnings sustained over the period and is consistent 
with the TSR performance that was above upper quartile over the 
three year period when compared with the comparator group, and 
that element will vest in full

•  The Executive Share Option Plan (‘ESOP’) awarded in 2016 will vest at 
76.0% of the maximum opportunity, is aligned to the EPS result noted 
above and the sustained EPS growth over the performance period

The above payouts were agreed by the Committee in the context of 
performance against the targets set and the underlying performance 
of the business over the respective performance periods. In line with 
the remuneration reporting regulations, details of the performance 
targets and actual achievement against these are set out in the Annual 
Report on Remuneration and I can confirm that no discretion was 
exercised by the Committee in respect of the Executive Directors’ 
remuneration for 2018/19. 

Looking ahead to 2019/20
We will be reviewing our Remuneration Policy in the coming year to be 
put to a vote at the 2021 AGM. As part of the policy review, we will be 
undertaking thorough consultation with major shareholders and proxy 
agencies and welcome your feedback. The Committee is mindful of 
the implications of the Code and other guidance which will be 
considered when setting the new policy.

The outlook for FY20 remains challenging with the uncertainty 
in the business climate with limited visibility around Brexit and its 
potential impact. The Committee reviewed targets in this context and 
is satisfied that the targets it has set for both the annual bonus and 
long term incentive plan (‘LTIP’) represent an appropriate level of 
challenge and stretch for the executives and are in line with 
our principles.

The Committee has agreed to increase the Chief Executive Officer’s 
base salary effective 1 January 2020 from £627,300 to £642,982, an 
inflationary increase of 2.5%, in line with that awarded to the wider 
UK employee population. The new Chief Financial Officer’s salary is 
set at £395,000 and this will be reviewed next in January 2021. The 
Committee will be reviewing the Chairman’s fees during the year 
and the Board will consider increases for the Non-Executive 
Director’s fees.

The remainder of this report sets out:

I.  A summary of the remuneration outcomes for 2018/19 and the 

application of the Remuneration Policy for 2019/20 on pages 62 – 65.

II.  The Annual Report on Remuneration, which is subject to an 

advisory shareholder vote at the January 2020 AGM and sets out 
the details of payments made to Directors in respect of the year 
ended 29 September 2019 on pages 67 – 75.

I look forward to receiving your support on the Annual Report 
on Remuneration at the January 2020 AGM. Should you have any 
questions relating to our approach to Executive remuneration, 
please feel free to contact me at investors@britvic.com.

Sue Clark 
Remuneration Committee Chair
27 November 2019

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

61

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

At a glance
This section summarises the remuneration outcomes for the 2018/19 year, the link between remuneration and our strategy, and a summary of the 
Remuneration Policy approved at the 2018 AGM and its application for 2019/20. The full Britvic plc Remuneration Policy can be found in the 2017 
Annual Report, available on the Britvic plc website at www.britvic.com.

Summary of remuneration package for Joanne Wilson – new Chief Financial Officer

Base salary

Annual bonus

ESOP and PSP

Pension

£395,000. This will be next reviewed in January 2021.

Maximum opportunity of 120% of salary – as Joanne was appointed at the end of the 2018/19 financial year the first 
annual bonus that Joanne will participate in is for the 2019/20 financial year.

Joanne will be eligible to participate in the ESOP and PSP and will be granted awards in respect of the 2019/20 financial 
year in line with the Remuneration Policy. Joanne’s annual maximum opportunity under the ESOP and PSP is 200% of 
salary and 100% of salary respectively.

Employer contribution of 7.5% of salary per annum in line with pension provision for the wider UK employee workforce. 
Joanne elects to take the first £7,500 as a pension contribution and the remainder as a cash contribution of £19,442 in 
lieu, having allowed for employers’ NIC.

Benefits

Standard contractual benefits permitted under the Remuneration Policy including a car allowance of £10,634.

Replacement awards

•  To replace the actual value of her 2018/19 Tesco annual bonus forgone, Joanne received a cash payment on 

appointment equal to the amount forfeited of £169,433. The payment is subject to clawback if Joanne leaves Britvic 
within 12 months of joining

•  To replace forfeited Tesco deferred bonus shares, Joanne was awarded Britvic shares with a value equal to the 

awards forgone and with vesting dates that align with the original awards made. Shares with a value of £202,280 and 
£164,816 were granted and will vest in May 2020 and May 2021 respectively. If Joanne departs the company before 
the shares have vested the award(s) will be forfeited

•  A replacement payment with a total value of £169,805 has been awarded to Joanne to compensate for the repayment 

by Joanne of a loan to Tesco as a result of her departure before March 2020, which would otherwise have been 
settled through an incentive arrangement that she has forgone. The Committee therefore determined it appropriate 
to compensate Joanne for the cash cost incurred as a result of her joining Britvic. The payment was delivered in 
two parts:
1)   a cash payment of £84,906 on appointment. 100% of this cash is subject to clawback if Joanne leaves Britvic 

within a year of appointment and the amount remains subject to clawback for a further two years on a reducing 
balance basis (reducing the value subject to clawback by 1/24 each month served over the two year period)
2)   an award of deferred shares with a value of £84,899 that will vest after three years on 9 September 2022.  

If Joanne departs the business prior to the vest date, then these awards will be forfeited

Single total figure of remuneration for Executive Directors 2018/19
Through the implementation of the Remuneration Policy and principles, the total remuneration received for 2018/19 by Executive Directors is 
as follows:

Fixed pay

Performance related pay1

Total

Salary
 £’000

623.5

207.1

23.5

Benefits 
£’000

Pension 
£’000

18.0
15.83
0.7

153.4

42.3

1.5

Total 
fixed pay 
£’000

794.9

265.2

25.7

Annual 
Bonus
£’000

409.0

–

–

Total 
performance 
related pay 
£’000

Other 
replacement 
awards2
£’000

LTIP
£’000

2,248.6

2,657.6

–

–

–

–

–

–

706.3

£’000

3,452.5

265.2

732.0

Executive Directors

Simon Litherland

Mathew Dunn

Joanne Wilson

Notes:

1 

2 

3 

Variable pay outcomes are summarised in the tables on pages 70 – 71.

The total of replacement awards as set out in Joanne’s summary of remuneration above.

Includes owed holiday pay.

62 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Summary of performance related pay for 2018/19
i)  Annual bonus
Shown below are the performance outcomes versus the performance measures set for the annual bonus:

Measure

Weighting

Threshold

Target

Maximum

% maximum 
achieved

% maximum 
bonus 
achieved

Adjusted profit before 
tax & amortisation

50%

 £188.3m 

 £193.3m 

£199.1m 

67.3%

33.7%

£195.3m 

Net revenue

20%

 £1,477.2m 

 £1,502.1m 

 £1,521.1m  

11.1%

2.2%

 £1,482.7m 

Net revenue  
from innovation

Adjusted free  
cash flow

10%

20%

 £86.5m 

 £93.9m 

 £110.0m 

 £98.9m 

£116.0m 

 £115.0m 

46.9% 

 £103.8m  

0.0%

0.0%

 £125.0m  

55.0%

11.0%

Total

Notes: 

100%

 0%

100% 

46.9%

1 

2 

3 

4 

Adjusted profit before tax and amortisation (‘PBTA’) – profit before tax and adjusting items.

Net revenue – net revenue performance on a constant currency basis.

Net revenue from innovation – net revenue from innovation products on a constant currency basis.

Adjusted free cash flow – cash flow excluding movements in borrowings, dividend payments and adjusting items.

These measures and definitions are consistently used throughout this Remuneration Report.

ii)  Long-term incentives
Shown below are the outcomes versus the performance conditions set and vesting levels for the 2016 PSP and 2016 ESOP:

ESOP
Measure

EPS

PSP
Measure

EPS

TSR

Total

Note: 

Weighting

Threshold

Target

Maximum % maximum vesting achieved

100%

 3.0%

8.0% 

76.0%

 6.5% 

Weighting

Threshold

Target

Maximum % maximum vesting achieved

75%

 3.0%

 6.5% 

8.0% 

101% 

57.0%

25%

 Median

Upper quartile 

25.0%

100%

 0%

100% 

82.0%

 82.0% 

1 

The Committee reviewed underlying return on invested capital (‘ROIC’) over the performance period and deemed performance appropriate relative to the EPS growth delivered.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

63

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Summary of implementation of the Remuneration Policy for 2019/20
The table below shows how the Remuneration Policy will be implemented for the two Executive Directors for 2019/20:

Simon Litherland (CEO)

Joanne Wilson (CFO) 

Policy element

Base salary

Pension

£642,982
2.5% increase.

24.6% of base salary paid as  
a cash allowance.

£395,000 
0% increase – salary will be next reviewed in January 2021.

Employer contribution of 7.5% of salary per annum in line with 
pension provision for the wider UK employee workforce. Paid as 
£7,500 employer contribution to pension with £19,442 paid as 
cash in lieu.

Target 60% of salary to maximum 120% of salary.

Annual bonus

Target 70% of salary to maximum 140% 
of salary.

Annual bonus measures

For 2019/20, the following performance metrics and weightings apply to the bonus:
50% adjusted profit before tax & amortisation, 30% revenue (split total net revenue 20% and net revenue 
from innovation 10%) and adjusted free cash flow 20%.

ESOP

ESOP measures

PSP

PSP measures

Maximum 300% of salary with a two year 
post vest holding period, awarded in market 
priced options.

Maximum 200% of salary with a two year post vest holding 
period, awarded in market priced options.

EPS growth: Three year EPS growth of 3% to 8% per annum on a straight line basis will apply for threshold to 
maximum performance respectively.

Maximum 150% of salary with a two year 
post vest holding period.

Maximum 100% of salary with a two year post vest holding 
period.

75% EPS growth: Three year EPS growth of 3% to 8% per annum on a straight line basis will apply for 
threshold to maximum performance respectively.
25% three year relative TSR: Threshold performance of the median of the comparator group, increasing on  
a straight line basis to 100% vesting for upper quartile performance.
The Committee will also consider underlying ROIC over the performance period to ensure that it remains 
appropriate relative to the EPS growth delivered.

Payment for threshold 
performance

For the annual bonus, 0% of maximum will be awarded.
For the ESOP and PSP, 20% of maximum will be awarded.

Malus and clawback

Malus and clawback may be applied to annual bonus and LTIP awards in certain conditions where the 
payment of the bonus resulted from a material misstatement in the company’s accounts or an error in the 
assessment of the satisfaction of a performance condition.

Shareholding requirement

200%

200%

Illustration of the application of Remuneration Policy for 2019/20
As described in the remuneration principles section on pages 60 – 61, the Committee believes that our Executive remuneration packages should 
provide a significant part of potential reward through performance-based incentive plans. Set out below are the potential total pay outcomes for 
Simon Litherland and Joanne Wilson across four alternative performance scenarios under the current Remuneration Policy. The four scenarios are 
minimum, on target, maximum performance and maximum performance together with an assumed 50% increase in share price. For simplicity, 
the illustrations below are calculated before any change in share price and roll-up of dividends. 

Illustration of the application of Remuneration Policy

0
0
0
£

’

4500

4000

3500

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0

£2,177

42.5%

20.7%

36.8%

£801

100.0%

£4,113

58.6%

£3,244

47.6%

27.7%

21.9%

24.7%

19.5%

Min

Target

Max

Max.
(with 50% share
price growth*)

£425
100.0%

Min

£1,041
36.4%
22.8%
40.8%

Target

£1,531

41.3%

31.0%

27.7%

Max

£1,886

52.4%

25.1%

22.5%

Max.
(with 50% share
price growth*)

CEO, Simon Litherland

CFO, Joanne Wilson

Total Fixed Pay (Basic salary & Pension 

STIP 

LTIP

64 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

The chart has been prepared using the following assumptions: 

•  Base salary as at 30 September 2019
•  Benefits reflect those estimated to be paid in 2019/20
•  Target bonus is calculated at 50% of maximum opportunity
•  Target vesting for the PSP is 60%, being the mid-point between threshold and maximum vesting level
•  Options awarded under the ESOP are valued on the standard market value for options of 30% of the face value of award. A target vesting 

of 60% values the ESOP award at 18% of the maximum value

•  LTIP at 50% share price growth is calculated as the sum of (150% of maximum PSP award) + (50% of maximum ESOP award)

Implementation of the Remuneration Policy for other employees
The implementation of the Remuneration Policy described above applies specifically to Executive Directors. Where possible, principles set out 
in the policy have been applied to all employees to achieve alignment as per the below table:

Element 

Base salary

Benefits

Pension

Annual bonus

Application of policy for other employees

Paid in cash and reviewed annually, normally taking effect 1 January. Salaries are set with reference to internal pay 
levels, as well as local market competitiveness compared with roles of a similar nature and size of responsibility.

Britvic provides local market typical benefits focused on employee health and wellbeing. The majority of UK 
employees participate in the company’s flexible benefits plan.

Subject to local market practice and regulations.
GB employees have rights under the GB legacy defined benefit pension arrangement, which is now closed to 
future accrual (the plan was closed to Executives at the same time). A defined contribution pension scheme was 
introduced following the closure of the defined benefit pension scheme in which UK employees are entitled to 
participate, with the wider workforce having a maximum employer contribution of 7.5%.

Approximately 250 leaders and senior managers participate in bonus arrangements with measures aligned to 
those of the Executive Directors.
Typically, all other employees are eligible to receive a bonus linked to adjusted profit and revenue of the company 
as well as their individual performance.

Long-term incentives

The PSP is awarded to approximately 90 leaders globally each year. Approximately 15 leaders also receive options 
under the ESOP. Performance conditions for both awards are linked to those of the Executive Directors.

All-employee share plans Where possible, we offer employees annual free share awards linked to company performance as well as the 

opportunity to purchase Britvic shares. In some locations, alternative local profit-sharing arrangements are 
available, depending on local market practices and legislation.

The value of each element that the employee may receive will vary according to the employee’s seniority and level of responsibility.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

65

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Annual Report on Remuneration 

Role and responsibilities
The Committee’s terms of reference are in line with the 2016 UK Corporate Governance Code and can be found at www.britvic.com/governance. 
The revised Code came into effect from January 2019 and will therefore apply to Britvic for the first time from 30 September 2019. The 
Committee’s terms of reference have been updated to reflect the new Code. 

The Committee has responsibility for the following:

•  Reviewing Executives’ remuneration in terms of the pay policy of the company as a whole, pay and conditions elsewhere in the Group, and the 

overall cost on behalf of shareholders

•  Determining, within agreed terms of reference, and taking into account corporate performance on environmental, social and governance 

issues, the remuneration of the Chairman and specific remuneration packages for each of the Executive Directors and other members of the 
Executive team, including pension rights, any compensation payments and benefits

•  Reviewing workforce remuneration and related policies and the alignment of incentives and rewards with culture, taking these into account 

when setting the policy for Executive Director remuneration

•  Engaging as required with the wider workforce and shareholders on Executive pay structures, and how Executive remuneration aligns with 

wider company pay policy

•  Approving the design and operation of the company’s incentive arrangements, both short and long-term. This includes agreeing the targets 

that are applied to awards made to senior executives

•  Responsibility for all of the company’s employee share plans and the share dilution position
•  Ensuring, via regular reviews, that the company’s pay policies remain appropriate and relevant

Committee meetings
The Committee meets no less than three times a year. At the invitation of the Chair of the Committee, the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial 
Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Director of Reward and the Company Secretary attend the meetings of the Committee to provide input 
to assist with the consideration of particular items, except when their own remuneration is under consideration. The attendance of the Committee 
for each meeting during the year can be found on page 48.

Remuneration Committee 
meeting dates

Key agenda items 

October 2018

Review of Executive remuneration payout projections 2017/18

Review of pension provision

Review of 2017/18 Directors’ Remuneration Report

November 2018

2017/18 bonus and LTIP outcomes, subject to final accounts being approved by the Board

2018/19 ESOP and PSP targets and grants for all participants

2018/19 annual bonus targets

Update on the Executive team’s shareholding requirements 

Approval of final draft of 2017/18 Directors’ Remuneration Report

2019 salary reviews for CEO and Executive Committee

Approve CFO exit arrangements

Chairman’s remuneration review

January 2019

February 2019

March 2019 

May 2019

Approval of bonus targets on IFRS15 basis

Agree joining arrangements for Chief Financial Officer

Approval of offer for the Chief Financial Officer

Review share dilution from share schemes

Consideration of Executive remuneration payout projections for 2018/19 and beyond 

Consider Shareholder Rights Directive II

July 2019

Discussion on approaches to comply with the revised Corporate Governance Code including:

September 2019

Consideration of 2019/20 remuneration structure and design

•  Remit of the Committee
•  Terms of reference

Approve the structure and measures for the annual bonus plan for 2019/20 

Annual Committee calendar for 2019/20 to include Policy review timetable

Approve the appointment of advisors to the Remuneration Committee

66 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Advisors 
PwC was appointed as advisor to the Committee in August 2014 following a competitive tender process. The company is also advised by PwC 
on other remuneration related items and provided consulting support on non-remuneration related issues. PwC is a member of the Remuneration 
Consultants Group (the professional body for executive remuneration consultants). PwC’s fees in respect of advice to the Committee in the year 
under review were £47,500 and were charged partly on a fixed fee basis and partly on a time and expenses basis, in line with the firm’s standard 
terms of business for advice provided. During the year, given the five year tenure of PwC, the Committee held a competitive tender process and 
appointed FIT as advisors, to be effective as of December 2019. 

During the year, Addleshaw Goddard LLP was also engaged by the Committee to provide legal advice on contractual arrangements and 
share schemes.

Unless otherwise stated, these advisors have no other connection with the company. The Committee, based on its experience, is satisfied that 
the advice it received from these organisations was objective and independent. 

Statement of implementation of Remuneration Policy in the following year
The Remuneration Policy approved at the January 2018 AGM will continue to be implemented from the commencement of the new financial year 
(2019/20) as follows:

Base salary
Implemented in line with Policy.

The CEO will receive a salary increase of 2.5%, effective 1 January 2020, in line with the wider UK employee population.

2019
 base salary
£’000

627.3

395.0

2020
base salary
£’000

643.0

395.0

Increase

2.5%

0.0% 

Simon Litherland
Joanne Wilson1

Note:

1 

Joanne Wilson’s salary will be reviewed next in January 2021.

Benefits and pension
Implemented in line with Policy.

Annual bonus 
Implemented in line with Policy. The bonus measures¹ and weightings for 2019/20 are: 

•  Adjusted PBTA (50%)
•  Total net revenue (20%)
•  Net revenue from innovation (10%)
•  Adjusted free cash flow (20%)

The target award amounts for the CEO and CFO are 70% and 60% of base salary respectively, with corresponding maximum award values 
of 140% and 120% of base salary.

The Committee is of the view that the performance targets under the bonus plan are commercially sensitive and that it would be detrimental 
to the interests of the company to disclose them before the start of the financial year. Disclosure of targets in advance could lead the company 
to be at a disadvantage, as many competitors are not subject to the same levels of disclosure. Targets and the performance against them will be 
disclosed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report following the end of the financial year.

Note: 

1 

Performance measures defined as follows:

Adjusted profit before tax and amortisation (PBTA) – measured before adjusting items on a constant currency basis.

Total net revenue and Net revenue from innovation – measured on a constant currency basis.

Adjusted free cash flow – measured excluding movements in borrowings, dividend payments and adjusting items.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

67

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
Corporate Governance
Annual Report on Remuneration continued 

Long-term incentive plans (ESOP and PSP)
Implemented in line with Policy.

ESOP

Performance conditions and targets set

Simon Litherland

Joanne Wilson

Threshold vesting for EPS growth of 3% p.a.
Maximum vesting for EPS growth of 8% p.a.
Vesting is on a straight line basis between threshold 
and maximum.

Threshold vesting for EPS growth of 3% p.a.
Maximum Vesting for EPS growth of 8% p.a.
Vesting is on a straight line basis between threshold 
and maximum.

Award at 
threshold 
vesting,
 (20% of 
maximum)
% of salary

Maximum 
potential value
% of salary

Face value of 
awards 
£’000

60%

300% 

1,881.9

40%

200%

790.0

Performance 
period

3 years
 commencing
 30 September
 2019

3 years
 commencing
 30 September
 2019

When considering the value of the award to the Executives, the methodology is explained on pages 64 – 65 the maximum potential value 
of ESOP awards is valued at 30% of the face value, reflecting that no gain is made unless share price growth is achieved in addition to the 
performance conditions.

PSP

Performance conditions and targets set

Simon Litherland

Joanne Wilson

Notes: 

EPS growth (75% weighting):
Threshold vesting for EPS growth of 3% p.a.
Maximum vesting for EPS growth of 8% p.a.
Relative TSR (25% weighting): Threshold payout 
for ranking at median vs the comparator group 
of 16 companies and maximum payout for ranking 
at or above the upper quartile.

EPS growth (75% weighting):
Threshold vesting for EPS growth of 3% p.a.
Maximum vesting for EPS growth of 8% p.a.
Relative TSR (25% weighting): Threshold payout 
for ranking at median vs the comparator group of 
16 companies and maximum payout for ranking  
at or above the upper quartile.

Award at 
threshold 
vesting 
(20% of 
maximum) 
% of salary

Maximum 
potential value 
% of salary

Face value of 
awards 
£’000

30%

150% 

941.0

20%

100%

395.0

Performance 
period

3 years 
commencing 
30 September
 2019

3 years
 commencing 
30 September 
2019

1 

2 

The Committee will also consider underlying ROIC over the performance period when assessing the vesting of the PSP to ensure that it remains satisfactory.

The relative TSR comparator group will be made up of the following 16 companies: AG Barr plc, Associated British Foods, C&C Group, Diageo, Fuller, Smith & Turner, Glanbia, Greencore, 
Greene King, Marston’s, Nichols, Origin Enterprises, Premier Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, Smith & Nephew, Tate and Lyle, Wetherspoon.

3 

Awards vesting under the LTIP will be subject to a two year post vest holding period. 

68 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Single total figure of Directors’ remuneration (subject to audit)
Non-Executive Directors
Details of the total fees paid to Non-Executive Directors and the Chairman for the year ended 30 September 2018 and 29 September 2019 are set 
out in the table below. The Non-Executive Directors basic fee increased by 2.5% on 1 January 2019 from £56,100 to £57,502. No increase was 
awarded to the Chairman, Chair of Committee or Senior Independent Director fees.

Basic fee 
£’000

2019

240.0

57.2

57.2

57.2

57.2

57.2

2018

240.0

55.8

55.8

55.8

46.6

46.6

John Daly

Ian McHoul

Sue Clark

Euan Sutherland

Suniti Chauhan

William 
Eccleshare

Remuneration 
Committee
 Chair fee 
 £’000

2019

2018

–

–

9.0

–

–

–

–

–

9.0

–

–

–

Audit Committee 
Chair fee 
£’000

Senior Independent 
Director fee 
£’000

Total fees paid 
£’000

2019

–

9.0

–

–

–

–

2018

–

9.0

–

–

–

–

2019

–

9.0

–

–

–

–

2018

–

9.0

–

–

–

–

2019

240.0

75.2

66.2

57.2

57.2

57.2

2018

240.0

73.8

64.8

55.8

46.6

46.6

Executive Directors
The table below sets out the total and a breakdown of the remuneration received by each Executive Director during the year under review. 
Additional details of each component are set out below the table.

Salary

Benefits

Pension

Total fixed pay

Annual bonus
LTIP3 4

Total performance related pay

Other – replacement awards

Grand Total

Notes:

Simon Litherland (CEO)

Mathew Dunn (former CFO)

Joanne Wilson (CFO)1

2019
 £’000

623.5

18.0

153.4

794.9

409.0

2,248.6

2,657.6

2018 
£’000

608.5

18.0

152.6

779.1

757.6

690.3

1,447.9

2019 
 £’000

207.1
15.82

42.3

265.2

–

–

–

2018 
 £’000

364.9

15.2

80.5

460.6

389.3

224.6

613.9

3,452.5

2,227.0

265.2

1,074.5

2019 
£’000

23.5

0.7

1.5

25.7

–

–

–

706.3

732.0

2018
 £’000

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1 

2 

3 

4 

The total of replacement awards as set out in Joanne Wilson’s summary of remuneration on page 64.

Includes outstanding and owed holiday pay.

2018 LTIP values restated based on the share price at vesting of 849.50 pence on 4 December 2018.

2019 LTIP values based on the average share price over the last quarter of 2019 of 894.78 pence.

i)  Base salary – Corresponds to the amounts earned during the year
During the year under review, Simon Litherland received a salary increase of 2.5% in line with the wider employee population.

ii)  Benefits – Corresponds to the taxable value of all benefits paid in respect of the year
Benefits comprise car allowance, private medical assurance, life assurance and, for Simon Litherland, free and matching shares under the Share 
Incentive Plan. 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

69

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Annual Report on Remuneration continued 

iii)  Pension 
The table below sets out the value of the defined contribution (‘DC’) pension contributions and the cash allowances earned by Directors for the 
year under review.

Simon Litherland

Mathew Dunn

Joanne Wilson

Value of cash 
allowance paid 
£’000

Value of defined 
contribution 
pension 
contributions 
£’000

Total value of 
pension shown 
in Total Single 
Figure table 
£’000

153.4

38.2

1.1

–

4.1

0.4

153.4

42.3

1.5

Simon Litherland’s normal retirement date is March 2024 and Joanne Wilson’s normal retirement date is September 2035. Mathew Dunn and 
Joanne Wilson contribute to the DC section of the Britvic Pension Plan up to the HMRC annual pension allowance per scheme. The balance of 
their entitlement is paid as a cash allowance.

The cash allowance payable to the Executives reflects contributions the company would have made to the DC section of the Plan, less a 
deduction to ensure that the cash allowance is cost neutral to the company from a National Insurance perspective.

•  Simon Litherland receives a cash allowance of 24.6% of pensionable pay (base salary only)
•  Joanne Wilson earned pro rata for her period of employment in the financial year based on a defined contribution of £7,500 and a cash 

allowance of 4.9% of pensionable pay (base salary only).

•  Mathew Dunn received a defined contribution of £7,500 and a cash allowance of 20.0% of pensionable pay (base salary only).

iv)  Annual bonus – Corresponds to the total bonus earned under the bonus plan in respect of 2019 performance
The table below sets out the bonus outcome for the Chief Executive Officer and the respective performance targets and actual achieved 
performance. Bonuses are paid wholly in cash. 

Performance measure

Adjusted PBTA

Net revenue

Adjusted free cash flow

Net revenue from innovation

Total

Performance measure

PBTA

Net revenue

Free cash flow

Net revenue from innovation

Total

Weighting % of 
bonus 
maximum

Performance 
required for 
threshold 
payout

Performance 
required for 
target payout

Performance 
required for 
maximum 
payout

Actual 
performance

50%

20%

20%

10%

100%

£188.3m

£193.3m

£199.1m

£195.3m

£1,477.2m

£1,502.1m

£1,521.1m

£1,482.7m

£110.0m

£93.9m

£115.0m

£98.9m

£125.0m

£103.8m

£116.0m

£86.5m

2019 maximum 
bonus 
opportunity % 
of salary

2019 bonus 
earned % of 
salary

2019 bonus 
earned 
£’000

CEO

70%

28%

28%

14%

140%

CEO

47.1%

3.1%

15.4%

0.0%

65.6%

CEO

293.7

19.3

96.0

0.0

409.0

70 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
 
 
v)  Long-term incentives – Corresponds to the vesting outcome of the 2016 ESOP and PSP with three year performance periods 
ending 30 September 2019

Maximum 
potential value 

Performance 
outcome

300% of salary 

EPS growth 
 at 6.5% p.a.

Level of award 
vesting% of 
maximum

Total value of 
vesting £‘000

Number of 
shares

76.0%

890.4

252,398

2016 ESOP

Performance conditions and targets set

Simon Litherland

Threshold vesting for EPS growth 
of 3% p.a. 

Maximum vesting for EPS growth 
of 8% p.a.

Vesting is on a straight line basis 
between threshold and maximum.

Exercise price for the options is 
542.00 pence.

2016 PSP

Performance conditions and targets set

Simon Litherland

EPS (75% weighting):

Threshold vesting for EPS growth of 3% p.a.

Maximum vesting for EPS growth of 8% p.a.

Vesting is on a straight line basis between 
threshold and maximum.

Relative TSR (25% weighting):

Threshold payout for ranking at median vs 
the comparator group of 16 companies and 
maximum payout for ranking at or above the 
upper quartile.

Maximum 
potential value 

Performance
outcome 
Performance 
outcome

Level of award 
vesting% of 
maximum

Total value of 
vesting £‘000

Number of 
shares

82.0%

1,358.2

151,794

150% of salary EPS growth at 
6.5% p.a. 
which is 
76.0% of 
maximum 
vesting under 
that measure.

Britvic’s TSR 
was positioned 
at upper 
quartile vs the 
comparator 
group, being 
100% of 
maximum 
vesting of 
that measure.

Rolled up 
dividends 
earned over 
the period are 
included within 
the total value 
of the 
vesting award.

Notes: 

1 

2 

3 

The combined PSP and ESOP vesting values were estimated at £2.249m for Simon Litherland. 

A share price estimate of 894.7 pence was used to calculate the value of the above awards which is based on the average closing share price over the last quarter of the financial year.

The relative TSR comparator group is made up of the following 16 companies; AG Barr plc, Associated British Foods, C&C Group, Diageo, Fuller, Smith & Turner, Glanbia, Greencore, 
Greene King, Marston’s, Nichols, Origin Enterprises, Premier Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, Smith & Nephew, Tate and Lyle, Wetherspoon.

4 

Threshold vesting for this award is set at 20% of maximum for both PSP and ESOP.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

71

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Annual Report on Remuneration continued 

Outside appointments
Executive Directors are allowed external appointments with the permission of the Board. Simon Litherland is a Non-Executive Director of 
Persimmon plc, for which he received £60,000 in fees in the year to 29 September 2019.

Scheme interests awarded during the year 
The following tables set out the ESOP and PSP awards granted to the CEO under the LTIP during the year under review (2018/19). All awards are 
subject to performance conditions and were granted on 9 December 2018. No awards were made to Mathew Dunn due to his resignation from 
the Company. ESOP awards are granted as market price options and PSP awards are granted as conditional share awards. 

ESOP

Performance conditions and targets set

Award at 
threshold 
vesting
 (20% of 
maximum) 
% of salary

Maximum 
potential value

Simon Litherland

Threshold vesting for EPS growth of 3% p.a.

60% 300% of salary 

Maximum vesting for EPS growth of 8% p.a.

Vesting is on a straight line basis between 
threshold and maximum.

Exercise price for the options is 
819.70 pence.

Face value
 of awards
£’000

1,836.0

Performance period

3 years ending 
30 September 2021

PSP

Performance conditions and targets set

Award at 
threshold 
vesting 
(20% of 
maximum)
 % of salary

Maximum 
potential value 

Face value
 of awards 
£’000

Simon Litherland

EPS growth (75% weighting):

30% 150% of salary 

918.0

Threshold vesting for EPS growth of 3% p.a.

Maximum vesting for EPS growth of 8% p.a.

Vesting is on a straight line basis between 
threshold and maximum.

Relative TSR (25% weighting):

Threshold payout for ranking at median vs 
the comparator group of 16 companies and 
maximum payout for ranking at or above the 
upper quartile.

Performance period

3 years ending 
 30 September 2021

Notes: 

1 

2 

3  

The share price used to determine the award levels for the PSP and ESOP was 819.70 pence as at the date of grant, based on the average of the preceding three days. 

The Committee will also consider underlying ROIC over the performance period when assessing the vesting of the PSP to ensure that it remains satisfactory.

The relative TSR comparator group is made up of the following 16 companies: AG Barr plc, Associated British Foods, C&C Group, Diageo, Fuller, Smith & Turner, Glanbia, Greencore, 
Greene King, Marston’s, Nichols, Origin Enterprises, Premier Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, Smith & Nephew, Tate and Lyle, Wetherspoon.

The following table sets out the awards granted to the new Chief Financial Officer under her buy-out awards. All awards are subject to service 
conditions and were granted on 9 September 2019.

Buy-out awards

Deferred bonus 

Deferred bonus

Loan repayment compensation

Notes 

Face value of awards
£’000

Number of Shares Granted

202.3

164.8

84.9

22,283

18,596

9,579

Vesting date

11 May 2020

9 May 2021

9 September 2022

1 

2 

The indicative value of the shares is based on a price of 886.3 pence, being the average share price for the week of 2 – 6 September 2019.

The share awards are a conditional right to receive the number of shares stated and will vest on the dates shown provided that Joanne does not leave the company before the 
vesting date.

72 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Directors’ shareholding requirements and interests in shares
The table below sets out the shareholding of Directors and connected persons and requirements as at 29 September 2019. A shareholding 
requirement of 200% of salary for the CEO and 200% for the CFO applies. The CEO was appointed in February 2013 and currently has a 
shareholding of 323% of salary. The CFO was appointed on 9 September 2019 and currently has a shareholding of 0% of salary. Under the 
shareholding requirement arrangement both Executive Directors may not sell any vested shares from the company LTIPs (except to settle  
 taxes and the payment of exercise prices or following approval by the Committee) until their shareholding requirement has been satisfied. 

Interest in shares in the company as at 29 September 2019

Ordinary shares

Performance 
shares

Share options

Total shares

% of salary

Subject to 
performance 
conditions

Subject to 
performance 
conditions

Vested but 
unexercised

Exercised
 in the period

230,924

323

416,922

783,359

986,449

0

–

15,000

16,324

10,000

–

–

–

0

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

0

–

31,530

–

–

–

–

–

–

Simon Litherland1

Joanne Wilson
Mathew Dunn2

John Daly

Sue Clark

Ian McHoul 

Euan Sutherland

Suniti Chauhan

William Eccleshare

Note: 

Shares without 
performance 
conditions

Subject to 
service 
conditions

–

50,458

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1 

Based on 12 month average share price of 876.08 pence and salary of £627,300 as at 29 September 2019.

2  On 18 December 2018 Mathew Dunn exercised 31,530 share options under the Executive Share Option plan. The share price on the date of exercise was 853.55 pence and the exercise 

price of the share options was 711.66 pence. The total gain realised on the exercise was £44,738.

As at the date of this report, Simon Litherland had acquired a further 38 shares through the SIP since the year end.

Performance graph and table 
The graph below shows the TSR for Britvic plc and the FTSE 250 excluding investment trusts over the nine year period ended 29 September 2019. 
The table on the following page shows total remuneration for the Chief Executive over the same period. 

Britvic’s historical TSR performance growth in the value of a hypothetical £100
450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

27 Sept
2009

3 Oct
2010

2 Oct
2011

30 Sept
2012

29 Sept
2013

28 Sept
2014

27 Sept
2015

2 Oct
2016

1 Oct
2017

30 Sept
2018

29 Sept
2019

FTSE 250 Excluding Investment Trusts 

Britvic

Britvic’s historical TSR performance growth in the value of a hypothetical £100
The Committee considers the FTSE 250 (excluding Investment Trust Index) is a relevant index for total shareholder return as it represents a broad 
equity index in which the company is a constituent member.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

73

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Corporate Governance
Annual Report on Remuneration continued 

Remuneration history for Chief Executive from 2011 to 2019
£’000

2013

2012

2011

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Simon 
Litherland total 
single figure of 
remuneration

Paul Moody 
total single 
figure of 
remuneration

Bonus (% of 
maximum)

LTIP (% of 
maximum)

n/a

n/a

1,114.6

1,964.3

3,075.2

1,734.5

2,086.3

2,147.4

3,452.5

1,819.7

670.1

1,412.6

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

0.0%

0.0%

89.6%
 (ESOP 
86.0%,
 PSP 
91.0%)

0.0% 
(ESOP 
0.0%,
 PSP
 0.0%)

0% for 
 Paul Moody,
 98.6% for
 Simon
 Litherland

0.0% for
 Paul Moody
 (ESOP 
0.0% PSP 
0.0% n/a for 
Simon 
Litherland

72.2%

53.3%

80.6%

82.1%

88.9%

46.9%

63.6%
(ESOP
 69.0%, 
PSP 
50%)

100% 
(ESOP 
100%, 
PSP 
100%)

91.0%
 (ESOP 
100%, 
PSP 
65.8%)

59.4%
(ESOP 
61.1%, 
PSP 
56.2%)

37.5%
(ESOP
 33.3%, 
PSP 
50.0%)

78.0% 
(ESOP
 76.0%, 
PSP 
82.0%)

Percentage change in remuneration for CEO
The table below shows how the percentage change in the Chief Executive’s salary, benefits and bonus between 2018 and 2019 compared 
with the percentage change in the weighted average of each of those components for all full-time equivalent employees based in GB. The GB 
employee workforce was chosen as a suitable comparator group as the CEO is based in GB (albeit with a global role and responsibilities) and pay 
changes across the Group vary widely depending on local market conditions.

Element

Base salary1
Taxable benefits2
Bonus3

Notes: 

Chief Executive 
% increase

GB employees 
% increase

2.4%

0.0%

-46.0%

2.4%

-2.6%

-20.0%

1 

2 

3 

The increase reflects the pro rata effect of 2.5% being applied from 1 January 2019.

The decrease in taxable benefits reflects a reduction in the provision of the free share award which is based on the plc results, proportionally impacting the CEO less than the 
general workforce.

Bonuses for GB-based employees are primarily driven by profit, which has performed better than the revenue metrics included in the Chief Executive’s bonus arrangements, and so have 
reduced employee bonuses by less than the Chief Executive’s has reduced.

Relative importance of spend on pay 
The following chart sets out this information as it applies to the company, comparing figures for the year under review and the previous year. 
Profit after tax and capital expenditure are also shown below for context:

FY19

FY18

FY19

FY18

FY19

FY18

FY19

FY18

Wages and salaries

Dividend payout

Adjusted profit after tax

Capex

FY 2019 

FY 2018

Notes:

75.6 

71.7 

 5.4%

74.3 

166.6 

165.6 

 0.6%

147.7 

 7.3%

137.6 

 48.2%

143.5 

1 

2 

Capital expenditure is defined as net cash flow from the purchase and sale of both tangible and intangible assets.

Profit after tax is before the deduction of adjusting items.

74 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Payments made to past Directors (subject to audit)
No payments were made to past Directors during the year. 

Payments made for loss of office (subject to audit)
No payments for loss of office were made during the year. 

Mathew Dunn, the previous Chief Financial Officer, left the business on 19 April 2019. He received his salary and benefits up to the point of 
departure. He received no annual bonus or long-term incentives in respect of the 2018/19 financial year and all unvested or unexercised awards 
lapsed upon his cessation. No payments were made to Mathew Dunn for loss of office.

Directors’ contracts
Details of the Executives’ service contracts and the Non-Executive Directors’ letters of appointment are set out below. All Directors’ service 
contracts and letters of appointment are available for inspection at the company’s registered office and at the AGM up until the start of 
the meeting.

Director

Simon Litherland

Joanne Wilson

Ian McHoul

John Daly

Sue Clark

Euan Sutherland

Suniti Chauhan

William Eccleshare

Effective date of contract  Unexpired term (approx. months)

14 February 2013

9 September 2019

10 March 2017

1 September 2017

1 March 2019

1 March 2019

29 November 2017

29 November 2017

12

12

5

11

29

29

14

14

Executive Directors‘ contracts operate on a 12 month rolling notice basis.

Statement of voting outcomes at the Annual General Meeting
The following chart sets out the result from the advisory vote on the Annual Statement and Annual Report on Remuneration for the past four 
years at the relevant AGMs and the binding vote on the Directors’ Remuneration Policy at the 2018 AGM. As evidenced by the voting outcomes 
below, Britvic has consistently received support for its Remuneration arrangements:

 6.0%

 94.0%

 4.6%

 95.4%

 12.5%

 87.5%

 13.1%

 86.9%

 2017 Remuneration report

 2018 Remuneration report

 2018 Remuneration policy

 2019 Remuneration report

For 

Against

Report/Policy

2019 Remuneration report

2018 Remuneration policy 

2018 Remuneration report

2017 Remuneration report

 Votes For

174,473,526

172,687,645

187,072,865

187,437,492

 Votes Against

26,341,914

24,644,840

8,960,245

11,921,615

 Votes Withheld

1,081,841

193,481

1,492,855

1,398,509

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

75

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Directors’ Report

The Directors present their report and the audited consolidated financial statements of the company and the Group for the 52 weeks ended 
29 September 2019.

Additional disclosures
Other information that is relevant to this report is incorporated by reference, including information required in accordance with the UK Companies 
Act 2006 and associated regulations, Listing Rules and Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules (‘DTRs’). For the purpose of DTR 4.1.8 R the 
management report comprises the Strategic Report and the relevant parts of this Director’s Report. The corporate governance statement required 
under DTR 7.2.1 comprises the content on pages 40 – 79.

The following sets out where items required to be included in this report under Schedule 7 of the Large and Medium-sized Companies and 
Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, that are not located in the Directors’ Report, can be found:

Indication of future developments

Strategic Report

Pages 1 – 39

Financial risk management

CFO’s review – Treasury management

Page 33

Employment of disabled persons

Employee involvement

Greenhouse gas emissions

Note 24 to the accounts

Creating stakeholder value

Creating stakeholder value

Creating stakeholder value

Pages 122 – 123

Page 24

Page 24

Page 27

The following sets out where items required under Listing Rule 9.8.4 that are not located in the DIrectors’ Report, can be found:

Directors’ interests

Remuneration Report

Page 73

Operations and performance
Dividends and dividend waiver
The Group’s profit before taxation attributable to the equity shareholders amounted to £110.3m (2018: £145.8m) and the profit after taxation 
amounted to £80.9m (2018: £117.1m). An interim dividend of 8.3 pence (2018: 7.9 pence) per ordinary share was paid on 12 July 2019.

Subject to shareholder approval, the Directors have proposed a final dividend of 21.7 pence (2018: 20.3 pence) per ordinary share payable on 
5 February 2020 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 6 December 2019, giving a total dividend in respect of 2019 of 
30.0 pence (2018: 28.2 pence), an increase of 6.4% over the previous year. 

The trustees of the Britvic Share Incentive Plan have elected to waive dividends on shares held under trust relating to dividends payable during the year.

Research and development
The Group carries out research and development necessary to support its principal activities as a manufacturer and distributor of soft drinks.

Events since the balance sheet date
On 12 November we announced the decision of the board of directors to enter into exclusive discussions with Refresco over the potential sale by 
Britvic of its three juice manufacturing sites in France, its private label juice business, and the Fruité brand. The proposed sale is subject to a 
consultation process with the relevant employee representatives, which has now been initiated, and also subject to competition clearance by the 
French Competition Authority.

Shares and shareholders
Share capital
The company’s issued share capital comprised a single class of shares divided into ordinary shares of 20 pence each ( ‘ordinary shares’). As at 
29 September 2019, the company’s issued share capital comprised 265,510,737 ordinary shares.

Rights and restrictions attaching to shares
On a show of hands at a general meeting of the company, every holder of ordinary shares present in person and entitled to vote shall have one 
vote, and on a poll, every member present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall have one vote for every ordinary share held. Any notice 
of general meeting issued by the company will specify deadlines for exercising voting rights and appointing a proxy or proxies in relation to 
resolutions to be proposed at the general meeting. All proxy votes are counted and the numbers for, against or withheld in relation to each 
resolution are announced at the general meeting and published on the company’s website after the meeting.

There are no restrictions on the transfer of ordinary shares in the company other than:

•  certain restrictions which may from time to time be imposed by laws and regulations (for example, insider trading laws)
•  pursuant to the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority and Britvic’s share dealing code whereby certain employees of the Group 

require the approval of the company to deal in its ordinary shares

The company is not aware of any agreements between shareholders that may result in restrictions on the transfer of securities and/or 
voting rights.

76 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Shares held in employee benefit trusts
Under the rules of the Britvic Share Incentive Plan (the ‘Plan’) eligible employees are entitled to acquire shares in the company. Plan shares 
are held in trust for participants by Equiniti Share Plan Trustees Limited (the ‘Trustees’). Voting rights are exercised by the Trustees on receipt of 
participants’ instructions. If a participant does not submit an instruction to the Trustees no vote is registered. In addition, the Trustees do not vote 
on any unawarded shares held under the Plan as surplus assets. As at 29 September 2019, the Trustees held 1.14% (2018: 1.28%) of the issued 
share capital of the company. 

Similarly, if IQ EQ (Jersey) Limited, as Trustee of the Britvic Employee Benefit Trust (the ‘Trustee’), holds ordinary shares on trust for the benefit of 
the Executive Directors, senior executives and senior managers of the Group, a dividend waiver is in place. The Trustee is not permitted to vote on 
any unvested shares held in the trust unless expressly directed to do so by the company. The Trustees held 0.44% (2018: 0.27%) of the issued 
share capital as at 29 September 2019.

Major shareholders
At 29 September 2019, the company had been notified, in accordance with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, of the following interests 
amounting to 3% or more of the voting rights in the issued ordinary share capital of the company: 

Number of 
ordinary shares

Percentage of 
voting rights

FMR LLC

Prudential

APG Asset Management

Invesco

Standard Life

BlackRock

Incentive AS

BNP Paribas 

As at 10 November 2019, the company had been notified of the following additional changes in interests:

Prudential

M&G Investments

18,432,163

16,549,600

16,080,643

13,375,175

Below 5%

Below 5%

8,111,148

7,970,782

6.94%

6.23%

6.06%

5.04%

Below 5%

Below 5%

3.05%

3.00%

Number of 
ordinary shares 

Percentage of 
voting rights

0

14,579,256

0%

5.49%

These transactions arose as a result of the demerger of M&G plc from Prudential plc and do not therefore represent a change of ownership.

Governance
Articles of association
The company’s articles may only be amended by a special resolution at a general meeting of shareholders. The articles were last updated 
in January 2019.

Compliance
Britvic has a global compliance function responsible for overseeing the compliance agenda, including working with policy owners to ensure 
that individual policies form a coherent framework across the business. Objectives of this function are to ensure that policies remain relevant, 
identifying and addressing new policy areas and advising on implementation and monitoring. Each policy is assigned to a global policy owner who 
is responsible for ensuring that the policy is kept up to date and is properly implemented. Local policy owners are responsible in different countries 
to ensure that policies are amended in line with requirements of local regulation. New employees are required to read and complete training on 
key policies, and the compliance function runs a rolling programme of updates in order that the workforce, including contractors, review relevant 
policies at regular intervals.

Anti-bribery and corruption
Britvic has an anti-bribery and corruption policy that applies across the Group. Training is provided to employees through e-learning platforms, 
including the rules and limits around giving and receiving gifts and how to record these. Central records are kept by the Company Secretary and 
reviewed annually. Bribery and corruption risks are addressed within the Group risk management framework under the legal and regulatory 
principal risk (see page 37).

Britvic also provides a confidential ‘Speak-Up’ whistleblowing hotline, operated by an independent third party, enabling employees, contractors, 
suppliers and anyone associated with Britvic to report suspected wrongdoing. The Audit Committee reviews the process in place for reporting to 
ensure it is fit for purpose, and all reports received, and follow up actions, are reported to the Board. No Speak-Up reports related to anti-bribery 
and corruption have been received in the financial years 2016-2019.

Going concern and viability
The Directors consider that the Group and the company have adequate resources to remain in operation for the foreseeable future and have 
therefore continued to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. The UK Corporate Governance Code requires the 
Directors to assess and report on the prospects of the Group over a longer period. This longer-term viability statement is set out on page 39.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

77

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance
Directors’ Report continued

Branches
As a global Group, our interests and activities are held or operated through subsidiaries and branches which are established in, and subject to the 
laws and regulations of, many different jurisdictions. 

Political donations
No political donations were made by the Group and its subsidiaries (2018: nil).

Annual General Meeting
The AGM will be held at 11.00am on 31 January 2020 at the offices of Linklaters LLP, One Silk Street, London EC2Y 8HQ. Details of the 
resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are set out in the separate circular which has been sent to all shareholders and is available on the Britvic 
website at www.britvic.com/agm.

Directors
The following were Directors of the company during the year: Suniti Chauhan, Sue Clark, John Daly, Mathew Dunn (resigned 19 April 2019), 
William Eccleshare, Simon Litherland, Ian McHoul, Euan Sutherland and Joanne Wilson (appointed 9 September 2019). The biographical details of 
the Directors are set out on pages 42 – 43 of this report. The service contracts of the Executive Directors and letters of appointment of the 
Non-Executive Directors are available for inspection at the company’s registered office. 

Directors’ powers
Subject to company law and the company’s articles, the Directors may exercise all of the powers of the company and may delegate their power 
and discretion to committees. The Executive team is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Group. The articles give the Directors 
power to appoint and replace Directors. Under the terms of reference of the Nomination Committee, any appointment must be recommended by 
the Nomination Committee for approval by the Board. The Company’s articles require that each director retires at the end of each AGM of the 
company unless elected or re-elected at the meeting, and that a director who has been appointed by the Board during the year, retires at the next 
AGM following their appointment. 

Contracts of significance
No Director has any other interest in any shares or loan stock of any Group company other than those disclosed on in the Remuneration 
Committee Report on page 73. No Director was or is materially interested in any contract, other than under their service contract or letter of 
appointment, which was subsisting during or existing at the end of year and which was significant in relation to the Group’s business. There are 
procedures in place to deal with any conflicts of interest and these have operated effectively during the year. 

Directors’ liabilities
As at the date of this report, customary indemnities are in place under which the company has agreed, to the extent permitted by law and the 
company’s articles, to indemnify:

•  the Directors, in respect of all losses arising out of, or in connection with, the execution of their powers, duties and responsibilities as Directors 

of the company or any of its subsidiaries

•  Directors of companies which are corporate trustees of the Group’s pension schemes against liability incurred in connection with those 

companies’ activities as trustees of such schemes

Change of control provisions
There are no agreements between the company and its Directors or employees providing for compensation for loss of office or employment 
(whether through resignation, purported redundancy or otherwise) that occurs because of a takeover bid. The company’s banking arrangements 
are terminable upon a change of control of the company. Certain other indebtedness becomes repayable if a change of control leads to a 
downgrade in the credit rating of the company. The company’s agreements with PepsiCo are terminable upon a change of control. 

Disclaimer
The purpose of this Annual Report is to provide information to the members of the company, and it has been prepared for, and only for, the members of 
the company as a body, and no other persons. The company, its Directors and employees, agents and advisors do not accept or assume responsibility 
to any other person to whom this document is shown or into whose hands it may come, and any such responsibility or liability is expressly disclaimed. 
A cautionary statement in respect of forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report appears on page 1 of this document.

The Directors’ Report was approved by the Board on 27 November 2019. 

By Order of the Board

Jonathan Adelman
Company Secretary
Britvic plc
Company No. 5604923

78 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities in respect of the Annual Report and the financial statements
The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. 
Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors have elected to prepare 
the Group financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRSs’) as adopted by the European Union, and 
the parent company financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom 
Accounting Standards and applicable law), including Financial Reporting Standard 101 ‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’ (‘FRS 101’).

Under company law the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the 
state of affairs of the Group and company and of their profit or loss for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the Directors are required to:

•  Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
•  Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
• 

In respect of the Group financial statements, state whether IFRSs as adopted by the European Union have been followed, subject 
to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements

•  Provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRSs is insufficient to enable users to understand the 

• 

impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the Group’s financial position and financial performance
In respect of the parent company financial statements, state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards, including FRS 101, have been 
followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements

•  Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company and/or the Group will 

continue in business

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the parent company’s transactions 
and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and the Group and enable them to ensure that its financial 
statements comply with the Companies Act 2006 and, with respect to the Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation. They are 
also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and Group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention of fraud and 
other irregularities.

Under applicable law and regulations, the Directors are also responsible for preparing a Strategic Report, Directors’ Report, Remuneration Report 
and Corporate Governance Statement that comply with that law and those regulations.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the company’s website. 
Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Directors’ declaration in relation to relevant audit information
The Directors who were members of the Board at the time of approving the Directors’ Report are listed on pages 42 – 43. Having made enquiries 
of fellow Directors and of the company’s auditor, each of these Directors confirms that:

•  To the best of each Directors’ knowledge and belief, there is no information relevant of which the company’s auditor is unaware
•  Each Director has taken all the steps a Director might reasonably be expected to have taken to be aware of relevant audit information 

and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information

Responsibility statement of the Directors in respect of the Annual Report
The Directors confirm that to the best of their knowledge:

•  The consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union give a true and fair view of the 

assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the company and undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole

•  The Annual Report, including the Strategic Report, includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position 
of the company and undertakings included in the consolidation as a whole, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties 
that they face

•  having taken into account all matters considered by the Board and brought to the attention of the Board during the year, the Directors consider 
that the Annual Report, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable. The Directors believe that the disclosures set out in this Annual 
Report provide the information necessary for shareholders to assess the company’s performance, business model and strategy

On behalf of the Board

Simon Litherland    
Chief Executive Officer  
27 November 2019

Joanne Wilson
Chief Financial Officer

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

79

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
Financial Statements
Independent Auditor’s Report to the members of Britvic plc

Opinion
In our opinion:

•  Britvic plc’s Group financial statements and parent company 

financial statements (the “financial statements”) give a true and fair 
view of the state of the Group’s and of the parent company’s affairs 
as at 29 September 2019 and of the Group’s profit for the period 
then ended;

•  the Group financial statements have been properly prepared in 
accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union;
•  the parent company financial statements have been properly 

prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted 
Accounting Practice; and

•  the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 

the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, and, as regards the 
Group financial statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

We have audited the financial statements of Britvic plc 
which comprise:

Parent company

Balance sheet as at 
29 September 2019

Statement of changes in equity 
for the 52 week period ended 
29 September 2019

Related notes 1 to 13 to the 
financial statements including 
a summary of significant 
accounting policies

Group

Consolidated income 
statement for the 
52 week period ended 
29 September 2019

Consolidated statement of 
comprehensive income/
(expense) for the 
52 week period ended 
29 September 2019

Consolidated balance sheet as 
at 29 September 2019

Consolidated statement 
of cash flows for the 
52 week period ended 
29 September 2019

Consolidated statement of 
changes in equity for the 
52 week period ended 
29 September 2019

Related notes 1 to 33 to 
the financial statements, 
including a summary of 
significant accounting policies

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their 
preparation is applicable law and International Financial Reporting 
Standards as adopted by the European Union and, as regards the 
parent company financial statements, UK GAAP including FRS 101 
‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’, as applied in accordance with 
the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion 
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on 
Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under 
those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities 
for the audit of the financial statements section of our report below. 
We confirm we are independent of the Group and parent company in 
accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of 
the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard 
as applied to listed public interest entities, and we have fulfilled our other 
ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and 
appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to principal risks, going concern and 
viability statement
We have nothing to report in respect of the following information in the 
annual report, in relation to which the ISAs(UK) require us to report to 
you whether we have anything material to add or draw attention to:

•  the disclosures in the annual report set out on pages 35 – 38 that 

describe the principal risks and explain how they are being 
managed or mitigated;

•  the directors’ confirmation set out on page 34 in the annual report 

that they have carried out a robust assessment of the principal risks 
facing the entity, including those that would threaten its business 
model, future performance, solvency or liquidity;

•  the directors’ statement set out on page 79 in the financial 

statements about whether they considered it appropriate to adopt 
the going concern basis of accounting in preparing them, and their 
identification of any material uncertainties to the entity’s ability to 
continue to do so over a period of at least twelve months from the 
date of approval of the financial statements;

•  whether the directors’ statement in relation to going concern 

required under the Listing Rules in accordance with Listing Rule 
9.8.6R(3) is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained 
in the audit; or 

•  the directors’ explanation set out on page 39 in the annual report  
as to how they have assessed the prospects of the entity, over 
what period they have done so and why they consider that period 
to be appropriate, and their statement as to whether they have a 
reasonable expectation that the entity will be able to continue in 
operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the period 
of their assessment, including any related disclosures drawing 
attention to any necessary qualifications or assumptions.

Overview of our audit approach
Key audit matters

•  Fraud Risk – Inappropriate revenue recognition 

Audit scope

through manual journal entries

•  Fraud Risk – Management override of internal 

controls over customer discounts

•  We performed full audit procedures over the 
2 Group level functions in addition to the 
financial information of 5 components. We 
performed specific audit procedures over 
1 further component.

•  The components where we performed full or 
specific audit procedures accounted for 106% 
of adjusted profit before tax, 92% of revenue 
and 92% of total assets.

Materiality

•  Overall Group materiality of £9.3m which 

represents approximately 5% of adjusted profit 
before tax, as defined on page 83.

Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional 
judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the financial 
statements of the current period and include the most significant 
assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) 
that we identified. These matters included those which had the 
greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy, the allocation of resources 
in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These 
matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial 
statements as a whole, and in our opinion thereon, and we do not 
provide a separate opinion on these matters.

80 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

The risks noted below are discussed in the Audit Committee Report on 
page 59 and in the accounting policy notes on pages 91 – 100.

Risk – Inappropriate revenue recognition through 
manual journal entries

Refer to the Audit Committee report (page 59); and note 5 of the 
Group financial statements

Description of risk
The Group has reported revenue of £1,545m (2018: £1,504m). Given 
the market focus on the Group’s revenue performance we consider 
there to be a risk in relation to the potential overstatement of revenue. 
In addition, management reward and incentive schemes which are  
in part based on achieving profit targets, may also incentivise 
management to manipulate revenue recognition in order to help 
achieve targets of profitability.

There is therefore a risk that management may override controls  
to intentionally misstate revenue by recording fictitious revenue 
transactions through inappropriate manual journal entries. 

Our response to this risk
•  We understood the Group’s revenue recognition policies (refer to 
pages 92 – 93) and assessed the design effectiveness of key 
controls and how they are applied.

•  At all full and specific scope locations, we tested journal entries 
posted to revenue accounts, applying a number of parameters 
designed to identify entries that were not in accordance with our 
expectations. This included analysing and selecting journals for 
testing which appeared unusual in nature either due to size, 
preparer or were manually posted and therefore outside the normal 
course of business. We verified any such journals to source 
documentation to confirm that the entries supported the 
revenue recognised. 

•  For the GB, France, Brazil and Republic of Ireland components, 
which together form 92% of the Group’s total revenue, we 
performed data analysis over the entire revenue process from 
revenue recognition through to invoice settlement. Where the 
postings did not follow our expectation, we investigated anomalies 
and tested a sample of these entries above a certain threshold to 
ensure their validity by agreeing back to source documentation. 
•  At all full and specific scope locations, we selected a sample of 

post period end credit notes and obtained corroborating evidence to 
demonstrate that the credit note related to the audit period and had 
been appropriately recorded.

Within International Standard on Auditing (UK) 240 there is a 
presumption that there are risks of fraud in revenue recognition. We 
therefore evaluated the revenue transactions or assertions which give 
rise to such risk in the current period as noted above.

Key observations communicated to the Audit Committee
Based on our procedures we have not identified evidence of 
inappropriate management override in respect of the amount of 
revenue recorded. 

Risk – management override of internal controls 
over discounts

Description of risk
The risk of material misstatement due to management override of 
controls is considered a risk in every audit. Management has the 
primary responsibility to prevent and detect fraud. We are required by 
professional auditing standards to consider how this risk may manifest 
itself and design appropriate procedures. 

Consistent with industry practice, the Group provides material 
discounts to customers. These include promotional discounts, long 
term discounts and account development funds which are deducted 
from revenue. The accounting for these discounts can be complex 
and judgemental.

Management could manipulate results through incomplete recording 
of discounts and related liabilities. We have associated this risk to the 
promotional discounts, long term discounts and account development 
funds that remain open as at 29 September 2019. 

Our response to this risk
For all full and specific scope components:

•  We obtained an understanding of the Group’s processes for the 

recognition and management of discounts provided to customers 
and assessed the design effectiveness of key controls and how 
they are applied.

•  We tested the operating effectiveness of the controls in respect 

of long term discounts in France.

•  We held bi-annual meetings with the customer account teams 
within the largest component, GB, to update our knowledge of 
the status of customer negotiations and the process by which 
discounts have been recorded.

•  We performed analytical procedures including the correlation 
of revenue to discounts to assess completeness of discounts.
•  We performed hindsight analysis, to determine the historical 
accuracy of management’s estimation and any required 
adjustments to accruals.

•  We performed targeted journal entry testing at both the general 

ledger and rebate transaction front-end system levels. Our testing 
was focused on manual journal entries posted, both to the period 
end accruals and to the rebate income statement accounts, with a 
particular focus on journal entries posted close to the period end.
•  We performed testing on a sample of post year end discounts, both 
settled and updated, as evidence of the appropriateness of discount 
accruals recognised at the year end. 

•  We selected a sample of post year end credit notes and ensured 
that, where audit evidence demonstrated that the credit note 
related to the audit period, that these credit notes were 
appropriately provided for in the financial statements.
•  For the GB, France and Republic of Ireland components, 

we performed data analysis over the entire discount process 
from cost recognition in the income statement through to 
settlement. Where the postings did not follow our expectation, 
we investigated anomalies and tested a sample of these entries 
above a certain threshold to ensure their validity by agreeing back 
to source documentation. 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

81

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Independent Auditor’s Report to the members of Britvic plc continued

•  For the France and Brazil components, we tested a sample of long 
term and promotional discount expenses and account development 
fund expenses throughout the period and a sample of period end 
accruals by agreeing balances through to supporting documentation 
including contractual agreements and ensured that the revenue 
recognition policies adopted complied with IFRS.

•  We validated the assumptions used in determining the customer 

claims provision in GB and the Republic of Ireland were appropriate.

Of the remaining components that together represent (6%) of the 
Group’s adjusted profit before tax, none are individually greater than 
+/-5% of the Group’s adjusted profit before tax. For these components, 
we performed other procedures, including analytical review, testing 
of consolidation journals and intercompany eliminations and foreign 
currency translation recalculations to respond to any potential risks of 
material misstatement to the Group financial statements, in addition to 
the specified procedures for applicable components as detailed above.

Key observations communicated to the Audit Committee 
Based on our procedures, we identified no instances of inappropriate 
management override of the discounts either expensed or accrued in 
the financial statements.

Revenue

An overview of the scope of our audit
Tailoring the scope
Our assessment of audit risk, our evaluation of materiality and our 
allocation of performance materiality determine our audit scope 
for each entity within the Group. Taken together, this enables us 
to form an opinion on the consolidated financial statements. We 
take into account size, risk profile, the organisation of the Group 
and effectiveness of group-wide controls, changes in the business 
environment and other factors such as Internal audit results when 
assessing the level of work to be performed at each entity.

In assessing the risk of material misstatement to the Group financial 
statements, and to ensure we had adequate quantitative coverage 
of significant accounts in the financial statements, in addition to 
performing full scope audit procedures on the 2 Group level functions, 
we selected 6 components covering operations at GB, Ireland, France 
and Brazil business units within the Group.

Of the 6 components selected, we performed full audit procedures over 
the financial information of 5 components (“full scope components”) 
which were selected based on their size or risk characteristics. These 
components were the GB, Republic of Ireland, France and 2 Brazil 
operations. For 1 further operation, the Northern Ireland business 
(“specific scope component”), we performed audit procedures on 
specific accounts within that component that we considered had the 
potential for the greatest impact on the significant accounts in the 
financial statements either because of the size of these accounts or 
their risk profile. 

The reporting components where we performed full or specific scope 
audit procedures accounted for 106% (2018: 103%) of the Group’s 
adjusted profit before tax, 92% (2018: 92%) of the Group’s revenue 
and 92% (2018: 92%) of the Group’s total assets. A number of loss 
making components were not assigned a full or specific scope which 
results in our coverage of adjusted profit before tax exceeding 100%. 
For the current period:

•  the full scope components contributed 103% (2018: 100%) of  
the Group’s adjusted profit before tax, 90% (2018: 91%) of the 
Group’s revenue and 91% (2018: 91%) of the Group’s total assets;
•  the specific scope component contributed 3% (2018: 3%) of the 
Group’s adjusted profit before tax, 2% (2018: 1%) of the Group’s 
revenue and 1% (2018: 1%) of the Group’s total assets. The audit 
scope of this component did not include testing of all significant 
accounts of the component but has contributed to the coverage 
of significant accounts tested for the Group, including the key 
audit matters listed above. 

GB & Group Wide Functions (Full Scope) 

France (Full Scope) 

Brazil (Full Scope) 

Ireland (Full & Specific Scope) 

Other components  

61%

16%

8%

7%

8%

Adjusted Profit Before Tax

GB & Group Wide Functions (Full Scope) 

France (Full Scope) 

Brazil (Full Scope) 

Ireland (Full & Specific Scope) 

Other components  

86%

10%

4%

6%

-6%

Total Assets

GB & Group Wide Functions (Full Scope) 

France (Full Scope) 

Brazil (Full Scope) 

Ireland (Full & Specific Scope) 

Other components  

55%

18%

9%

10%

8%

82 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Changes from the prior period 
Our scoping remains unchanged from the prior period reflecting the 
fact that there were no significant changes within the Group.

Involvement with component teams 
In establishing our overall approach to the Group audit, we 
determined the type of work that needed to be undertaken at each 
of the components by us, as the primary audit engagement team, or 
by component auditors from other EY global network firms operating 
under our instruction. For the 3 components where the work was 
performed by component auditors, France and 2 components in Brazil, 
we determined the appropriate level of involvement to enable us to 
determine that sufficient audit evidence had been obtained as a basis 
for our opinion on the Group as a whole.

The primary team interacted regularly with component teams where 
appropriate during various stages of the audit process and through 
the review of planning and conclusion deliverables and other key 
working papers. 

The Senior Statutory Auditor leads the audit of all full and specific 
components within the GB and Ireland businesses, the review scope 
procedures performed in respect of the International businesses, in 
addition to the audit of the Group functions. These full and specific 
scope components represent 92% of the Group’s adjusted profit 
before tax, 68% of Group revenue and 66% of total assets. 

The Senior Statutory Auditor visited Brazil, meeting with local 
management and toured an operating site. Another group audit partner 
visited France, meeting with local management and attended the 
closing meeting in person. These visits included discussions with the 
component teams on audit strategy, risk identification and the results 
of audit procedures performed. 

Within GB and Ireland, the Senior Statutory Auditor visited the 
operating site in Rugby to see the Combined Heat and Power Plant and 
new production lines. This completes the planned cycle of visits to all 
GB operating sites in the last 18 months. Other members of the group 
audit team have visited selected operating sites during the period. 

Our application of materiality
We apply the concept of materiality in planning and performing the 
audit, in evaluating the effect of identified misstatements on the audit 
and in forming our audit opinion. 

Materiality
The magnitude of an omission or misstatement that, individually or in 
the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to influence the economic 
decisions of the users of the financial statements. Materiality provides 
a basis for determining the nature and extent of our audit procedures.

Starting basis

Profit before tax of £110m as per the 
Annual Report

Adjustments

Add adjusting items totalling £74m as per 
the Annual Report

Materiality

Represents approximately 5% of adjusted 
profit before tax

Performance materiality
The application of materiality at the individual account or balance 
level. It is set at an amount to reduce to an appropriately low level 
the probability that the aggregate of uncorrected and undetected 
misstatements exceeds materiality.

On the basis of our risk assessments, together with our assessment 
of the Group’s overall control environment, our judgement was that 
performance materiality was 50% (2018: 50%) of our planning 
materiality, being £4.6m (2018: £4.5m).

Audit work at component locations for the purpose of obtaining 
audit coverage over significant financial statement accounts is 
undertaken based on a percentage of total performance materiality. 
The performance materiality set for each component is based on the 
relative scale and risk of the component to the Group as a whole and 
our assessment of the risk of misstatement at that component. In the 
current period, the range of performance materiality allocated to 
components was £0.9m to £4.1m (2018: £0.9m to £3.9m). 

Reporting threshold
An amount below which identified misstatements are considered as 
being clearly trivial.

We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to them all 
uncorrected audit differences in excess of £0.5m (2018: £0.4m), which 
is set at 5% of planning materiality, as well as differences below that 
threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds.

We evaluate any uncorrected misstatements against both the 
quantitative measures of materiality discussed above and in light of 
other relevant qualitative considerations in forming our opinion.

We determined materiality for the Group to be £9.3 million (2018: 
£9.1 million), which is approximately 5% of adjusted profit before tax 
(2018: 5% of adjusted profit before tax). We believe that adjusted profit 
before tax is the most relevant measure of the underlying financial 
performance of the Group, as the primary metric used by stakeholders. 

Other information 
The other information comprises the information included in the annual 
report set out on pages 1 – 80, and 143 – 148, other than the financial 
statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The directors are 
responsible for the other information.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

83

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Independent Auditor’s Report to the members of Britvic plc continued

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other 
information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in this 
report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. 

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our 
responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, 
consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent 
with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit 
or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such 
material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are 
required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in 
the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other 
information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude 
that there is a material misstatement of the other information, we 
are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

In this context, we also have nothing to report in regard to our 
responsibility to specifically address the following items in the other 
information and to report any uncorrected material misstatements of 
the other information where we conclude that those items meet the 
following conditions:

•  Fair, balanced and understandable set out on page 79 – the 
statement given by the directors that they consider the annual 
report and financial statements taken as a whole is fair, balanced 
and understandable and provides the information necessary for 
shareholders to assess the Group’s performance, business model 
and strategy, is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained 
in the audit; or 

•  Audit committee reporting set out on pages 56 – 59– the section 
describing the work of the audit committee does not appropriately 
address matters communicated by us to the audit committee; or
•  Directors’ statement of compliance with the UK Corporate 

Governance Code set out on page 40 – the parts of the directors’ 
statement required under the Listing Rules relating to the company’s 
compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code containing 
provisions specified for review by the auditor in accordance with 
Listing Rule 9.8.10R(2) do not properly disclose a departure from  
a relevant provision of the UK Corporate Governance Code.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the 
Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, the part of the directors’ remuneration report to be 
audited has been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies 
Act 2006.

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of 
the audit:

•  the information given in the strategic report and the directors’ 

report for the financial period for which the financial statements are 
prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and 

•  the strategic report and the directors’ report have been prepared in 

accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and the 
parent company and its environment obtained in the course of the 
audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic 
report or the directors’ report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in 
relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you 
if, in our opinion:

•  adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent 

company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received 
from branches not visited by us; or

•  the parent company financial statements and the part of the 

Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited are not in agreement 
with the accounting records and returns; or

•  certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are 

not made; or

•  we have not received all the information and explanations we 

require for our audit.

Responsibilities of directors
As explained more fully in the directors’ responsibilities statement set 
out on page 79, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the 
financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and 
fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is 
necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are 
free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. 

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible 
for assessing the Group and parent company’s ability to continue as 
a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going 
concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the 
directors either intend to liquidate the Group or the parent company 
or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the 
financial statements 
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the 
financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, 
whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that 
includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance 
but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with 
ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. 
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered 
material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be 
expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the 
basis of these financial statements. 

84 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable 
of detecting irregularities, including fraud
The objectives of our audit, in respect to fraud, are; to identify and 
assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements 
due to fraud; to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding 
the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud, through 
designing and implementing appropriate responses; and to respond 
appropriately to fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. 
However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection 
of fraud rests with both those charged with governance of the entity 
and management. 

Our approach was as follows: 

This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, 
in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. 
Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the 
company’s members those matters we are required to state to them 
in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent 
permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone 
other than the company and the company’s members as a body, for 
our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. 

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial 
statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at 
https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms 
part of our auditor’s report.

Other matters we are required to address
•  We were appointed by the company at the AGM on 31 January 
2019 to audit the financial statements for the 52 week period 
ending 29 September 2019 and subsequent financial periods. 
The period of total uninterrupted engagements including previous 
renewals and reappointments since Britvic became a standalone 
entity upon its flotation is 14 years, covering the 52 week period 
ending 1 October 2006 to the 52 week period ending 29 
September 2019.

•  The non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard 

were not provided to the Group or the parent company during the 
52 week period ended 29 September 2019 and we remain 
independent of the Group and the parent company in conducting 
the audit. 

•  The audit opinion is consistent with the additional report to the 

audit committee

Christabel Cowling (Senior statutory auditor)
for and on behalf of Ernst & Young LLP, Statutory Auditor
Leeds
27 November 2019

Notes:

1. 

The maintenance and integrity of the Britvic Group plc web site is the responsibility of 
the directors; the work carried out by the auditor does not involve consideration of these 
matters and accordingly the auditors accept no responsibility for any changes that may 
have occurred to the financial statements since they were initially presented on 
the website.

2. 

Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of the 
financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

•  We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory 

frameworks that are applicable to the Group and determined 
that the most significant frameworks which are directly relevant 
to specific assertions in the financial statements are those that 
relate to the reporting framework (IFRS, FRS 101, the Companies 
Act 2006 and UK Corporate Governance Code) and the relevant 
tax compliance regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Group 
operates. In addition, we concluded that there are certain significant 
laws and regulations which may have an effect on the determination 
of the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements being 
the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority, and those laws and 
regulations relating to food safety, environmental, occupational 
health and safety and data protection. 

•  We understood how the Group is complying with those frameworks  

by making enquiries of management, internal audit and those 
responsible for legal and compliance procedures. We corroborated 
our enquiries through our review of board minutes, papers provided 
to the Audit Committee and any correspondence received from 
regulatory bodies.

•  We assessed the susceptibility of the Group’s financial statements 
to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur by 
meeting with management from various parts of the business to 
understand where it considered there was susceptibility to fraud. 
We also considered performance targets and their influence on 
efforts made by management to manage earnings or influence the 
perceptions of analysts. We considered the programs and controls 
that the Group has established to address risks identified, or that 
otherwise prevent, deter and detect fraud; and how senior 
management monitors those programs and controls. Where the 
risk was considered to be higher, we performed audit procedures 
to address each identified fraud risk. These procedures included 
testing manual journals and were designed to provide reasonable 
assurance that the financial statements were free from fraud 
or error.

•  Based on this understanding we designed our audit procedures to 
identify non-compliance with such laws and regulations identified  
in the paragraphs above. Our procedures involved: journal entry 
testing, with a focus on manual consolidation journals and journals 
indicating large or unusual transactions based on our understanding 
of the business; enquiries of legal counsel, group management, 
internal audit, divisional management and all full and specific scope 
management; and focused testing, as referred to in the key audit 
matters section above.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

85

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Consolidated income statement

Revenue

Cost of sales

Gross profit

Selling and distribution costs

Administration expenses

Other income

Assets held for sale – impairment charge

Operating profit 

Finance income 

Finance costs

Profit before tax 

Taxation

Profit for the period attributable to the equity shareholders

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share

All activities relate to continuing operations.

52 weeks 
ended 
29 September 
2019
 £m

52 weeks 
ended 
30 September 
2018 
£m

1,545.0

1,503.6

Note

5

(734.0)

811.0

(393.7)

(256.1)

–

(31.2)

130.0

1.0

(20.7)

110.3

(29.4)

80.9

(702.0)

801.6

(400.8)

(246.2)

11.5

–

166.1

1.0

(21.3)

145.8

(28.7)

117.1

30.6p

30.3p

44.4p

44.1p

6

6

6

9 

9 

10

11

11

86 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income/(expense)

Profit for the period attributable to the equity shareholders

Other comprehensive income/(expense):

Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss

Remeasurement gains on defined benefit pension plans

Current tax on additional pension contributions

Deferred tax on defined benefit pension plans

Deferred tax on other temporary differences

Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss

Losses in the period in respect of cash flow hedges

Amounts recycled to the income statement in respect of cash flow hedges

Current tax on cash flow hedges accounted for in the hedging reserve

Deferred tax in respect of cash flow hedges accounted for in the hedging reserve

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Tax on exchange differences accounted for in the translation reserve

Other comprehensive income/(expense) for the period, net of tax

Total comprehensive income for the period attributable to the equity shareholders

52 weeks 
ended 
29 September 
2019 
 £m

52 weeks 
ended 
 30 September 
2018 
 £m

Note

80.9

117.1

22

10a

10a

10a

25

25

10a

10a

25

10a

22.1

0.2

(4.2)

0.2

18.3

(18.7)

26.2

(0.2)

(1.3)

0.7

(0.2)

6.5

24.8

105.7

33.3

–

(5.5)

–

27.8

(2.6)

(0.4)

–

0.5

(35.1)

–

(37.6)

(9.8)

107.3

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

87

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Consolidated balance sheet

Assets
Non-current assets
Property, plant and equipment
Intangible assets
Other receivables
Derivative financial instruments
Deferred tax asset
Pension asset

Current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Current income tax receivables
Derivative financial instruments
Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

Total assets
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Contract liabilities – rebate accruals
Interest bearing loans and borrowings
Derivative financial instruments
Current income tax payable
Provisions
Other current liabilities

Liabilities held for sale

Non-current liabilities
Interest bearing loans and borrowings
Deferred tax liabilities
Pension liability
Derivative financial instruments
Provisions
Other non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Capital and reserves
Issued share capital
Share premium account
Own shares reserve
Other reserves
Retained earnings
Total equity

29 September 
2019 
£m

30 September 
2018 
 £m

Note

13
14

25
10f
22

16
17
10c
25
18

31

23a
23b
21
25
10c
26

31

21
10f
22
25
26

19

20

494.0
427.8
6.5
39.5
5.6
142.4
1,115.8

141.0
358.0
1.4
29.9
49.0
579.3
42.1
621.4
1,737.2

(412.4)
(98.7)
(166.3)
(0.7)
(4.6)
(4.1)
(2.5)
 (689.3)
(28.4)
(717.7)

(517.2)
(69.0)
(14.9)
(3.1)
(3.2)
(0.1)
(607.5)
(1,325.2)

519.8
439.5
7.7
40.5
5.6
96.3
1,109.4

144.5
356.8
2.3
37.9
109.5
651.0
–
651.0
1,760.4

(424.3)
(97.4)
(171.4)
(0.7)
(2.2)
(2.6)
(0.2)
(698.8)
–
(698.8)

(597.7)
(62.5)
(9.4)
(4.2)
(7.4)
(3.1)
(684.3)
(1,383.1)

412.0

377.3

53.1
145.5
(10.3)
99.4
124.3
412.0

52.9
139.1
(5.4)
92.9
97.8
377.3

The financial statements were approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue on 27 November 2019. They were signed on its behalf by:

Simon Litherland   

Joanne Wilson

88 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Consolidated statement of cash flows

Cash flows from operating activities

Profit before tax

Net finance costs

Other financial instruments

Impairment of property, plant and equipment

Reversal of impairment of property, plant and equipment

Impairment of assets held for sale

Reversal of impairment of intangible assets

Depreciation

Amortisation

Share based payments

Net pension charge less contributions

Decrease/(Increase) in inventory

Decrease/(Increase) in trade and other receivables

Increase in trade, other payables and contract liabilities

(Decrease)/increase in provisions

Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

Income tax paid

Net cash flows from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

Purchases of intangible assets

Interest received

Acquisition of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired

Net cash flows used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities

Interest paid, net of derivative financial instruments

Net movement on revolving credit facility

Other loans repaid

Repayment on finance leases

Partial repayment of private placement notes

Drawdown of 2018 private placement notes

Issue costs paid

Issue of shares relating to incentive schemes for employees

Purchase of own shares

Dividends paid to equity shareholders

Net cash flows used in financing activities

Net (decrease)/ increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 

Exchange rate differences

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

52 weeks 
ended 
 29 September 
2019 
£m

52 weeks 
ended 
 30 September 
2018
 £m

Note

9

13 

13

31

14

13

14

27

32

21

21

21

21

21

21

12

18

110.3

19.7

–

–

(3.8)

31.2

–

51.7

18.5

11.3

(16.4)

(7.8)

(20.7)

4.5

(1.6)

11.9

(23.7)

185.1

0.3

(67.4)

(7.4)

0.9

–

(73.6)

(21.0)

8.7

(0.3)

(0.9)

(77.0)

–

–

2.2

(8.4)

(75.6)

(172.3)

(60.8)

109.5

0.3

49.0

145.8

20.3

0.6

4.8

–

–

(11.5)

48.5

18.4

5.6

(22.1)

(3.3)

(44.9)

66.4

4.5

4.5

(30.8)

206.8

–

(136.3)

(7.3)

0.9

(38.4)

(181.1)

(22.0)

35.3

(0.7)

(1.1)

(54.9)

120.3

(0.4)

1.0

(3.1)

(71.7)

2.7

28.4

82.5

(1.4)

109.5

89

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Consolidated statement of changes in equity

At 1 October 2017

Profit for the period

Other comprehensive (expense)/income

Total comprehensive (expense)/income

Issue of shares relating to incentive schemes 
for employees

Own shares purchased for share schemes

Own shares utilised for share schemes

Movement in share based schemes

Current tax on share based payments

Payment of dividend

At 30 September 2018

Profit for the period

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income

Issue of shares relating to incentive schemes 
for employees

Own shares purchased for share schemes

Own shares utilised for share schemes

Movement in share based schemes

Current tax on share based payments

Deferred tax on share based payments

Payment of dividend

At 29 September 2019

10a

12

10a

10a

12

Note

Issued 
 share
capital 
£m

52.8

Share
premium 
account
£m

133.9

Own
shares
reserve
£m

(3.7)

Other
reserves
(note 20)
£m

130.5

Retained
 earnings/ 
(losses)
£m

25.8

 –

(37.6)

(37.6)

117.1

27.8

144.9

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.1

5.2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(4.4)

(5.2)

7.9

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

52.9

139.1

(5.4)

92.9

–

–

–

–

–

–

0.2

6.4

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(4.3)

(9.0)

8.4

–

–

–

–

 –

6.5

6.5

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

53.1

145.5

(10.3)

99.4

–

–

(7.1)

5.5

0.4

(71.7)

97.8

80.9

18.3

99.2

–

–

(7.5)

9.4

0.3

0.7

(75.6)

124.3

Total
£m

339.3

117.1

(9.8)

107.3

0.9

(5.2)

0.8

5.5

0.4

(71.7)

377.3

80.9

24.8

105.7

2.3

(9.0)

0.9

9.4

0.3

0.7

(75.6)

412.0

90 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

1. General information
Britvic plc (the ’company’) is a company incorporated in the United Kingdom under the Companies Act 2006. It is a public limited company 
domiciled in England & Wales and its ordinary shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange. Britvic plc and its subsidiaries (together 
the ‘Group’) operate in the soft drinks manufacturing and distribution industry, principally in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France 
and Brazil. The financial year represents the 52 weeks ended 29 September 2019 (prior financial year 52 weeks ended 30 September 2018).

The financial statements were authorised for issue by the board of directors on 27 November 2019.

2. Statement of compliance
The financial information has been prepared on the basis of applicable International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European 
Union (IFRS), as they apply to the financial statements of the Group.

3. Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis except where measurement of balances at fair value is 
required as explained below. The consolidated financial statements of the Group are presented in pounds sterling, which is also the functional 
currency of the company, and all values are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million except where otherwise indicated.

Going concern
The directors are confident that it is appropriate for the going concern basis to be adopted in preparing the financial statements. As at 
29 September 2019, the consolidated balance sheet is showing a net assets position of £412.0m (30 September 2018: net assets of £377.3m).

Group reserves are low due to the capital restructuring undertaken at the time of flotation. This does not impact on Britvic plc’s ability to make 
dividend payments.

The liquidity of the Group remains strong, the Group has a £400.0m bank facility, on which the Group had drawn down £67m as at 29 September 
2019, with a maturity date of November 2021, and £615.5m of private placement notes which have maturity dates between 2019 and 2033.

Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements of the Group incorporate the financial information of the company and the entities controlled by the 
company (its subsidiaries) in accordance with IFRS 10 ‘Consolidated financial statements’. Control is achieved when the company:

•  Has the power over the investee;
• 
•  Has the ability to use its power to affect its returns.

Is exposed, or has rights, to variable returns from its involvement with the investee; and

The financial statements of subsidiaries are prepared using consistent accounting policies. All intra-group transactions, balances, income and 
expenses are eliminated on consolidation. The results of subsidiary undertakings acquired in the year are included in the consolidated income 
statement from the date the Group gains control or up to the date control ceases respectively. 

New standards adopted in the current period
Initial adoption of IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments replaces IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement. This standard introduces new requirements 
in three areas: 

•  Classification and measurement: Financial assets are now classified based on the objective of the Group in holding the asset and the 

• 

contractual cash flows
Impairment: A new expected credit loss model is used for calculating impairment on financial assets. A loss event does not have to occur 
before credit losses are recognised

•  Hedge accounting: New general hedge accounting requirements allow hedge accounting based on the Group’s risk management policies 

rather than only prescribed scenarios. There is currently an option to defer the transition of hedge accounting under IFRS 9.

On 1 October 2018, the Group adopted IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’, which replaced IAS 39 ‘Financial Instruments: Recognition and 
Measurement’. As there was no material impact from the adoption of this standard, the Group has not restated the comparative information 
relating to prior years. 

Financial assets principally relate to trade and other receivables, which are initially measured at the transaction price as determined under IFRS 
15. These are then subsequently measured at amortised costs, as are prepayments and accrued income. The classification and measurement 
requirements of IFRS 9 did not have a significant impact on the Group, as the Group continued measuring all financial assets previously held at fair 
value under IAS 39 at fair value. The adoption of IFRS 9 has had no impact on the Group’s accounting for impairment losses for financial assets, 
as the replacement of IAS 39’s incurred loss approach with the forward-looking expected credit loss (ECL) approach had no net impact. 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

91

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Financial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

3. Accounting policies continued
Financial liabilities principally relate to trade and other payables, bank loans, accruals and deferred income. Under IFRS 9, debt instruments are 
subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss, amortised cost, or fair value through OCI. The Group’s financial liabilities are measured 
at fair value, with the bank loans being net of attributable transaction costs. 

IFRS 9 Impairment
The IFRS 9 impairment model is applicable to the Group’s financial assets including trade receivables and other receivables as described in note 
17. As the majority of the relevant balances are trade receivables to which the simplified model applies, this disclosure focuses on these balances.

For trade receivables the Group applies a simplified approach in calculating ECLs. Therefore, the Group does not track changes in credit risk, but 
instead recognises a loss allowance based on lifetime ECLs at each reporting date. The Group has established a provision matrix that is based on 
its historical credit loss experience, adjusted for forward-looking factors specific to the debtors and the economic environment.

The provision for credit losses for trade receivables is based on an expected credit loss model that calculates the expected loss applicable to the 
receivable balance over its lifetime. This is determined by a number of factors including; the nature of the customer, the payment method selected 
and where relevant, the sector in which they operate. The characteristics used to determine the groupings of receivables are the factors that have 
the greatest impact on the likelihood of default. 

Sensitivity to changes in assumptions
The most significant assumption included within the expected credit loss provisioning model that gives rise to estimation uncertainty is that future 
performance will be reflective of past performance and there will be no significant change in the payment profile or recovery rates within each 
identified Group of receivables. To address this risk, the Group reviews and updates default rates, by customer group, on a regular basis to ensure 
they incorporate the most up to date assumptions along with forward-looking information where available and relevant. The Group also considers 
regulatory changes and customer segment specific factors that may have an impact, now or in the future, on recoverability of the balance. While 
forward-looking information is usually considered to be immaterial, the exception to this could be the forecast occurrence of a significant one-off 
event. The Group does not believe that Brexit will have a material impact on the outstanding receivables balance.

Hedge accounting: The Group has decided to continue to account for hedging relationships under IAS 39 ‘Financial instruments: recognition and 
measurement’ and will review when to adopt the hedge accounting for IFRS 9 at a future date. On adoption there is not expected to be any 
material change in hedge accounting for the Group. 

Revenue recognition
The Group recognises revenue from the sale of soft drinks to the wholesale market. Revenue is recognised when control of the goods has 
transferred, being when the goods have been shipped to the customer. Following delivery, which is determined to be the time of shipment, the 
customer has full discretion over the manner of distribution and price to sell the goods, has the primary responsibility when on selling the goods  
and bears the risks of obsolescence and loss in relation to the goods. A receivable is recognised by the Group when the goods are delivered to the 
customer as this represents the point in time at which the right to consideration becomes unconditional, as only the passage of time is required 
before payment is due.

Revenue is the value of sales, excluding transactions with or between subsidiaries, after the deduction of sales related discounts and rebates, 
value added tax and other sales related taxes. Rebates to customers are deducted from revenue where the amounts paid are sales related or in 
relation to a good or service which results in an increase in sales in the customer’s outlet and therefore is not distinct from the sale of soft drinks 
to the customer and comprise: 

Long term discounts and rebates 
These discounts are typically for months rather than weeks and are usually part of the trading terms agreed with the customer. Long term 
discounts fall into three main categories:

•  Fixed – a defined amount over a period of time
•  Pence per litre/case – a pence per litre/case rebate, based upon volumes sold
•  % of Net Revenue – a percentage of Net Revenue, which may have associated hurdle rates

Short term promotional discounts
Promotional discounts consist of many individual rebates across numerous customers and represents the cost to the Group of short term deal 
mechanics. The common deals typically include BOGOFs, 3 For 2, and Half Price deals. 

Account development fund
The account development fund represents customer promotional activity which promotes Britvic’s products in the customer’s outlets. The Group agrees 
to pay the customer various amounts as part of the trading investment. Where these amounts are payable in relation to a good or service which result in 
an increase in sales in the customer’s store only, e.g. in-store promotional activity, management has concluded that this is not distinct, and it is accounted 
for as a reduction in revenue. Where these amounts are payable in relation to a good or service which result in an increase in group sales more broadly, 
e.g. participation in tradeshows or market research, management has concluded that the payment is for a distinct good or service. Where amounts paid 
to customers are deemed to be for a distinct service these are included as selling and distribution costs in the income statement.

92 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

3. Accounting policies continued
Variable consideration
The Group agrees to pay customers various amounts either in the form of sales related rebates and discounts earned or as part of the trading 
investment (e.g. sales driving investment, growth over-rider investment, incentives for purchasing full loads, payment for new store openings, 
payment for listing new products). 

Where the consideration, the Group is entitled to, will vary because of a rebate, refund incentive or price concession or similar item; or is 
contingent on the occurrence or non-occurrence of a future event, e.g. the customer meeting certain agreed criteria, the amount payable is 
deemed to be variable consideration. 

The Group uses the most likely method to reflect the consideration that the Group is entitled to. Variable consideration is then only included to the 
extent that it is highly probable that the inclusion will not result in a significant revenue reversal in the future. Accruals are made for each individual 
promotion or rebate based on the specific terms and conditions of the customer agreement. Management make estimates on an ongoing basis to 
assess customer performance and sales volume to calculate total amounts earned to be recorded as deductions from revenue. 

Contract liabilities
Contract liabilities are recognised where, as part of a contract with a customer, the Group has received consideration where the Group will either 
need to return that consideration or deliver future services and goods in respect of this consideration. 

Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses. Cost comprises the aggregate amount 
paid and the fair value of any other consideration given to acquire the asset and includes costs directly attributable to making the asset capable of 
operating as intended.

Assets under construction are carried at cost. Depreciation of these assets commences when they are ready for use.

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value, on a straight-line basis, over the useful 
economic life of that asset as follows:

Plant and machinery 
Vehicles (included in plant and machinery) 
Equipment in retail outlets (included in fixtures, fittings, tools and equipment) 
Other fixtures and fittings (included in fixtures, fittings, tools and equipment) 

3 to 20 years
5 to 7 years 
5 to 10 years 
3 to 15 years

Land is not depreciated.

Freehold properties are depreciated over 50 years.

Leasehold properties are depreciated over 50 years, or over the unexpired lease term when this is less than 50 years.

An item of property, plant and equipment is derecognised upon disposal or when no future economic benefits are expected to arise from the 
continued use of the asset. Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing proceeds with carrying amount, and are included in 
the consolidated income statement in the period of derecognition.

The carrying values of property, plant and equipment are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying 
value may not be recoverable and are written down immediately to their recoverable amount. Useful lives and residual amounts are reviewed 
annually and where adjustments are required these are made prospectively.

Business combinations and goodwill
While the original acquisition of Britannia Soft Drinks Limited was accounted for under the merger method, business combinations on or after 
4 October 2004 have been accounted for under IFRS 3 ‘Business Combinations’ using the acquisition method. The consideration transferred 
in a business combination is measured at fair value which includes recording deferred consideration at discounted values where the impact 
of discounting is material.

On acquisition, the assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities of a subsidiary are measured at their fair values at the date of acquisition. Any excess of the 
cost of acquisition over the fair values of the identifiable net assets acquired is recognised as goodwill. Any deficiency of the cost of acquisition below the 
fair values of the identifiable net assets acquired (discount on acquisition) is credited to the consolidated income statement in the period of acquisition.

After initial recognition, goodwill is measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill 
acquired in a business combination is, from the acquisition date, allocated to each of the Group’s cash-generating units that are expected to 
benefit from the combination, irrespective of whether other assets or liabilities of the acquiree are assigned to those units.

Where goodwill has been allocated to a cash-generating unit (CGU) and part of the operation within that unit is disposed of, the goodwill associated 
with the disposed operation is included in the carrying amount of the operation when determining the gain or loss on disposal. Goodwill disposed in 
these circumstances is measured based on the relative values of the disposed operation and the portion of the cash-generating unit retained.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

93

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

3. Accounting policies continued
Intangible assets
Software costs
Software expenditure is recognised as an intangible asset only after its technical feasibility and commercial viability can be demonstrated. 
Acquired computer software licences and software developed in-house are capitalised on the basis of the costs incurred to acquire and bring 
to use the specific software. Costs include resources focussed on delivery of capital projects where the choice has been made to use internal 
resources rather than external resources. These costs are amortised over their estimated useful lives of three to seven years on a straight line basis.

Trademarks, franchise rights and customer lists
Intangible assets acquired separately are measured on initial recognition at the fair value of consideration paid. Following initial recognition, 
intangible assets are carried at cost less any accumulated amortisation or impairment losses. An intangible asset acquired as part of a business 
combination is recognised outside goodwill, at fair value at the date of acquisition, if the asset is separable or arises from contractual or other legal 
rights and its fair value can be measured reliably.

The useful lives of intangible assets are assessed to be either finite or indefinite. Amortisation is charged on assets with finite lives on a straight-
line basis over a period appropriate to the asset’s useful life.

The carrying values of intangible assets with finite and indefinite lives are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances 
indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.

Intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are also tested for impairment annually either individually or, if the intangible asset does not generate 
cash flows that are largely independent of those from other assets or groups of assets, as part of the cash generating unit to which it belongs. 

Such intangibles are not amortised. The useful life of an intangible asset with an indefinite life is reviewed annually to determine whether an indefinite 
life assessment continues to be supportable. If not, the change in the useful life assessment from indefinite to finite is made on a prospective basis.

Research and development
Research costs are expensed as incurred. Development expenditure is recognised as an intangible asset when the Group can demonstrate:

•  The technical feasibility of completing the intangible asset so that the asset will be available for use
• 
Its intention to complete and its ability to use the asset
•  How the asset will generate future economic benefits
•  The availability of resources to complete the asset
•  The ability to measure reliably the expenditure during development
•  The ability to use the intangible asset generated

Following initial recognition of development expenditure as an asset, the asset is carried at cost less any accumulated amortisation and 
accumulated impairment losses. Amortisation of the asset begins when development is complete and available for use. It is amortised over 
the period of expected future benefit. During the period of development, the asset is tested for impairment annually.

Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets
Goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets are reviewed for impairment at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate 
that the carrying value may be impaired. For all remaining intangible assets the Group assesses at each reporting date whether there is an indication 
that an asset may be impaired. Where impairment testing for an asset is required, the Group makes an estimate of the asset’s recoverable amount or 
the recoverable amount of the Cash Generating Unit (“CGU”) to which the asset belongs if it does not generate largely independent cash flows.

An asset’s recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell and its value in use and is determined for an individual asset, 
unless the asset does not generate cash inflows that are largely independent of those from other assets or groups of assets. Where the carrying 
amount of an asset exceeds its recoverable amount, the asset is considered impaired and is written down to its recoverable amount. In assessing 
value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects senior management’s 
estimate of the cost of capital. Impairment losses of continuing operations are recognised in the consolidated income statement in those expense 
categories consistent with the function of the impaired asset.

An assessment is made at each reporting date as to whether there is any indication that previously recognised impairment losses may no longer 
exist or may have decreased. If such an indication exists, the recoverable amount is estimated. A previously recognised impairment loss is 
reversed only if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the asset’s recoverable amount since the last impairment loss was 
recognised. If that is the case the carrying amount of the asset is increased to its recoverable amount. That increased amount cannot exceed the 
carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation, had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset in prior years. 
Goodwill impairment losses cannot subsequently be reversed.

Inventories and work in progress
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and 
those overheads that have been incurred in bringing inventories to their present location and condition. Cost is determined using the weighted 
average cost method. Net realisable value represents the estimated selling price less all estimated costs of completion and costs to be incurred 
in marketing, selling and distribution.

94 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

3. Accounting policies continued
Financial assets
The Group determines the classification of its financial assets at initial recognition. When financial assets are recognised initially, they are measured at 
fair value, which is normally the transaction price, plus directly attributable transaction costs for those financial assets not subsequently measured at 
fair value through profit or loss. The Group assesses at each reporting date whether a financial asset or group of financial assets is impaired.

Loans and receivables
The Group has financial assets that are classified as loans and receivables. Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or 
determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market, do not qualify as trading assets and have not been designated as either fair value 
through profit or loss or available for sale. Such assets are carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method if the time value of money 
is significant. Gains and losses are recognised in the consolidated income statement when loans and receivables are derecognised or impaired.

Provision for expected credit losses of trade receivables 
Trade receivables, which generally have 30-90 day terms, are recognised at the lower of their original invoiced value and recoverable amount.

Provision is made for Expected Credit Losses (ECL) when collection of the full amount is no longer considered probable. Balances are written off when 
the probability of recovery is assessed as being remote. The provision rates are based on days past due and based on the Group’s historical observed 
default rates. At every reporting date, the historical observed default rates are updated and changes in the forward-looking estimates are analysed.

The assessment of the correlation between historical observed default rates, forecast economic conditions and ECLs is a significant estimate. 
The amount of ECLs is sensitive to changes in circumstances and of forecast economic conditions. 

The information about the ECLs on the Group’s trade receivables and contract assets is disclosed in Note 17.

Supplier financing arrangements 
Management reviews supplier financing agreements to determine the appropriate presentation of balances outstanding as trade payables or 
borrowings, dependent on the nature of each arrangement. Factors considered in determining the appropriate presentation, impact on the Groups 
working capital positions, credit enhancement or other benefits provided. 

Balances outstanding under current supplier financing arrangements are classified as accounts payables. 

Fair value
The Group measures financial instruments, such as derivatives, at fair value at each balance sheet date.

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the 
measurement date. The fair value measurement is based on the presumption that the transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability takes place either:

• 
• 

In the principal market for the asset or liability; or
In the absence of a principal market, in the most advantageous market for the asset or liability.

The fair value of an asset or liability is measured using the assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, 
assuming that market participants act in their best economic interest.

The Group uses valuation techniques that are appropriate in the circumstance and for which sufficient data is available to measure fair value, 
maximising the use of relevant observable inputs and minimising the use of unobservable inputs.

All assets and liabilities for which fair value is measured or disclosed in the financial statements are categorised within the fair value hierarchy, 
described as follows, based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement as a whole:

Level 1: 
Level 2: 
Level 3: 

 quoted (unadjusted) prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
 other techniques for which all inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value are observable, either directly or indirectly. 
 techniques which use inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value that are not based on observable market data.

For assets and liabilities that are recognised in the financial statements on a recurring basis, the Group determines whether transfers have 
occurred between levels in the hierarchy by re-assessing categorisation at the end of each reporting period.

Derivative financial instruments and hedging
The Group uses derivative financial instruments such as forward currency contracts and interest rate swaps to hedge its risks associated with 
foreign currency and interest rate fluctuations. All derivative financial instruments are initially recognised and subsequently remeasured at fair 
value. Derivatives are carried as assets when the fair value is positive and as liabilities when the fair value is negative.

The fair value of forward currency contracts is calculated by reference to current forward exchange rates for contracts with similar maturity 
profiles. The fair value of interest rate swap contracts is determined by reference to market values for similar instruments.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

95

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

3. Accounting policies continued
For those derivatives designated as hedges and for which hedge accounting is appropriate, the hedging relationship is documented at its 
inception. This documentation identifies the hedging instrument, the hedged item or transaction, the nature of the risk being hedged and how 
effectiveness will be measured throughout its duration. Such hedges are expected at inception to be highly effective.

Any gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value of derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are taken to the consolidated 
income statement. The treatment of gains and losses arising from revaluing derivatives designated as hedging instruments depends on the nature 
of the hedging relationship, as follows:

Cash flow hedges
Hedges are classified as cash flow hedges when hedging exposure to variability in cash flows that is either attributable to a particular risk associated with 
a recognised asset or liability or a highly probable forecast transaction. For cash flow hedges, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the hedging 
instrument is recognised in other comprehensive income, while the ineffective portion is recognised in the consolidated income statement. Amounts 
previously recognised in other comprehensive income are transferred to the consolidated income statement in the period in which the hedged item 
affects profit or loss, such as when a forecast sale occurs. However, when the forecast transaction results in the recognition of a non-financial asset or 
liability, the amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income are included in the initial carrying amount of the asset or liability.

If a forecast transaction is no longer expected to occur, amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income are transferred to the 
consolidated income statement. If the hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised without replacement or rollover, or if its designation 
as a hedge is revoked, amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income remain in equity until the forecast transaction occurs and are then 
transferred to the consolidated income statement or included in the initial carrying amount of a non-financial asset or liability as above.

Net investment hedges
Financial instruments are classified as net investment hedges when they hedge the Group’s net investment in foreign operations. Some of the 
Group’s foreign currency borrowings qualify as hedging instruments that hedge foreign currency net investment balances. The effective portion 
of gains or losses on translation of borrowings designated as net investment hedges is recognised in other comprehensive income. Any 
ineffective portion is recognised immediately in the consolidated income statement. Upon disposal of the associated investment in foreign 
operations any cumulative gain or loss previously recognised in other comprehensive income is recycled through the consolidated 
income statement.

Fair value hedges
Hedges of the change in fair value of recognised assets or liabilities are classified as fair value hedges. For fair value hedges, the gain or loss 
on the fair value of the hedging instrument is recognised in the consolidated income statement. The gain or loss on the hedged item attributable 
to the hedged risk adjusts the carrying amount of the hedged item and is also recognised in the consolidated income statement. If the hedge 
relationship no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, the hedged item would no longer be adjusted and the cumulative adjustment to 
its carrying amount would be amortised to the consolidated income statement based on a recalculated effective interest rate. The fair value gain 
or loss on the hedging instrument would continue to be recorded in the consolidated income statement.

Derecognition of financial instruments
The derecognition of a financial asset takes place when the contractual rights to the cash flows expire, or when the contractual rights to the cash 
flows have either been transferred or an obligation has been assumed to pass them through to a third party and the Group does not retain 
substantially all the risks and rewards of the asset.

Financial liabilities are only derecognised when they are extinguished, that is, when the obligation is discharged, cancelled or expires. 

Share-based payments
The cost of equity-settled transactions with employees is measured by reference to the fair value at the date at which they are granted. Fair value 
is determined by an external valuer using an appropriate pricing model. In valuing equity-settled transactions, no account is taken of any 
performance conditions, other than conditions linked to the price of the shares (‘market conditions’).

The cost of equity-settled transactions is recognised, together with a corresponding increase in equity, over the period in which the performance 
conditions are fulfilled, ending on the date on which the relevant employees become fully entitled to the award (‘vesting date’). The cumulative 
expense recognised for equity-settled transactions at each reporting date until the vesting date reflects the extent to which the vesting period 
has expired and the number of equity instruments that, in the opinion of the Directors and based on the best available estimate at that date, will 
ultimately vest (or in the case of an instrument subject to a market condition, be treated as vesting as described below). The consolidated income 
statement charge or credit for a period represents the movement in cumulative expense recognised as at the beginning and end of that period.

No expense is recognised for awards that do not ultimately vest, except for awards where vesting is conditional upon a market condition, which 
are treated as vesting irrespective of whether or not the market condition is satisfied, provided that all other performance conditions are satisfied.

Taxation
The current income tax expense is based on taxable profits for the period, after any adjustments in respect of prior periods. It is calculated using 
taxation rates enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date and is measured at the amount expected to be recovered from or paid 
to the taxation authorities.

96 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

3. Accounting policies continued
Provision is made for deferred tax liabilities, or credit taken for deferred tax assets, on all material temporary differences between the tax base of 
assets and liabilities and their carrying values in the consolidated financial statements.

The principal temporary differences arise from accelerated capital allowances, intangible assets, provisions for pensions and other post-retirement 
benefits, provisions for share-based payments and unutilised losses incurred in overseas jurisdictions.

Deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is regarded as probable that future taxable profits will be available against which the 
temporary differences can be utilised.

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the periods in which the asset or liability will be settled based on the tax 
rates enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.

Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of past events; it is probable that an outflow 
of resources will be required to settle the obligation; and the amount can be reliably estimated. Provisions are not recognised for future 
operating losses.

Provisions are measured at the present value of the expenditures expected to be required to settle the obligation using a pre-tax rate that reflects 
current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the obligation. The increase in the provision due to passage of 
time is recognised as a finance cost.

Pensions and post retirement benefits
The Group operates a number of pension schemes. These include both defined benefit and defined contribution plans.

Defined benefit plans
The defined benefit pension liability or asset in the balance sheet comprises the total for each plan of the present value of the defined benefit 
obligation less the fair value of plan assets out of which the obligations are to be settled directly. The cost of providing benefits is determined using 
the projected unit credit method, with actuarial valuations being carried out at the end of each reporting period. Remeasurement, comprising actuarial 
gains and losses, the effect of the asset ceiling and the return on plan assets (excluding interest), is reflected immediately in the statement of financial 
position with a charge or credit recognised in other comprehensive income in the period in which they occur. Remeasurement recognised in other 
comprehensive income is reflected immediately in retained earnings and will not be reclassified to profit or loss.

Past service cost is recognised in the consolidated income statement in the period of a plan amendment. Net interest is calculated by applying 
the discount rate at the beginning of the period to the net defined benefit liability or asset.

Defined benefit costs are categorised as follows:

•  Service cost (including current service cost, past service cost, as well as gains and losses on curtailments and settlements);
•  Net interest expense or income; and
•  Remeasurement.

The retirement benefit obligation recognised in the consolidated balance sheet represents the deficit or surplus in the Group’s defined benefit 
plans. Any surplus resulting from this calculation is limited to the present value of any economic benefits available in the form of refunds from 
the plans or reductions in future contributions to the plans.

Defined contribution plans
Under defined contribution plans, contributions payable for the period are charged to the consolidated income statement as an operating expense.

Employee benefits
Wages, salaries, bonuses and paid annual leave are accrued in the period in which the associated services are rendered by the employees of the Group.

Leases
Leases in which substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the leased asset are retained by the lessor are classified as operating 
leases by the Group. Leases in which the Group assumes substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as finance leases.

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to income on a straight-line basis over the term of the relevant lease. Any lease incentives 
received are credited to the consolidated income statement on a straight-line basis over the term of the leases to which they relate.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents includes cash in hand, on demand deposits with banks and other short-term, highly liquid investments with original 
maturities of three months or less, which are readily convertible into known amounts of cash and subject to insignificant risk of changes in value. 
For the purposes of the statement of cash flows, bank overdrafts repayable on demand are a component of cash and cash equivalents.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

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Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

3. Accounting policies continued
Interest bearing loans and borrowings
Interest bearing loans and borrowings are initially recognised in the balance sheet at fair value less directly attributable transaction costs and are 
subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method.

Gains and losses arising on the repurchase, settlement or other cancellation of liabilities are recognised respectively in finance income and 
finance cost.

On a refinancing any unamortised financing charges are accelerated through the consolidated income statement. 

Foreign currencies
Functional and presentation currency
The consolidated financial statements of the Group are presented in pounds sterling. The presentation currency of the consolidated financial 
statements is the same as the functional currency of the company. For each entity the Group determines the functional currency and items, 
included in the financial statements of each entity, are measured using that functional currency.

Transactions and balances
Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in 
foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. All differences are taken to the consolidated income 
statement, except when hedge accounting is applied and for differences in monetary assets and liabilities that form part of the Group’s net 
investment in a foreign operation. These are taken in other comprehensive income until the disposal of the net investment, at which time they 
are recognised in the consolidated income statement.

Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates at the date of the 
initial transaction. Non-monetary items measured at fair value in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates at the date when the 
fair value is determined. The gain or loss arising on translation of non-monetary items measured at fair value is treated in line with the recognition 
of the gain or loss on the change in fair value of the item (i.e. translation differences on items whose fair value gain or loss is recognised in OCI or 
profit or loss are also recognised in OCI or profit or loss, respectively).

Foreign operations
The consolidated income statement and statement of cash flows of foreign operations are translated at the average rate of exchange during the period. 
The balance sheet is translated at the rate ruling at the reporting date. Exchange differences arising on opening net assets and arising on the translation 
of results at an average rate compared to a closing rate are both recognised in other comprehensive income. On disposal of a foreign operation, the 
accumulated exchange differences previously recognised in other comprehensive income are included in the consolidated income statement.

Certain of the Group’s financial instruments are classified as net investment hedges when they hedge the Group’s net investment in foreign 
operations. See derivative financial instruments and hedging policy for further detail.

Issued share capital
Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of new shares or options are shown in equity as 
a deduction, net of tax, from the proceeds.

Own shares
The cost of own shares held in employee share trusts and in treasury is deducted from shareholders’ equity until the shares are cancelled, 
reissued or disposed. Where such shares are subsequently sold or reissued, the fair value of any consideration received is also included in 
shareholders’ equity.

Assets held for sale 
The Group classifies non-current assets as held for sale if their carrying amounts will be recovered principally through a sale transaction rather 
than through continuing use. Non-current assets classified as held for sale are measured at the lower of their carrying amount and fair value less 
costs to sell. Costs to sell are the incremental costs directly attributable to the disposal of an asset (disposal group), excluding finance costs and 
income tax expense.

The criteria for held for sale classification is regarded as met only when the sale is highly probable and the asset or disposal group is available for 
immediate sale in its present condition. Actions required to complete the sale should indicate that it is unlikely that significant changes to the sale 
will be made or that the decision to sell will be withdrawn. Management must be committed to the plan to sell the asset and the sale expected to 
be completed within one year from the date of the classification.

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets are not depreciated or amortised once classified as held for sale.

Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale are presented separately as current items in the statement of financial position.

Additional disclosures are provided in Note 31. 

98 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

3. Accounting policies continued
New standards and interpretations not applied
The Group has not applied the following IFRSs, which may be applicable to the Group, that have been issued (although in some cases not yet 
adopted by the EU) but are not yet effective:

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

IFRS 16

IFRS 17

IFRIC 23

Leases

Insurance Contracts

Uncertainty over income tax treatments

Effective date 
– periods 
commencing on 
or after

1 January 2019

1 January 2020

1 January 2019

The Group does not expect IFRS 17 to have a material impact on the financial statements. The impact of adopting IFRS 16 Leases has been 
included below:

IFRS 16 Leases
IFRS 16 ‘Leases’ is effective for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019 and will replace IAS 17 ‘Leases’. It will eliminate the 
classification of leases as either operating leases or finance leases for the lessee and, instead, introduce a single lessee accounting model. Lessor 
accounting under IFRS 16 is substantially unchanged from today’s accounting under IAS 17. 

In summary, IFRS 16 seeks to align the presentation of leased assets more closely to owned assets. In doing so, a right of use asset and lease 
liability are brought on to the balance sheet, with the lease liability recognised at the present value of future lease payments. The Group intends to 
adopt the new standard as of 30 September 2019 and will apply the modified retrospective transition approach and will not restate 
comparative amounts.

The Group will use the exemptions allowed by the standard and will not recognise a right of use an asset and a lease liability for those lease contracts for 
which the lease terms ends within 12 months from the date of initial application and for those lease contracts for which the underlying assets is 
low value.

From an income statement perspective, the IAS 17 operating lease charge is replaced by depreciation and interest. IFRS 16 therefore results in 
an immaterial impact to operating profit, which is reported prior to interest being deducted. Whilst depreciation reduces on a straight-line basis, 
interest is charged on outstanding lease liabilities and therefore for any given lease, interest is higher in the earlier years and decreases over time. 
As a result, the impact on the income statement below operating profit is highly dependent on average lease maturity. 

The headline impacts of IFRS 16 can be summarised as follows:

•  Operating lease rental charges for those leases accounted for under IFRS 16 are replaced by depreciation and finance costs. The impact 

on profit before tax and operating profit is not expected to be material.

•  The Group Balance Sheet will recognise a lease liability in the region of £45m-£50m and a right of use an asset of in the region of £45m-£50m 

as of 30 September 2019. 

IFRIC 23 Uncertainty over income tax treatments
The new standard came in to effect on or after 1 January 2019. The interpretation clarifies application of recognition and measurement 
requirements in IAS 12 Income Taxes. The Group is currently assessing the impact of IFRIC 23. The standard is effective for the Group for the 
period commencing 30 September 2019. 

4. Key judgements and estimates
The preparation of financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported 
for assets and liabilities as at the balance sheet date and the amounts reported for revenues and expenses during the year. However, the nature of 
estimation means that the actual outcomes could differ from those estimates. In the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies, management 
has made the following judgements and estimates which have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements.

Judgements
Franchise rights
Franchise rights represent franchise agreements acquired as part of the Britvic Ireland business combination which provides long term rights 
to distribute certain soft drinks. These agreements were allocated a 35 year useful economic life at the time of acquisition based on a third party 
assessment. As at 29 September 2019 these intangible assets have a remaining useful life of 23 years. The franchise agreement itself has a 
remaining contract life of 6 years which is less than the useful economic life. The useful economic life has been determined on the basis that 
the renewal of the franchise agreements, without significant cost, is highly probable. Evidence to support this conclusion is:

•  Significant emphasis on maintaining a strong relationship with Pepsi, strengthened through the addition of PepsiCo products to Britvic’s 

portfolio in recent years;

•  Lack of alternative suppliers; and
•  High barriers of entry to the Irish soft drinks bottling market.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

99

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

4. Key judgements and estimates continued
Intangible assets with indefinite lives
Management has made a judgement that certain intangible assets relating to brands have indefinite lives.

It is expected that the trademarks with indefinite lives will be held and supported for an indefinite period of time and are expected to generate 
economic benefits. The Group is committed to supporting its trademarks and invests in significant consumer marketing promotional spend. 

Assets held for sale
On 12 November 2019, the Board of Directors announced its decision to enter into an exclusive discussion with Refresco over the potential sale 
by Britvic of its three juice manufacturing sites in France, its private label juice business, and the Fruité brand. Transactions relating to the sale are 
classified as a disposal group held for sale. The Board considered the transaction to meet the criteria to be classified as held for sale at that date 
for the following reasons:

•  The assets are available for immediate sale and can be sold to the buyer in its current condition
•  The actions to complete the sale were initiated and expected to be completed within one year from the date of initial classification
•  A potential buyer has been identified and negotiations as at the reporting date are at an advanced stage

Management have applied judgement around the future costs to sell and the allocation of goodwill to the business sold. 

For more details on the asset held for sale, refer to Note 31.

Estimates
Post-retirement benefits
The determination of the pension and other post-retirement benefits cost and obligation is based on assumptions determined with independent 
actuarial advice. The assumptions include discount rate, inflation, pension and salary increases, expected return on scheme assets, mortality and 
other demographic assumptions. These key assumptions are disclosed in note 22.

Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives
Determining whether goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives are impaired requires an estimation of the value in use of the cash generating 
units to which the goodwill/intangible asset has been allocated. The value in use calculation requires an estimate of the future cash flows expected to 
arise from the cash-generating unit and a suitable discount rate in order to calculate present value. Further details are given in note 15.

5. Segmental reporting
Operating segments are reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the chief operating decision-maker. The chief 
operating decision-maker, who is responsible for allocating resources and assessing performance of the operating segments, has been identified 
as the board of directors of the company.

For management purposes, the Group is organised into business units and has six reportable segments as follows:

Ireland – Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

•  GB stills – United Kingdom excluding Northern Ireland
•  GB carbs – United Kingdom excluding Northern Ireland
• 
•  France
•  Brazil
• 

International

These business units sell soft drinks into their respective markets.

Management monitors the operating results of its business units separately for the purpose of making decisions about resource allocation and 
performance assessment. Segment performance is evaluated based on brand contribution. This is defined as revenue less material costs and 
all other marginal costs that management considers to be directly attributable to the sale of a given product. Such costs include brand specific 
advertising and promotion costs, raw materials and marginal production and distribution costs. However, group financing (including finance costs) 
and income taxes are managed on a Group basis and are not allocated to reportable segments. 

100 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

5. Segmental reporting continued
Transfer prices between reportable segments are on an arm’s length basis in a manner similar to transactions with third parties.

52 weeks ended  
29 September 2019

Revenue from 
external customers

Brand contribution

Non-brand advertising & 
promotion*

Fixed supply chain**

Selling costs**

Overheads and other costs*

Adjusted operating profit

Net finance costs

Adjusting items***

Profit before tax

GB stills 
£m 

GB carbs
 £m

Total GB 
£m

 Ireland 
 £m 

France 
 £m 

International 
£m

281.8

120.5

663.6

259.0

945.4

379.5

175.8

52.0

244.9

80.0

54.1

11.3

Brazil 
 £m

124.8

28.3

 Total 
£m

1,545.0

551.1

(10.5)

(108.0)

(83.0)

(135.5)

214.1

(19.2)

(84.6)

110.3

* 

Included within ‘administration expenses’ in the consolidated income statement. ‘Overheads and other costs’ relate to central expenses including salaries, IT maintenance, depreciation 
and amortisation. 

** 

Included within ‘selling and distribution costs’ in the consolidated income statement.

***   See Non-GAAP reconciliations for further details on adjusting items on page 146.

52 weeks ended  
30 September 2018

Revenue from 
external customers

Brand contribution

Non-brand advertising & 
promotion*

Fixed supply chain**

Selling costs**

Overheads and other costs*

Adjusted operating profit

Net finance costs

Adjusting items***

Profit before tax

GB stills 
£m 

GB carbs 
£m

Total GB
 £m

 Ireland 
£m 

France 
£m 

International 
£m

280.7

116.6

610.6

251.7

891.3

368.3

174.0

57.1

269.2

81.4

49.0

10.2

Brazil 
£m

120.1

24.8

 Total 
 £m

1,503.6

541.8

(11.2)

(113.7)

(79.5)

(131.4)

206.0

(19.8)

(40.4)

145.8

* 

Included within ‘administration expenses’ in the consolidated income statement. ‘Overheads and other costs’ relate to central expenses including salaries, IT maintenance, depreciation 
and amortisation, and have been restated to exclude acquisition related amortisation.

** 

Included within ‘selling and distribution costs’ in the consolidated income statement.

***  See Non-GAAP reconciliations for further details on adjusting items on page 146.

Geographic information
Revenues from external customers
The analysis below is based on the location where the sale originated.

United Kingdom

Republic of Ireland

France

Brazil

Other

Total revenue

2019
 £m

998.9

148.7

250.8

124.8

21.8

2018 
 £m

941.5

149.6

274.2

120.1

18.2

1,545.0

1,503.6

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

101

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

5. Segmental reporting continued
Non-current assets

United Kingdom

Republic of Ireland

France

Brazil

Other

Total

Non-current assets for this purpose consist of property, plant and equipment, intangible assets and other receivables.

6. Operating profit
This is stated after charging/(crediting):

Cost of inventories recognised as an expense

Write-down of inventories to net realisable value

Research and development expense

Net foreign currency exchange differences

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

Amortisation of intangible assets

Reversal of impairments of trademarks* (note 14)

(Reversal of impairment) / Impairment of property, plant and equipment (note 13)

Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment

Government grants

Operating lease payments – minimum lease payments

Assets held for sale impairment charge** (note 31)

* 

Disclosed as other income

**  Relates to part of the French business which has been designated as held for sale during the year

7. Auditor’s remuneration

Audit of the group financial statements 

Audit of subsidiaries

Total audit services

Audit related assurance services 

Total non-audit services

Total fees

8. Staff costs

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Net pension charge

Expense of share based compensation (note 27)

Directors’ emoluments

Aggregate gains made by directors on exercise of options

2019
£m

489.1

135.9

190.8

111.5

1.1

928.4

2019 
£m

887.2

0.4

7.6

1.4

51.7

18.5

–

(3.8)

11.9

(3.5)

9.9

31.2

2019 
£m

0.2

0.9

1.1

0.3

0.3

1.4

2019 
£m

166.6

26.3

13.4

11.3

217.6

2019 
 £m

2.8

2.0

2018
 £m

490.1

135.5

237.5

110.0

2.3

975.4

2018
 £m

770.3

0.4

8.3

2.4

48.5

18.4

(11.5)

4.8

4.5

(4.4)

9.2

–

2018
 £m

0.2

0.6

0.8

0.1

0.1

0.9

2018 
£m

165.6

26.6

11.3

5.6

209.1

2018
 £m

2.9

–

102 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

8. Staff costs continued
The average monthly number of employees during the period was made up as follows:

Distribution

Production

Sales and marketing

Administration

9. Finance income and costs

Finance income

Bank deposits

Total finance income

Finance costs

Bank loans, overdrafts and loan notes

Ineffectiveness in respect of cash flow hedges

Total finance costs

Net finance costs

10. Taxation
a) Tax on profit on continuing operations

Income statement

Current income tax

Current income tax charge

Amounts over provided in previous years

Total current income tax charge

Deferred income tax

Origination and reversal of temporary differences

Amounts over provided in previous years

Total deferred tax charge

2019 
No.

365

2,317

1,430

683

4,795

2019 
£m

1.0

1.0

(20.2)

(0.5)

(20.7)

2018 
 No.

349

2,292

1,448

692

4,781

2018
 £m

1.0

1.0

(20.8)

(0.5)

(21.3)

(19.7)

(20.3)

2019
 £m

2018 
 £m

(28.4)

0.9

(27.5)

2019 
 £m

(3.2)

1.3

(1.9)

(23.0)

0.4

(22.6)

2018
£m

(6.1)

–

(6.1)

Total tax charge in the income statement

(29.4)

(28.7)

Statement of comprehensive income/(expense)

Current tax on additional pension contributions

Deferred tax on defined benefit plans

Deferred tax on cash flow hedges accounted for in the hedging reserve

Current tax on cash flow hedges accounted for in the hedging reserve

Tax on exchange differences accounted for in the translation reserve

Deferred tax on other temporary differences

Total tax charge in the statement of comprehensive income/(expense)

Statement of changes in equity

Current tax on share options exercised

Deferred tax on share options granted to employees

Total tax credit in the statement of changes in equity

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

0.2

(4.2)

(1.3)

(0.2)

(0.2)

0.2

(5.5)

0.3

0.7

1.0

–

(5.5)

0.5

–

–

–

(5.0)

0.4

–

0.4

103

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

10. Taxation continued
b) Reconciliation of the total tax charge
The tax expense in the consolidated income statement is higher (2018: higher) than the standard rate of UK corporation tax of 19.0% (2018: 
19.0%). The differences are reconciled below:

Profit before tax

Profit multiplied by the UK average rate of corporation tax of 19.0% (2018: 19.0%)

Permanent differences

Impact of change in tax rates on deferred tax liability

Current tax/deferred tax rate differential

Tax over provided in previous years

Overseas tax rate differences

Effective income tax rate

2019 
 £m

110.3

(20.9)

(8.5)

(0.3)

0.6

2.2

(2.5)

(29.4)

26.7%

2018
£m

145.8

(27.7)

(3.3)

2.4

0.9

0.4

(1.4)

(28.7)

19.7%

The increase in overseas tax rate difference reflects the changing profit mix in overseas jurisdictions. 

There was no recurrence in 2019 of the benefit from tax rate changes on deferred tax in France in 2018. 

Prior year adjustments relate to the release of uncertain tax positions for which the statute of limitation has passed, deferred tax on fixed assets 
and loss recognition.

Permanent differences increased as a result of an impairment in France on assets held for sale.

c) Income tax

Income tax recoverable

Income tax payable

2019 
£m

1.4

(4.6)

(3.2)

2018 
£m

2.3

(2.2)

0.1

Net income tax payable has increased due to lower instalments of tax payments in the UK and France.

d) Uncertain tax positions
Where the outcome of jurisdictional tax laws are subject to interpretation, management relies on its best judgement and estimates the likely 
outcomes to ensure all uncertain tax positions are adequately provided for in the Group financial statements. Settlement of tax provisions could 
potentially result in future cash tax payments; however, these are not expected to result in an increased tax charge as they have been provided for 
in accordance with management’s best estimates of the most likely outcomes.

e) Unrecognised tax items

No deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of unused tax losses of:

2019 
£m

1.1

2018 
£m

5.4

The Group considers that there will be no direct or withholding tax consequences of future remittances of earnings from overseas subsidiaries 
and therefore no temporary differences arise in respect of its overseas investments. Accordingly, there is no amount of deferred tax provided 
or unprovided in respect of investments in subsidiaries. 

A deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of losses that have arisen in both Ireland and Brazil. All existing tax losses may be carried 
forward indefinitely; however, in Brazil losses may only be utilised to the extent of 30% of taxable profit in each year. 

No deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of losses from prior periods, which at current exchange rates amounts to £1.1m 
(2018: £5.4m).

104 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

10. Taxation continued
f) Deferred tax
The deferred tax included in the balance sheet is as follows:

Deferred tax liability

Accelerated capital allowances

Acquisition fair value adjustments

Post employment benefits

Deferred tax liability

Deferred tax asset

Employee incentive plan

Unutilised losses incurred in overseas jurisdictions

Other temporary differences

Deferred tax asset

Net deferred tax liability

2019
 £m

(17.2)

(30.4)

(33.1)

(80.7)

6.4

7.9

3.0

17.3

(63.4)

2018 
 £m

(15.4)

(32.8)

(26.9)

(75.1)

4.8

8.6

4.8

18.2

(56.9)

Certain deferred tax assets and liabilities have been offset. The following is the analysis of the deferred tax balances (after offset) for financial 
reporting purposes:

Net deferred tax assets

Net deferred tax liabilities

The deferred tax included in the consolidated income statement is as follows:

Employee incentive plan

Accelerated capital allowances

Post employment benefits

Acquisition fair value adjustments

Utilised losses incurred in overseas jurisdictions

Other temporary differences

Deferred tax charge

2019 
£m

5.6

(69.0)

(63.4)

2019 
£m

0.9

(2.2)

(2.0)

1.6

0.1

(0.3)

(1.9)

2018
 £m

5.6

(62.5)

(56.9)

2018 
£m

(0.2)

(5.7)

(3.0)

0.6

(0.4)

2.6

(6.1)

The deferred tax charge has reduced due to lower fixed asset additions in F19 compared to F18 and prior year adjustment on other 
temporary differences.

11. Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share amounts are calculated by dividing the net profit for the period attributable to the equity shareholders of the parent 
by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period.

Diluted earnings per share amounts are calculated by dividing the net profit attributable to the ordinary equity shareholders of the parent by the 
weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period plus the weighted average number of ordinary shares that would be 
issued on the conversion of all the dilutive potential ordinary shares into ordinary shares.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

105

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

11. Earnings per share continued
The following table reflects the income and share data used in the basic and diluted earnings per share computations:

Basic earnings per share

Profit for the period attributable to equity shareholders

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for basic earnings per share

Basic earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share

Profit for the period attributable to equity shareholders

Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares – share schemes

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for diluted earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share

2019 
£m

80.9

264.5

2018
 £m

117.1

263.7

30.6p

44.4p

80.9

2.4

266.9

30.3p

117.1

1.7

265.4

44.1p

The Group has granted share options to employees which have the potential to dilute basic EPS in the future which have not been included in the 
calculation of diluted EPS as they are antidilutive for the periods presented (see note 27).

12. Dividends paid and proposed

Declared and paid during the period

Equity dividends on ordinary shares

Final dividend for 2018: 20.3p per share (2017: 19.3p per share) 

Interim dividend for 2019: 8.3p per share (2018: 7.9p per share)

Dividends paid

Proposed

Final dividend for 2019: 21.7p per share (2018: 20.3p per share)

2019
£m

53.6

22.0

75.6

57.6

2018
 £m

50.8

20.9

71.7

53.7

106 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

13. Property, plant and equipment

At 1 October 2017 net of accumulated

depreciation and impairment

Exchange differences

Additions

Reclassification

Disposals at cost

Impairment

Depreciation eliminated on disposals

Depreciation charge for the period

At 30 September 2018 net of accumulated

depreciation and impairment

Exchange differences

Additions

Reclassification 

Disposals at cost

Transfer to assets held for sale (note 31)

Impairment reversal

Depreciation eliminated on disposals

Depreciation charge for the period

Transfer depreciation of assets held for sale 
(note 31)

At 29 September 2019 net of accumulated 
depreciation and impairment

At 29 September 2019

Cost (gross carrying amount)

Accumulated depreciation and impairment

Net carrying amount

At 30 September 2018

Cost (gross carrying amount)

Accumulated depreciation and impairment

Net carrying amount

Freehold 
land and 
buildings
 £m

121.2

(3.9)

1.6

4.0

(1.6)

(4.8)

0.7

(4.6)

112.6

0.5

5.8

24.8

(0.5)

(21.8)

3.8

0.2

(4.4)

10.9

131.9

176.8

(44.9)

131.9

168.0

(55.4)

112.6

Leasehold
 land and 
buildings
 £m

Plant and 
machinery 
£m

Fixtures, 
fittings, 
 tools and 
equipment
 £m

Assets 
under 
construction
 £m

26.3

–

0.9

0.9

–

–

–

(0.8)

27.3

–

0.1

4.5

(0.2)

–

–

0.2

(1.2)

189.2

(2.5)

11.8

60.3

(26.9)

–

24.0

(29.6)

226.3

0.1

13.6

53.5

(72.4)

(48.4)

–

62.6

(32.7)

–

26.5

30.7

229.1

48.5

(17.8)

30.7

44.0

(16.7)

27.3

448.4

(219.3)

229.1

501.7

(275.4)

226.3

55.6

–

11.1

12.9

(16.2)

–

15.5

(13.5)

65.4

–

7.5

12.7

(10.8)

(1.9)

–

9.1

(13.4)

1.0

69.6

214.8

(145.2)

69.6

207.4

(142.0)

65.4

Total 
£m

461.6

(6.9)

122.9

–

(44.7)

(4.8)

40.2

(48.5)

519.8

0.6

68.9

(1.8)

(84.0)

(72.1)

3.8

72.1

(51.7)

38.4

69.3

(0.5)

97.5

(78.1)

–

–

–

–

88.2

–

41.9

(97.3)

(0.1)

–

–

–

–

–

32.7

494.0

32.7

–

32.7

88.2

–

88.2

921.2

(427.2)

494.0

1,009.3

(489.5)

519.8

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

107

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

Trademarks 
£m

Franchise 
rights 
£m

Customer
 lists
 £m

Software 
costs 
£m

14. Intangible assets

At 1 October 2017

Exchange differences 

Additions

Reversal of impairment

Amortisation charge for 
the period

At 30 September 2018

Exchange differences 

Additions

Reclassification

Disposals at cost

Transferred to assets held for 
sale (note 31)

Amortisation eliminated on 
disposals

Amortisation charge for 
the period

At 29 September 2019

145.0

(6.4)

–

11.5

(2.8)

147.3

0.8

–

–

–

–

–

(2.6)

145.5

At 29 September 2019

Cost (gross carrying amount)

184.2

Accumulated amortisation 
and impairment

Net carrying amount

At 30 September 2018

Cost (gross carrying amount)

Accumulated amortisation 
and impairment

Net carrying amount

(38.7)

145.5

183.1

(35.8)

147.3

Goodwill 
£m

209.5

(6.2)

–

–

–

203.3

0.8

–

–

–

23.9

0.1

7.8

–

(7.4)

24.4

(0.1)

7.6

1.9

(13.2)

–

(4.5)

13.2

(8.0)

25.8

–

–

199.6

97.9

259.0

(72.1)

25.8

(59.4)

199.6

56.5

(3.9)

–

–

(7.0)

45.6

0.5

–

–

–

(0.2)

–

(6.8)

39.1

84.4

(45.3)

39.1

83.9

101.7

262.7

(38.3)

45.6

(77.3)

24.4

(59.4)

203.3

Other
 £m

1.5

(0.2)

–

–

(0.5)

0.8

–

–

–

–

–

–

(0.4)

0.4

1.7

(1.3)

0.4

1.7

(0.9)

0.8

Total 
£m

455.0

(16.4)

7.8

11.5

(18.4)

439.5

2.0

7.6

1.9

(13.2)

(4.7)

13.2

(18.5)

427.8

653.6

(225.8)

427.8

659.5

(220.0)

439.5

18.6

0.2

–

–

(0.7)

18.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

(0.7)

17.4

26.4

(9.0)

17.4

26.4

(8.3)

18.1

Trademarks
Britvic Ireland and Britvic France
All trademarks have been allocated an indefinite life by management. A list of the trademarks held in respect of the Britvic Ireland and Britvic 
France segments is shown in note 15.

Britvic Brazil
Trademarks in Brazil have been allocated useful economic lives of 14.3 – 14.8 years. As at 29 September 2019 these intangible assets have 
an average remaining useful life of 11 years. 

Franchise rights
Franchise rights represent franchise agreements acquired as part of the Britvic Ireland business combination which provides long term rights 
to distribute certain soft drinks. These agreements were allocated a 35 year useful economic life at the time of acquisition based on a third party 
assessment. As at 29 September 2019 these intangible assets have a remaining useful life of 23 years. The franchise agreement itself has a 
remaining contract life of 6 years which is less than the useful economic life. The useful economic life has been determined on the basis that 
the renewal of the franchise agreements, without significant cost, is highly probable. Evidence to support this conclusion is:

•  Significant emphasis on maintaining a strong relationship with Pepsi, strengthened through the addition of PepsiCo products to Britvic’s 

portfolio in recent years;

•  Lack of alternative suppliers; and
•  High barriers of entry to the Irish soft drinks bottling market.

In the unlikely event that it was deemed that the contract might not be renewed then the useful economic life would need to be reduced to its 
remaining contractual life. As at 29 September 2019 this would increase the annual amortisation for franchise rights by £2.3m to £3.0m.

108 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

14. Intangible assets continued
Customer lists
Britvic France
Customer lists recognised on the acquisition of Britvic France relate to those customer relationships acquired. These intangible assets have been 
allocated useful economic lives of 20 years. At 29 September 2019 these intangible assets have a remaining useful life of 11 years.

Britvic Ireland
Customer lists represent those customer relationships acquired which are valued in respect of the grocery and wholesale businesses. These 
customer lists have been allocated useful economic lives of between 10 and 20 years. At 29 September 2019 these intangible assets have a 
remaining useful life of between 1 and 8 years.

Britvic Brazil
Customer lists recognised on acquisitions in Britvic Brazil relate to those customer relationships acquired. These intangible assets have been allocated 
useful economic lives of between 4 and 9 years. At 29 September 2019 these intangible assets have a remaining useful life of between 1 and 6 years.

Software costs
Software is capitalised at cost. As at 29 September 2019 these intangible assets have a remaining useful life of up to 6 years.

Goodwill
Goodwill is subject to an impairment review at each reporting date in accordance with IAS 36 ‘Impairment of Assets’. Further detail is provided 
in note 15.

Intangible assets recognised on the acquisition of Britvic Ireland, Britvic France and Britvic Brazil are valued in local currency and translated 
to sterling at the reporting date.

There has been an allocation of goodwill to the French business to be disposed of as described in note 31.

15. Impairment testing of intangible assets
Carrying amount of goodwill and trademarks with indefinite lives
The carrying amount of goodwill acquired through business combinations, and trademarks with indefinite lives recognised as part of fair value 
exercises on acquisitions, are attributable to the following cash-generating units:

2019 
£m

2018
 £m

Goodwill CGUs

Britvic GB

Orchid

Tango

Robinsons

Britvic Soft Drinks business (BSD)

Britvic Ireland

Britvic France

Britvic Brazil

Trademarks with indefinite lives

Britvic Ireland CGUs

Britvic

Cidona

MiWadi

Ballygowan

Club

Britvic France CGUs

Teisseire

Moulin de Valdonne

Pressade

Total trademarks with indefinite lives

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

6.0

8.9

38.6

7.8

22.1

89.5

31.1

6.0

8.9

38.6

7.8

22.1

89.7

30.2

204.0

203.3

2019 
 £m

4.4

5.9

9.1

23.4

15.1

57.9

50.8

4.2

4.8

59.8

117.7

2018
 £m

4.4

5.9

9.1

23.5

15.1

58.0

50.9

4.2

4.8

59.9

117.9

109

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

15. Impairment testing of intangible assets continued
Goodwill amounts for Britvic GB were recognised on acquisitions made within Britvic GB.

Trademarks with indefinite lives were recognised as part of the fair value exercises relating to the 2007 acquisition of Britvic Ireland and the 2010 
acquisition of Britvic France. They were allocated by senior management to the individual cash-generating units for impairment testing as shown 
in the table above.

Goodwill in Brazil comprises goodwill relating to the acquisition of Ebba and Bela Ischia. Management consider this to be a single CGU based 
on the integration of Bela Ischia into the overall Britvic Brazil business.

Method of impairment testing
Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives
Impairment reviews of goodwill and intangible assets are undertaken by senior management annually. Value in use calculations are performed for 
each cash-generating unit using cash flow projections and are based on the latest annual financial budgets prepared by senior management and 
approved by the board of directors. Senior management expectations are formed in line with performance to date and experience, as well as 
available external market data.

Discount rates reflect senior management’s estimate of the pre-tax cost of capital adjusted where necessary to reflect the different risks of different 
countries in which the Group operates. The estimated pre-tax cost of capital is the benchmark used by management to assess operating performance 
and to evaluate future capital investment proposals. The Group has considered the impact of the current economic climate in determining the appropriate 
discount rate to use in impairment testing. The same discount rate is relevant to all CGUs in each country as the Group only operates in the soft drinks 
manufacturing and distribution market sector. The applicable pre-tax discount rate for cash flow projections is:

Britvic GB

Britvic Ireland

Britvic France

Britvic Brazil

At 
 29 September 
2019

At 
 30 September 
2018

7.7%

7.1%

8.7%

13.5%

6.2%

7.3%

7.1%

12.9%

Key assumptions used in value in use calculations
The following describes each key assumption on which management has based its cash flow projections to undertake impairment testing 
of goodwill.

Volume growth rates – reflect senior management expectations of volume growth based on growth achieved to date, current strategy and 
expected market trends and will vary according to each CGU.

Marginal contribution – being revenue less material costs and all other marginal costs that management considers to be directly attributable to the 
sale of a given product. Marginal contribution is based on financial budgets approved by the Britvic plc board. Key assumptions are made within 
these budgets about pricing, discounts and costs based on historical data, current strategy and expected market trends.

Advertising and promotional spend – financial budgets approved by senior management are used to determine the value assigned to advertising 
and promotional spend. This is based on the planned spend for year one and strategic intent thereafter.

Raw materials price, production and distribution costs, selling costs and other overhead inflation – the basis used to determine the value assigned 
to inflation is the forecast increase in consumer price indices in the relevant market. This has been used in all value in use calculations performed.

Cash flows are based on the latest approved budgets for the following year and forecasts for up to a further four years. The applicable long term 
growth rates are:

Britvic GB

Britvic Ireland

Britvic France

Britvic Brazil

At 
29 September 
2019

At 
30 September 
2018

1.5%

2.9%

1.5%

2.2%

1.6%

2.0%

1.8%

2.6%

Intangible assets with finite lives
No indicators of impairment were identified on intangible assets with finite lives and no impairment was recognised against these assets.

110 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

15. Impairment testing of intangible assets continued
Results and conclusions
Other than the goodwill held in Britvic Brazil the directors do not consider that a reasonable possible change in the assumptions used to calculate 
the value in use of remaining goodwill and intangible assets would result in any impairment. Britvic Brazil is seen as a growth market where 
maturity is not expected for a number of years, as such a management forecast growth projection was used until 2024. 

A sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact of reasonable possible changes in key assumptions:

•  A reduction in the long term growth rate from 2.3% to 0.75% would result in a £0.1m impairment charge.
•  Applying a 5.5% reduction to the operating margin throughout the forecast period until 2024 would result in an impairment charge of £0.7m.

16. Inventories

Raw materials

Finished goods

Consumable stores

Returnable packaging

2019 
£m

59.6

69.6

11.4

0.4

2018 
 £m

64.2

67.2

12.7

0.4

Total inventories at lower of cost and net realisable value

141.0

144.5

17. Trade and other receivables (current)

Trade receivables

Other receivables

Prepayments

2019 
 £m

318.1

11.2

28.7

358.0

2018
 £m

313.4

18.5

24.9

356.8

Trade receivables are non-interest bearing and are generally on credit terms usual for the markets in which the Group operates. As at 29 September 2019 
trade receivables at nominal value of £5.4m (2018: £4.3m) were impaired and fully provided against. Movements in allowance for Expected Credit 
Losses (ECL) were as follows:

At 1 October 2017

Exchange differences

Charge for period

Utilised

Unused amounts reversed

At 30 September 2018

Exchange differences

Charge for period

Utilised

Unused amounts reversed

At 29 September 2019

The Group takes the following factors into account when considering ECLs for trade receivables:

•  Payment performance history; 
•  External information available regarding credit ratings; and
•  Future expected credit losses.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

Total
 £m

4.3

(0.6)

4.6

(3.8)

(0.2)

4.3

0.1

1.7

(0.6)

(0.1)

5.4

111

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

17. Trade and other receivables (current) continued
The ageing analysis of trade receivables is as follows:

2019

2018

Neither past 
due nor 
impaired 
£m

264.4

265.4

Total
 £m

318.1

313.4

< 30 days
 £m

28.5

28.1

30 – 60 
 days 
£m

5.3

5.8

60 – 90 
 days 
£m

3.4

3.4

Past due but not 
impaired

90 – 120 
days 
£m

2.3

0.8

> 120 days
 £m

14.2

9.9

The credit quality of trade receivables that are neither past due nor impaired is considered good. Refer to note 24 for details of the Group’s credit 
risk policy. The Group monitors the credit quality of trade receivables by reference to credit ratings available externally.

The Group’s main trading subsidiary Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd, operates a discount factoring programme, whereby it agrees to assign, on a renewable 
bases, certain trade receivables without recourse against the risk of default by the debtor. The analysis of the risks and rewards as defined by IFRS 
9 led the Group to derecognise the receivables to the extent of the discounted amount received from the factor. Britvic Soft Brinks Ltd remains 
responsible for invoicing and debt recoverability for which it receives remuneration but does not retain control.

Receivables totalling £39.9m were assigned under these programmes in 2019 (2018: £32.4m) and as at the 2019 year end, £24.9m (2018: 
£20.1m) of receivables from customers where derecognised.

Receivables of £5.1m (2018: nil) where settled by customers and are due to be paid to the factoring partner. These balances are disclosed within 
other payables in note 23a.

18. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and in hand

Deposits

Cash and cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows

2019
 £m

28.2

20.8

49.0

2018
 £m

41.0

68.5

109.5

During the year, short-term deposits are made for varying periods depending on the immediate cash requirements of the Group, and earn interest 
at the respective short-term deposit rates. The fair value of cash and cash equivalents is equal to the book value.

At 29 September 2019 the Group had available £333m (2018: £342m) of un-drawn committed borrowing facilities in respect of which all 
conditions precedent had been met. These facilities have a maturity date of November 2021.

Where available, the Group operates cash pooling arrangements whereby the net cash position across a number of accounts is recognised for 
interest purposes.

19. Share capital

Issued, called up and fully paid ordinary shares

At 1 October 2017

Shares issued relating to incentive schemes for employees

At 30 September 2018

Shares issued relating to incentive schemes for employees

At 29 September 2019

No. of shares

Value
 £

263,797,000

52,759,400

809,911

161,982

264,606,911

52,921,382

903,826

180,765

265,510,737

53,102,147

The issued share capital is wholly comprised of ordinary shares carrying one voting right each. The nominal value of each ordinary share is £0.20. 
There are no restrictions placed on the distribution of dividends, or the return of capital on a winding up or otherwise.

Of the issued and fully paid ordinary shares, 1,180,721 shares (2018: 724,335 shares) are own shares held by an employee benefit trust. This 
equates to £236,144 (2018: £144,867) at £0.20 par value of each ordinary share. These shares are held for the purpose of satisfying the share 
schemes detailed in note 27.

An explanation of the Group’s capital management process and objectives is set out in note 24.

112 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

20. Other reserves

At 1 October 2017

Losses in the period in respect of cash flow hedges

Amounts recycled to the income statement in respect of cash flow hedges

Deferred tax in respect of cash flow hedges

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

At 30 September 2018

Losses in the period in respect of cash flow hedges

Amounts recycled to the income statement in respect of cash flow hedges

Deferred tax in respect of cash flow hedges

Current tax on cash flow hedges booked to the hedging reserve

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Tax on exchange differences accounted for in the translation reserve

At 29 September 2019

Hedging 
reserve
 £m

(4.7)

(2.6)

(0.4)

0.5

–

(7.2)

(18.7)

 26.2

(1.3)

(0.2)

–

–

(1.2)

Translation 
reserve
 £m

47.9

–

–

–

(35.1)

12.8

–

–

–

–

0.7

(0.2)

13.3

Merger 
reserve 
£m

87.3

–

–

–

–

87.3

–

–

–

–

–

–

87.3

Total
 £m

130.5

(2.6)

(0.4)

0.5

(35.1)

92.9

(18.7)

26.2

(1.3)

(0.2)

0.7

(0.2)

99.4

Share premium account
The share premium account is used to record the excess of proceeds over the nominal value on the issue of shares.

Own shares reserve
The own shares reserve is used to record purchases and issues by the Group of its own shares, which will be distributed to employees as and 
when share awards made under the Britvic employee share plans vest.

Hedging reserve
The hedging reserve records the effective portion of movements in the fair value of forward exchange contracts, interest rate and cross currency 
swaps that have been designated as part of a cash flow hedge relationship.

Translation reserve
The translation reserve includes cumulative net exchange differences on translation into the presentational currency of items recorded in Group 
entities with a non-sterling functional currency net of amounts recognised in respect of net investment hedges.

Merger reserve
The merger reserve arose as a result of the non pre-emptive share placement which took place on 21 May 2010. It was executed using a structure 
which created a merger reserve under Section 612-3 of the Companies Act 2006.

21. Interest bearing loans and borrowings

Current

Finance leases

Bank loans

Private placement notes

Less: unamortised issue costs

Total current

Non-current

Finance leases

Bank loans

Private placement notes

Less: unamortised issue costs

Total non-current

2019 
 £m

(0.7)

(66.9)

(99.2)

0.5

(166.3)

2019 
£m

(0.3)

(0.1)

(518.0)

1.2

(517.2)

2018 
 £m

(0.7)

(58.4)

(112.9)

0.6

(171.4)

2018 
£m

(0.9)

(0.1)

(598.0)

1.3

(597.7)

Total interest bearing loans and borrowings

(683.5)

(769.1)

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

113

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

21. Interest bearing loans and borrowings continued
Total interest bearing loans and borrowings comprise the following:

Finance leases

2007 Notes

2009 Notes

2010 Notes

2014 Notes

2017 Notes

2018 Notes

Accrued interest

Bank loans

Capitalised issue costs

Analysis of changes in interest-bearing loans and borrowings

At the beginning of the period

Net movement on revolving credit facility

Other loans repaid

Partial repayment of private placement notes

Drawdown of 2018/2017 private placement notes

Issue costs

Repayment of finance leases

Amortisation of issue costs and write off of financing fees

Net translation gain and fair value adjustment

Accrued interest

At the end of the period

Derivatives hedging balance sheet debt*

Debt translated at contracted rate

2019 
£m

(1.0)

–

(96.5)

(94.7)

(127.7)

(175.0)

(120.6)

(2.7)

(67.0)

1.7

(683.5)

2019 
 £m

(769.1)

(8.7)

0.3

77.0

–

–

0.9

(0.3)

15.8

0.6

(683.5)

68.3

(615.2)

2018 
 £m

(1.6)

(109.6)

(91.3)

(88.6)

(122.5)

(175.0)

(120.6)

(3.3)

(58.5)

1.9

(769.1)

2018 
 £m

(672.4)

(35.3)

0.7

54.9

(120.3)

0.4

1.1

(0.6)

2.7

(0.3)

(769.1)

84.1

(685.0)

* 

Represents the element of the fair value of interest rate currency swaps hedging the balance sheet value of the private placement notes. This amount has been disclosed separately 
to demonstrate the impact of foreign exchange movements which are included in interest bearing loans and borrowings.

Bank loans
Loans outstanding at 29 September 2019 attract interest at an average rate of 1.74% for sterling denominated loans, 0.56% for euro denominated 
loans and 3.36% for Brazilian real denominated loans (2018: 0.68% for euro denominated loans and 4.44% for Brazilian real denominated loans).

Private placement notes
The Group holds loan notes with coupons and maturities as shown in the following table:

Year issued

2009

2010

2014

2014

2017

2017

2018

2018

2018

Maturity date

December 2019

Amount

$120m

December 2020 – December 2022 $113m

February 2021 – February 2024

£35m

February 2024 – February 2026

February 2025 – February 2032

February 2027 – February 2032

June 2028 – June 2033

June 2030

June 2028

$114m

£120m

£55m

£65m

£20m

€40m

Interest terms

US$ fixed at 5.24%

US$ fixed at 4.04% – 4.14%

UK£ fixed at 3.40% – 3.92%

US$ fixed at 4.09% – 4.24%

UK£ fixed at 2.31% – 2.76%

UK£ LIBOR plus 1.32% – 1.36%

UK£ fixed at 2.66% – 2.88%

UK£ LIBOR plus 1.06%

EURIBOR€ plus 0.65%

The Group entered into a number of cross-currency swap agreements in relation to the loan notes to manage any foreign exchange risk on interest 
rates or on the repayment of the principal borrowed. These swaps expire in line with the loan notes and are discussed in note 25.

See note 24 for an analysis of the interest rate profile and the maturity of the borrowings and related interest rate swaps.

114 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

22. Pensions
Net asset/(liability) by scheme

Present value of benefit obligation

Fair value of plan assets

Transfer to assets held for sale (note 31)

Net asset/(liability)

Present value of benefit obligation

Fair value of plan assets

Net (liability)/asset

GB 
£m

(779.7)

906.7

–

127.0

GB
 £m

(658.2)

739.2

81.0

ROI
 £m

 (106.0)

94.8

–

(11.2)

ROI
 £m

(87.6)

82.2

(5.4)

NI 
£m

 (35.3)

50.7

–

 15.4

NI 
£m

(30.2)

45.5

15.3

France
 £m

 (5.0)

–

1.3

 (3.7)

France 
£m

(4.0)

–

(4.0)

2019

Total
 £m

 (926.0)

1,052.2

1.3

127.5

2018

Total 
£m

(780.0)

866.9

86.9

GB schemes
The Group’s principal pension scheme for GB employees, the Britvic Pension Plan (‘BPP’) has both a final salary defined benefit section and 
defined contribution section. The defined benefit section was closed to new members from 1 August 2002 and closed to future accrual for 
active members from 1 April 2011, with active members moving to the defined contribution section for future service benefits.

The BPP is a limited partner of Britvic Scottish Limited Partnership (‘Britvic SLP’), which in turn is a limited partner in both Britvic Property 
Partnership (‘Britvic PP’) and Britvic Brands LLP. Britvic SLP, Britvic PP and Britvic Brands LLP are all consolidated by the Group. The investment 
held by BPP does not represent a plan asset for accounting purposes and is therefore not included in the fair value of the plan assets.

Certain properties and Group brands have been transferred to Britvic PP and Britvic Brands LLP respectively, all of which are leased back to Britvic Soft 
Drinks Limited. The Group retains operational flexibility over the properties and brands including the ability to substitute the properties and brands held 
by Britvic PP and Britvic Brands LLP respectively. The BPP is entitled to a share of the profits in Britvic SLP until 2026. At the end of this period, the 
partnership capital allocated to the BPP will be changed to an amount equal to any funding deficit of the BPP at this time, up to a maximum of £105m.

Contributions are paid into the defined benefit section of the BPP as determined by the Trustee, agreed by the company and certified by an 
independent actuary in the Schedule of Contributions. In addition to the expected partnership income of at least £5m per annum, the Group is 
expected to make a payment to the BPP of £15m by 31 December 2019. We are currently in the process of completing the triennial valuation 
as at 31 March 2019. The outcome of these activities may have an impact on the level of future cash contributions made by the company.

The contributions required are determined based on the secondary funding deficit revealed at the last triennial actuarial funding valuation, currently 
at 31 March 2016. The secondary funding deficit will always differ from the accounting valuation surplus/deficit above.

Accounting standards require all companies to discount their projected cash flows at a standard rate based on high quality corporate bonds and 
not to allow for prudence when calculating the value of the liabilities. This is in contrast to the funding valuation where prudence is a requirement 
when assessing the value of the liabilities. This, in combination with the plan being invested in relatively low risk assets as part of the funding 
strategy agreed, results in the funding valuation being expected to show a higher deficit than the accounting valuation. The benefits of adopting 
a low risk approach to funding is that there is less volatility expected in the company’s future contribution requirements.

In addition when comparing the surplus/deficit, consideration of the different dates of valuations need to be taken into account. The accounting 
valuation is assessed at the current balance sheet date of 29 September 2019, whereas the contributions agreed were based on the funding 
valuation at 31 March 2016.

The amount recognised as an expense in relation to the BPP defined contribution scheme in the consolidated income statement for 2019 was 
£10.2m (2018: £10.1m).

Britvic’s business in GB also has a secured unfunded, unregistered retirement benefit scheme called The Britvic Executive Top Up Scheme 
(‘BETUS’) which provides benefits for members who have historically exceeded the Earnings Cap, or the Lifetime Allowance whilst members 
of the defined benefit section of the BPP. BETUS closed to future accrual on 10 April 2011 which coincided with the closure of the defined 
benefit section of the BPP.

IFRIC 14/ IAS 19 relates to the Limit on a Defined Benefit Asset, Minimum Funding Requirements and their Interaction. The Trustee of the Plan previously 
made a change to the Rules of the Plan to clarify that any surplus may be returned directly to the Company without prior Trustee approval on the death or 
leaving of the final member of the Plan. The Group has therefore assessed gradual settlement of pension scheme assets for the basis of the asset 
recognition and in determining the amount recorded for the net defined benefit asset. Potential trustee rights to augment additional benefit have not been 
considered in assessing the amount of the net defined benefit asset. Furthermore, any such refund should be treated as income for tax purposes. These 
two points should mean that IFRIC 14 does not have any practical impact on the Plan and so no allowance for it (and, in particular, no allowance for the 
asset ceiling) has been made in the calculated figures. BETUS is treated as unfunded for the purposes of IAS 19, so IFRIC 14 is not applicable.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

115

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

22. Pensions continued
Republic of Ireland scheme
The Britvic Ireland Pension Plan (‘BIPP’) is a defined benefit pension plan. Following legislative changes made in 2012 no deficit recovery 
contributions are currently required. The Trustee has been undertaking investment de-risking to protect the on-going funding position achieved 
as a result of the 2012 changes. The latest triennial valuation was carried out as at 1 January 2018. The scheme remains open to future accrual 
for current members.

The amount recognised as an expense in relation to the Irish defined contribution schemes in the consolidated income statement for 2019 was 
£0.8m (2018: £0.6m).

Northern Ireland scheme
The Britvic Northern Ireland Pension Plan (‘BNIPP’) is a defined benefit pension plan which was closed to new members on 28 February 2006 
and to future accrual from 31 December 2018. Since this date all employees have been eligible to join a Stakeholder plan with Legal & General. 
The latest formal actuarial valuation for contribution purposes was carried out as at 31 December 2017.

Contributions are paid into the BNIPP as determined by the Trustee, agreed by the company and certified by an independent actuary in the 
Schedule of Contributions. Additional contributions of £1.5m per annum were paid on a monthly basis up to 31 May 2019. 

The amount recognised as an expense in relation to the Northern Ireland defined contribution scheme in the consolidated income statement for 
2019 was £0.1m (2018: £0.1m).

France schemes
Britvic France operates two defined benefit schemes: in the first, employees receive long-service cash payments at various stages throughout 
their careers. For the second, employees receive a lump sum at retirement. Payment amounts are dependent upon salary and service with the 
company. The schemes are unfunded therefore these benefits are paid directly as they fall due.

All Group pension schemes are administered by trustees who are independent of the Group’s finances, except for the Britvic France schemes 
which are operated directly by the company.

Net benefit/(expense)

Current service cost

Net interest on net defined benefit asset/(liability)

Past service cost

Curtailment/settlement gain

Net expense

2019 
Total 
£m

(1.8)

 2.8

 (6.0)

–

 (5.0)

2018 
Total 
£m

(1.7)

1.3

–

0.2

(0.2)

Following the Lloyds GMP equalisation case in October 2018, which ruled that treatment of men and women be brought in line for schemes with 
a guaranteed minimum pension, the vast majority of UK-based defined benefit schemes will need to recalculate member benefits. The impact of 
the GMP equalisation is £6.0m which has been recognised as a past service cost as part of adjusting items in the current period. 

The curtailment/settlement gain in the prior period arose due to the retirement of executives and the exchange of their benefits in the BETUS 
for a cash lump sum recognised in administration expenses. 

Other than stated below, the net expense detailed above is recognised in arriving at net profit from continuing operations before tax and finance 
costs/ income, and is included within cost of sales, selling and distribution costs and administration expenses.

Taken to the statement of comprehensive income

Actual return on scheme assets

Less: Amounts included in net interest expense

Return on plan assets (excluding amounts included in net interest expense)

Gains due to demographic assumptions

(Losses)/gains due to financial assumptions

Experience (losses)/ gains

Remeasurement gains taken to the statement of comprehensive income

2019 
Total 
£m

197.4

(24.7)

172.7

13.4

(163.4)

(0.6)

22.1

2018 
Total
 £m

19.1

(22.8)

(3.7)

6.2

29.8

1.0

33.3

116 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

22. Pensions continued
Movements in present value of benefit obligation

At 1 October 2018

Current service cost

Past service cost

Member contributions

Interest cost on benefit obligation

Benefits paid

Remeasurement (losses)

At 29 September 2019

GB 
£m

(658.2)

–

(5.9)

–

(19.1)

31.4

(127.9)

(779.7)

ROI 
£m

(87.6)

(1.4)

–

(0.3)

(1.8)

1.9

(16.8)

(106.0)

NI 
£m

(30.2)

–

(0.1)

–

(0.9)

1.1

(5.2)

(35.3)

France 
£m

(4.0)

(0.4)

–

–

(0.1)

0.1

(0.6)

(5.0)

Weighted average duration of the liabilities

20 years

24 years

21 years

15 years

At 1 October 2017

Exchange differences

Settlement gain

Current service cost

Member contributions

Interest cost on benefit obligation

Benefits paid

Remeasurement gains/ (losses)

At 30 September 2018

GB 
£m

(726.1)

–

–

–

–

(18.8)

52.3

34.4

(658.2)

ROI
£m

(83.5)

(0.9)

–

(1.2)

(0.3)

(1.8)

2.8

(2.7)

NI 
£m

(35.3)

–

–

(0.1)

–

(0.8)

0.8

5.2

(87.6)

(30.2)

France
 £m

(3.9)

–

0.2

(0.4)

–

(0.1)

0.1

0.1

(4.0)

Weighted average duration of the liabilities

21 years

23 years

19 years

15 years

Movements in fair value of plan assets

At 1 October 2018

Interest income on plan assets

Return on scheme assets excluding interest income

Employer contributions

Member contributions

Benefits paid

At 29 September 2019

At 1 October 2017

Exchange differences

Interest income on plan assets

(Losses)/return on scheme assets excluding interest income

Employer contributions

Member contributions

Benefits paid

At 30 September 2018

GB
 £m

739.2

21.7

157.2

20.0

–

(31.4)

906.7

GB 
£m

759.2

–

20.1

(7.7)

19.9

–

(52.3)

739.2

ROI
 £m

82.2

1.6

11.7

0.9

0.3

(1.9)

94.8

ROI 
£m

78.1

0.9

1.6

3.2

0.9

0.3

(2.8)

82.2

NI
 £m

45.5

1.4

3.8

1.2

–

(1.2)

50.7

NI 
£m

42.7

–

1.1

0.8

1.7

–

(0.8)

45.5

2019

Total
 £m

(780.0)

(1.8)

(6.0)

(0.3)

(21.9)

34.5

(150.5)

(926.0)

2018

Total 
£m

(848.8)

(0.9)

0.2

(1.7)

(0.3)

(21.5)

56.0

37.0

(780)

2019

Total 
£m

866.9

24.7

172.7

22.1

0.3

(34.5)

1,052.2

2018

Total 
£m

880.0

0.9

22.8

(3.7)

22.5

0.3

(55.9)

866.9

Principal assumptions
The assets and liabilities of the pension schemes were valued on an IAS 19 (Revised) basis at 29 September 2019, by Towers Watson (BPP and 
the French schemes), Invesco (BIPP) and Buck (BNIPP).

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

117

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

22. Pensions continued
Financial assumptions

Discount rate

Rate of compensation increase

Pension increases

Inflation assumption

Indexation

Discount rate

Rate of compensation increase

Pension increases

Inflation assumption

Indexation

GB
 %

1.80

–

ROI 
%

1.00

2.00

NI
 %

2019

France 
%

1.95

0.33 – 0.69

–

2.00 – 3.00

1.80 – 2.85

–

1.80 – 2.10

3.05

RPI

GB 
%

2.95

–

1.10

CPI

ROI
 %

2.00

2.00

2.10

CPI

NI 
%

3.00

3.55

1.90 – 3.00

–

1.90 – 2.25

3.25

RPI

1.70

CPI

2.25

CPI

–

2.00

ECB*

2018

France 
%

1.30 – 1.80

2.00 – 3.00

–

2.00

ECB*

* 

The France scheme is linked to the long-term interest rate of the European Central Bank (ECB). 

Demographic assumptions
The most significant non-financial assumption is the assumed rate of longevity. This is based on standard actuarial tables, which for the BPP are 
known as SAPS Series 1. An allowance for future improvements in longevity has also been included. The following life expectancy assumptions 
have been used:

Current pensioners (at age 65) – males

Current pensioners (at age 65) – females

Future pensioners currently aged 45 (at age 65) 
– males

Future pensioners currently aged 45 (at age 65) 
– females

2019 
GB 
Years

21.0

23.6

22.4

25.1

2019
 ROI 
Years

21.5

24.0

23.9

26.0

2019 
 NI 
Years

21.0

23.6

22.4

25.3

2018 
GB 
Years

21.5

24.0

22.9

25.6

2018 
ROI
 Years

21.2

23.7

23.6

25.9

2018
 NI 
Years

21.1

23.7

22.5

25.3

Sensitivities
Changes in assumptions used for determining retirement benefit costs and obligations may have a material impact on the consolidated income 
statement and balance sheet. The main assumptions are the discount rate, the rate of inflation and the assumed mortality rate. The following table 
provides an estimate of the potential impact of each of these variables on the principal pension plans.

Assumption

Change in assumption

Impact on GB liabilities

Impact on ROI liabilities

Impact on NI liabilities

Impact on France liabilities

Discount rate

Increase by 0.5%

Decrease by £80.9m Decrease by £11.5m Decrease by £3.1m

Decrease by £0.4m

Inflation rate

Increase by 0.25%*

Increase by £24.2m

Increase by £2.0m

Increase by £1.3m

Increase by £0.2m

Decrease by 0.5%

Increase by £73.3m Increase by £13.4m

Increase by £3.6m

Increase by £0.5m

Decrease by 0.25%* Decrease by £17.9m Decrease by £2.1m

Decrease by £1.0m

Decrease by £0.2m

Longevity rates

Increase by 1 year

Increase by £35.6m Increase by £3.1m

Increase by £1.3m

n/a

* 

The sensitivity to inflation assumption includes corresponding changes to future salary (applicable only to France) and future pension increase assumptions.

118 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

22. Pensions continued
Categories of scheme assets as a percentage of the fair value of total scheme assets

UK equities

Overseas equities

Properties

Corporate bonds

Fixed interest gilts

Index linked gilts

Diversified Funds

Liability-driven investments

Cash and other assets

Total

UK equities

Overseas equities

Properties

Corporate bonds

Fixed interest gilts

Index linked gilts

Liability-driven investments

Cash and other assets

Total

GB
 £m

–

19.6

30.2

415.8

–

–

–

430.8

10.3

906.7

GB 
£m

–

23.7

30.6

374.9

–

–

295.2

14.8

739.2

ROI 
£m

1.1

17.8

–

–

55.4

–

–

–

20.6

94.8

ROI
 £m

–

26.9

–

4.5

44.3

–

–

6.5

82.2

NI 
£m

–

–

–

7.5

–

–

27.4

14.4

1.4

50.7

NI 
£m

10.7

11.7

–

6.4

6.4

8.8

–

1.5

45.5

Total
£m

1.1

37.4

30.2

423.3

55.4

–

27.4

445.2

32.3

1,052.2

Total 
£m

10.7

62.3

30.6

385.8

50.7

8.8

295.2

22.8

866.9

2019

Total 
%

0

4

3

40

5

–

3

42

3

100

2018

Restated 
Total 
%

1

7

4

44

6

1

34

3

100

The fair values of the above equity and debt instruments are determined based on quoted market prices in active markets whereas the fair values 
of properties are not based on quoted market prices. The fixed interest and index linked asset classes include leveraged gilt funds.

Liability-driven investments are a portfolio of assets used in the GB scheme to hedge the exposure to changes in interest rates and inflation. It 
consists of equities, fixed interest gilts and index linked gilts including leveraged gilt funds. The fair value of these assets is derived from quoted 
market prices of the underlying funds held. These funds are held as part of the strategy by the trustees of the GB scheme to invest in low risk 
assets that provide a hedge against interest rates and inflation. 

Additional contributions of £20m are expected to be paid into the defined benefit pension schemes during the 2020 financial year, of which £15m 
is expected to be paid by the Group and £5.0m by the partnership.

Risks
For defined contribution sections and plans, the Group’s liability is limited to the requirement to pay contributions on behalf of each employee. 
In these arrangements the associated risks are borne by the members.

For defined benefit sections and plans, the Group bears the risks of operation. The main risk that the Group runs in respect of the defined benefit 
schemes is that additional contributions are required to pay for the benefits if investment returns are not sufficient. The contributions required 
for the schemes are in general determined at each triennial actuarial funding valuation. The key factors that will affect the need for additional 
contributions include levels of long-term inflation and interest rates and the assessment of how long members are expected to live, along with 
the level of investment return achieved. The level of investment return achieved is subject to a range of risks typical of the asset classes held, 
in particular market risk on equities, credit risk on corporate bonds and exposure to the property market. The discount rates used to calculate 
the liabilities are set by reference to yields on high quality corporate bonds. There is therefore a mismatch between the assets held and the way 
that the liabilities are calculated, meaning that the net balance sheet position disclosed under IAS 19 could fluctuate.

For the BPP, the trustee holds the power to determine the contribution rates that the Group should pay, although the Group fully uses the 
opportunity to make representation to the trustee on this point.

The trustee of the BPP has implemented an investment strategy which consists of a diverse range of fixed interest and index linked securities, 
which provides a significant hedge against inflation and interest rate risk. 

The funding partnership mitigates the risk that additional cash contributions will be required after 31 March 2026, as the partnership will pay 
up to £105m to remove any funding deficit at 31 March 2026.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

119

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

23a. Trade and other payables (current)

Trade payables

Other payables

Accruals

Other taxes and social security

2019
 £m 

265.1

11.6

52.8

82.9

412.4

2018
 £m

267.3

26.4

56.2

74.4

424.3

Trade payables are non-interest bearing and are normally settled on 60 – 90 day terms.

The Group’s main trading subsidiary, Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd (BSD), operates a supply chain factoring programme (reverse factoring), under which 
certain portfolio of BSD’s suppliers are able to collect the amount owed from BSD at a date earlier than the due date, from the BSD’s factor. BSD 
derecognises the trade payables factored under such arrangements and recognises a separate liability payable to the factor.

The liability owed to the factor is presented within the trade payables and amounted to £19.9m as at 29 September 2019 (2018: £25.9m). The 
Group presents the cash flow impact associated with the reverse factoring programme within the operating cash flows in the cash flow statement.

23b. Contract liabilities
The Group has the following balances with customers (rebate accruals) that are recorded separately as contract liabilities. 

Rebate accruals

2019 
 £m

98.7

98.7

2018 
 £m

97.4

97.4

24. Financial risk management objectives and policies
Overview
The Group’s principal financial instruments comprise derivatives, borrowings and overdrafts, and cash and cash equivalents. These financial 
instruments are used to manage interest rate and currency exposures, funding and liquidity requirements. Other financial instruments which 
arise directly from the Group’s operations include trade receivables and payables (see notes 17 and 23 respectively).

It is, and has always been, the Group’s policy that no derivative is entered into for trading or speculative purposes.

The main risks arising from the Group’s financial instruments are interest rate risk, foreign currency risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. Additionally, 
the Group is exposed to commodity price risk and share price risk. The board of directors review and agree policies for managing these risks as 
summarised below.

Interest rate risk
The Group’s policy is to manage its interest cost by maintaining a mix of fixed and variable rate debt. The Group enters into interest rate swaps, 
cross currency swaps and forward rate agreements to hedge underlying debt obligations. At 29 September 2019 after taking into account the 
effect of these instruments, approximately 53% of the Group’s borrowings are at a fixed rate of interest (2018: 60%).

Interest rate risk table
The following table demonstrates the sensitivity to a reasonably possible change in interest rates, with all other variables held constant, 
on the Group’s profit before tax (through the impact on floating rate borrowings) and equity (through the change in fair values of applicable 
derivative instruments).

2019

Sterling

Euro

2018

Sterling

Euro

120 

Increase/ 
(decrease) in 
basis points

Effect on profit 
before tax 
£m

Effect on  
equity
 £m

200

(200)

200

(200)

200

(200)

200

(200)

(2.9)

2.9

(2.1)

2.1

(1.0)

1.0

(2.7)

2.7

44.6

(52.5)

3.3

(3.5)

44.9

(53.5)

2.2

(2.3)

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

24. Financial risk management objectives and policies continued
Foreign currency risk
Foreign currency risk is primarily in respect of exposure to fluctuations to the sterling-euro, sterling-US dollar, euro-US dollar and US dollar-
Brazilian real rates of exchange. The Group has operations in euro-denominated countries and finances these partly through the use of foreign 
currency borrowings and cross currency swaps which hedge the translation risk of net investments in foreign operations. Additionally cash 
generation from euro-denominated operations can be utilised to meet euro payment obligations in sterling denominated companies, providing 
a natural hedge.

The Group also has transactional exposures arising from purchases of prime materials, capital expenditure and interest costs in currencies other 
than the functional currency of the individual Group entities. Non-functional currency purchases and interest costs are mainly in the currencies of 
US dollars and euros. As at 29 September 2019 the Group has hedged 73% (2018: 77%) of forecast net exposures 12 months in advance using 
forward foreign exchange contracts.

Where funding is raised in a currency other than the currency ultimately required by the Group, cross currency interest rate swaps are used 
to convert the cash flows to the required currency. These swaps have the same duration and other critical terms as the underlying borrowing.

The following table demonstrates the sensitivity to a reasonably possible change in the US dollar, euro and Brazilian real exchange rates, with all 
other variables held constant, of the Group’s profit before tax (due to changes in the fair value of monetary assets and liabilities) and the Group’s 
equity (due to changes in fair value of forward exchange contracts).

2019

Sterling/Euro

Sterling/US dollar

Euro/US dollar

US dollar/Brazilian real

2018

Sterling/Euro

Sterling/US dollar

Euro/US dollar

US dollar/Brazilian real

Increase/ 
(decrease) in 
basis points

Effect on profit 
before tax 
 £m

Effect on
 equity
 £m

10

(10)

10

(10)

10

(10)

10

(10)

10

(10)

10

(10)

10

(10)

10

(10)

1.7

(1.7)

0.1

(0.1)

0.9

(0.9)

0.9

(0.9)

2.4

(2.4)

0.4

(0.4)

1.3

(1.3)

0.9

(0.9)

(6.5)

6.5

(1.5)

1.5

(1.2)

1.2

–

–

(9.3)

9.3

(1.2)

1.2

(1.3)

1.3

–

–

Credit risk
The Group trades only with recognised creditworthy third parties. It is the Group’s policy that all customers who wish to trade on credit terms 
are subject to credit verification procedures. In addition, receivable balances are monitored on an ongoing basis with the result that the Group’s 
experience of bad debts is not significant. The maximum exposure is the carrying amount disclosed in note 17. There are no significant 
concentrations of credit risk within the Group.

The Group maintains a policy on counterparty credit exposures with banks and financial institutions arising from the use of derivatives and 
financial instruments. This policy restricts the investment of surplus funds and entering into derivatives to counterparties with a minimum 
credit rating maintained by either Moody’s, Standard & Poors or Fitch. The level of exposure with counterparties at various ratings levels is 
also restricted under this policy. The level of exposure and the credit worthiness of the Group’s banking counterparties is reviewed regularly 
to ensure compliance with this policy.

Commodity price risk
The main commodity price risk arises in the purchases of prime materials, being polyethylene terephthalate (PET), sugar, steel and frozen 
concentrated orange juice. The Group uses commodity swaps to hedge commodity price risk on a proportion of its sugar requirement. Also 
in the normal course of business where it is considered commercially advantageous, the Group enters into fixed price contracts with suppliers 
to protect against unfavourable commodity price changes.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

24. Financial risk management objectives and policies continued
Liquidity risk
The Group monitors its risk of a shortage of funds using rolling cash flow forecasts. These forecasts consider the maturity of both its financial 
investments and financial assets (e.g. accounts receivable and other financial assets) and projected cash flows from operations. The objective 
of the Group’s liquidity policy is to maintain a balance between continuity of funds and flexibility through the use of bank loans and overdrafts 
and long term private placement issuance.

The Group’s bank facility has a maturity of November 2021 and is unsecured. As at 29 September 2019, the Group had drawn down £67m 
(2018: £58.0m) under this facility. In addition to this facility the Group had £0.2m of outstanding external borrowings all of which were secured 
(2018: £0.5m all of which were secured).

The table below summarises the maturity profile of the Group’s financial liabilities at 29 September 2019 based on contractual undiscounted 
payments and receipts including interest:

2019

Bank loans

Private placement notes

Derivatives hedging private placement notes – payments

Derivatives hedging private placement notes – receipts

Trade, other payables and contract liabilities (excluding other taxes and social 
security)

Finance leases

Other financial liabilities

2018

Bank loans

Less than 
 1 year 
£m

66.9

1 to 5 years 
 £m

0.1

> 5 years
 £m

–

115.6

77.3

(82.2)

110.7

429.5

0.7

0.4

608.2

206.7

89.5

(93.2)

203.0

–

0.3

–

389.3

73.6

(74.7)

388.2

–

–

–

Less than
 1 year 
 £m

58.4

1 to 5 years 
 £m

0.2

> 5 years 
£m

–

203.4

388.2

1,199.8

Private placement notes

Derivatives hedging private placement notes – payments

Derivatives hedging private placement notes – receipts

Trade, other payables and contract liabilities (excluding other taxes and social 
security)

Finance leases

Other financial liabilities

132.8

72.1

(78.9)

126.0

447.3

0.7

0.4

632.8

253.4

164.1

(170.2)

247.3

–

0.9

0.1

440.5

76.0

(77.5)

439.0

–

–

–

248.5

439.0

1,320.3

In respect of the private placement notes, the periods when the cash flows are expected to occur (as shown by the tables above) and when they 
are expected to affect the consolidated income statement are the same.

Details with regard to derivative contracts are included in note 25.

122 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Total
 £m

67.0

711.6

240.4

(250.1)

701.9

429.5

1.0

0.4

Total
 £m

58.6

826.7

312.2

(326.6)

812.3

447.3

1.6

0.5

24. Financial risk management objectives and policies continued
Fair values of financial assets and financial liabilities
Hierarchy
The Group uses the following valuation hierarchy to determine the carrying value of financial instruments that are measured at fair value: 

Level 1:  quoted (unadjusted) prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2:  other techniques for which all inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3: 

techniques which use inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value that are not based on observable market data.

Unless otherwise stated, the valuation basis used to calculate fair value is level 2.

All derivatives are valued using discounted cash flow analysis using the applicable yield curve for the duration of the instruments. Forward 
currency contracts are measured using quoted forward exchange rates and yield curves derived from quoted interest rates matching maturities 
of the contracts. Cross currency interest rate swaps are measured at the present value of future cash flows estimated and discounted based on 
quoted forward exchange rates and the applicable yield curves derived from quoted interest rates. The fair value of derivatives also includes the 
non-performance risk of both Britvic and its derivatives trading counterparties.

As in the prior year, the carrying value of financial assets and liabilities are considered to be reasonable approximations of their fair values, except 
for fixed rate borrowings.

The fair value of the Group’s fixed rate interest-bearing borrowings and loans at 29 September 2019 was £524m (2018: £593.6m) compared to a 
carrying value of £503.9m (2018: £597.5m). The fair value of the Group’s fixed rate interest-bearing borrowings and loans are determined by using 
discounted cash flow methods using discount rates that reflect the Group’s borrowing rate as at the end of the reporting period.

Capital management
The Group defines ‘capital’ as being net debt plus equity. The Group’s objectives when managing capital are to safeguard the Group’s ability 
to continue as a going concern and maintain an appropriate capital structure to balance the needs of the Group to grow, whilst operating with 
sufficient headroom within its bank covenants.

The following table summarises the capital of the Group:

Financial assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Derivatives hedging balance sheet debt

Financial liabilities

Financial liabilities held at amortised cost

Adjusted net debt

Equity

Capital

2019 
£m

(49.0)

(68.3)

683.5

566.2

412.0

978.2

2018 
 £m

(109.5)

(84.1)

769.1

575.5

377.5

953.0

The Group manages its capital structure and makes adjustments to it, in light of changes in economic conditions or in order to facilitate 
acquisitions. To maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Group has a number of options available to it including modifying dividend payments 
to shareholders, returning capital to shareholders or issuing new shares. In this way, the Group balances returns to shareholders between long 
term growth and current returns whilst maintaining capital discipline in relation to investing activities and taking any necessary action on costs 
to respond to the current environment.

The Group monitors capital on the basis of the adjusted net debt/EBITDA ratio. Adjusted net debt is calculated as being the net of cash and cash 
equivalents, interest bearing loans and borrowings and the element of the fair value of interest rate currency swaps hedging the balance sheet 
value of the US private placement notes. Adjusted net debt is shown in note 28. The adjusted net debt/EBITDA ratio enables the Group to plan 
its capital requirements in the medium term. The Group uses this measure to provide useful information to financial institutions and investors.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

123

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

25. Derivatives and hedge relationships
As at 29 September 2019 the Group had entered into the following derivative contracts.

Consolidated balance sheet

Non-current assets: derivative financial instruments

Fair value of the USD GBP cross currency fixed interest rate swaps¹

Fair value of the USD GBP cross currency floating interest rate swaps³

Fair value of forward currency contracts

Current assets: derivative financial instruments

Fair value of the USD GBP cross currency fixed interest rate swaps¹

Fair value of the USD GBP cross currency floating interest rate swaps³

Fair value of the GBP euro cross currency floating interest rate swaps²

Fair value of forward currency contracts¹

Current liabilities: derivative financial instruments

Fair value of forward currency contracts¹

Fair value of forward currency contracts

Fair value of the GBP euro cross currency floating interest rate swaps²

Non-current liabilities: derivative financial instruments

Fair value of the GBP euro cross currency fixed interest rate swaps²

Fair value of forward currency contracts¹

1 

2 

3 

Instruments designated as part of a cash flow hedge relationship.

Instruments designated as part of a net investment hedge relationship.

Instruments designated as part of a fair value hedge relationship.

Derivatives designated as part of hedge relationships
As at 29 September 2019 these hedging relationships are categorised as follows:

2019 
 £m

2018 
 £m

30.1

9.3

0.1

39.5

0.6

26.9

0.3

2.1

29.9

(0.4)

(0.2)

(0.1)

(0.7)

(3.1)

–

(3.1)

15.2

25.1

0.2

40.5

33.0

2.9

0.4

1.6

37.9

(0.4)

(0.3)

–

(0.7)

(4.1)

(0.1)

(4.2)

Cash flow hedges
Forward currency contracts
The forward currency contracts hedge the expected future purchases in the period to March 2021 and have been assessed as part of effective 
cash flow hedge relationships as at 29 September 2019.

Cross currency interest rate swaps
USD GBP cross currency interest rate swaps
The Group has a number of cross currency interest rate swaps in respect of the 2009 and 2010 USPP Notes. These instruments swap the 
principal and interest from fixed rate US dollar into floating rate sterling (the ‘2009 and 2010 USD GBP cross currency interest rate swaps’). The 
cross currency interest rate swaps are designated as part of a fair value hedge relationship with the USPP Notes.

The fair value movements on the 2009 and 2010 USD GBP cross currency interest rate instruments are recorded in the consolidated income 
statement, with a corresponding adjustment to the carrying value of the USPP Notes where the hedge is deemed effective.

The increase in fair value of the cross currency interest rate swaps, excluding maturities, of £1.0m (2018: £0.7m decrease) has been recognised in 
finance costs and offset with a similar loss on the borrowings of £0.5m (2018: £0.5m gain). The net gain of £0.5m (2018: £0.2m loss) represents 
the ineffective portion on the hedges of the debt.

124 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

25. Derivatives and hedge relationships continued
Cash flow hedge net unrealised gains/(losses) and related deferred tax assets/(liabilities):

2019

Forward currency contracts

2007 cross currency swaps

2010 cross currency swaps

2014 cross currency swaps

2018

Forward currency contracts

2007 cross currency swaps

2010 cross currency swaps

2014 cross currency swaps

 Net 
unrealised 
gain/(loss) 
within equity 
£m

 Related 
deferred tax 
asset/(liability) 
£m

(1.7)

–

1.7

1.2

0.4

–

(0.3)

(0.2)

 Net unrealised 
gain/(loss) 
within equity 
£m

 Related 
deferred tax 
asset/
(liability) 
£m

1.3

(0.1)

(3.6)

(6.4)

(0.2)

–

0.6

1.1

Fair value hedges
Cross currency interest rate swaps
The Group has a number of cross currency interest rate swaps in respect of the 2009 and 2010 USPP Notes. These instruments swap the 
principal and interest from fixed rate US dollar into floating rate sterling (the ‘2009 and 2010 USD GBP cross currency interest rate swaps’). The 
cross currency interest rate swaps are designated as part of a fair value hedge relationship with the USPP Notes.

The fair value movements on the 2009 and 2010 USD GBP cross currency interest rate instruments are recorded in the consolidated income 
statement, with a corresponding adjustment to the carrying value of the Notes where the hedge is deemed effective.

The increase in fair value of the cross currency interest rate swaps, excluding maturities, of £0.6m (2018: £0.7m decrease) has been recognised in 
finance costs and offset with a similar loss on the borrowings of £0.1m (2018: £0.5m gain). The net gain of £0.5m (2018: £0.2m loss) represents 
the ineffective portion on the hedges of the debt.

Net investment hedges
2009 and 2010 GBP EUR cross currency interest rate swaps
These instruments swap sterling liabilities arising from the 2009 and 2010 USD GBP cross currency interest rate swaps into euro liabilities and 
have been designated as part of effective hedges of the net investments in Britvic France and Britvic Ireland.

The GBP EUR cross currency interest rate swaps, along with the underlying loan instruments, are being used to hedge the Group’s exposure 
to foreign exchange risk on these euro investments. Movements in the fair value of the GBP EUR cross currency interest rate swaps are taken 
to equity where they offset foreign exchange movements on the translation of the net investments in Britvic France and Britvic Ireland.

No ineffectiveness has been recognised in the consolidated income statement (2018: £nil).

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

125

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

25. Derivatives and hedge relationships continued
Impact of derivatives and hedge relationships on the consolidated statement of comprehensive income

2019
 £m

2018 
 £m

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

Amounts recycled to the income statement in respect of cash flow hedges 

Forward currency contracts*

2007 cross currency interest rate swaps**

2010 cross currency interest rate swaps**

2014 cross currency interest rate swaps**

Ineffectiveness recognised in the income statement in respect of cash flow hedges

2010 cross currency interest rate swaps**

Gains/(losses) in the period in respect of cash flow hedges

Forward currency contracts

2007 cross currency interest rate swaps

2010 cross currency interest rate swaps

2014 cross currency interest rate swaps

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Movement on 2009 GBP euro cross currency interest rate swaps

Movement on 2010 GBP euro cross currency interest rate swaps

Movement on Euro loans designated as net investment hedges

Exchange movements on translation of foreign operations

*  Offsetting amounts recorded in cost of sales.

**   Offsetting amounts recorded in finance income/costs.

26. Provisions

At 1 October 2017

Provisions made during the year

Provisions utilised during the year

Unused amounts reversed

Exchange differences

At 30 September 2018

Provisions made during the year

Provisions utilised during the year

Unused amounts reversed

Exchange differences

At 29 September 2019

Current

Non-current

At 29 September 2019

Current

Non-current

At 30 September 2018

126 

1.5

32.7

(2.7)

(5.3)

26.2

–

–

(1.0)

(32.6)

4.5

10.4

(18.7)

(0.5)

(0.4)

0.1

1.5

0.7

Restructuring 
£m

Other
 £m

0.4

6.4

(1.2)

–

0.1

5.7

1.0

(2.5)

–

–

4.2

3.8

0.4

4.2

1.6

4.1

5.7

8.3

–

(2.3)

(0.5)

(1.2)

4.3

–

(1.2)

(0.1)

0.1

3.1

0.3

2.8

3.1

1.0

3.3

4.3

1.0

(2.7)

3.7

(2.4)

(0.4)

(0.5)

(0.5)

(0.8)

1.9

(3.6)

(0.1)

(2.6)

(0.5)

(0.4)

0.1

(34.3)

(35.1)

Total 
 £m

8.7

6.4

(3.5)

(0.5)

(1.1)

10.0

1.0

(3.7)

(0.1)

0.1

7.3

4.1

3.2

7.3

2.6

7.4

10.0

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

26. Provisions continued
Restructuring provisions
Restructuring provisions at 29 September 2019 and 30 September 2018 primarily relate to contract termination costs, consultation fees and 
employee termination benefits, recognised by the Group following the implementation of cost initiatives announced in 2016. These costs include 
provisions for the closure of the Norwich site as announced in October 2017. Provisions due in more than one year are expected to be settled 
on the closure of the Norwich site during 2020. The impact of discounting was deemed to be immaterial.

Other provisions
Other provisions at 29 September 2019 and 30 September 2018 primarily relate to onerous lease provisions that have arisen due to the exit 
of certain Group premises, and the period over which these will be settled ranges from 1 to 8 years and certain provisions recognised on the 
acquisition of subsidiaries in Brazil which relate to regulatory and legal claims and are expected to be settled in 1 to 5 years. The impact of 
discounting was deemed to be immaterial.

27. Share-based payments
Britvic operates a broad base of employee plans as well as executive plans. In GB Britvic operates SIP plans for all employees, whereas outside 
of GB Britvic operates both share-settled and cash-settled plans. Executives participate in ESOP and PSP plans and the senior leadership team 
participates in PSP plans.

The expense recognised for share-based payments in respect of employee services received during the 52 weeks ended 29 September 2019, 
including National Insurance is £11.3m (2018: £5.6m). This expense arises from transactions which are expected to be equity-settled share-based 
payment transactions.

The Britvic Share Incentive Plan (‘SIP’)
The SIP is an all-employee HMRC approved share plan open to employees based in GB. Employees are entitled to receive the annual free share 
award, where granted by the Group, provided they are employed by the company on the last day of each financial year and on the award date. 
Employees can not sell these shares for three years from their date of award. Employees also have the opportunity to invest up to £138 every 4 
weeks (£1,800 per year) through the partnership share scheme. This is deducted from their gross salary. Matching shares are offered on the basis 
of one free matching share for each ordinary share purchased with a participant’s savings, up to a maximum of £50 (2018: £50) per four week 
pay period.

Awards made during the period are shown in the table below. The fair value of these awards is equivalent to the intrinsic value of the shares.

Annual free shares award

Matching shares award – 1 free share for every ordinary share purchased

2019 
No. of shares

323,363

86,131

 2019 
Weighted 
average fair 
value

838.7p

865.9p

 2018
No. of shares

354,970

101,665

 2018
Weighted 
average fair 
value

791.5p

758.6p

The Britvic Executive Share Option Plan (‘ESOP’)
The ESOP allows for options to buy ordinary shares to be granted to executives. The option price is the average market price of Britvic plc’s shares 
on the three business days before the date of grant. Options become exercisable on the satisfaction of the performance condition and remain 
exercisable until 10 years after the date of grant.

Options granted in 2019
The performance condition requires the increase in EPS of 3% – 8% p.a. compound over a three year performance period for the options to vest. 
If the EPS growth is 3%, 20% of the options will vest, with full vesting at 8% EPS growth. Straight-line apportionment will be applied between 
these two levels to determine the number of options that vest and no options will vest if the EPS growth is below the lower threshold.

Options granted in 2018
Options granted in 2018 were as per the options granted in 2019 outlined above.

In some circumstances, at the discretion of the company, an option holder who exercises his/her option may receive a cash payment rather than 
the ordinary shares under option. The cash payment would be equal to the amount by which the market value of the ordinary shares under option 
exceeds the option price. However, it is expected that this plan will be equity-settled and as a consequence has been accounted for as such.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

127

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

27. Share-based payments continued
The following table illustrates the movements in the number of share options during the period:

Outstanding at 1 October 2017

Granted

Exercised

Lapsed

Outstanding at 30 September 2018

Granted

Exercised

Lapsed

Outstanding at 29 September 2019

Exercisable at 29 September 2019

 Number 
 of share 
options

4,965,867

934,092

(246,711)

(655,335)

4,997,912

844,872

(398,524)

(818,861)

4,625,399

1,971,903

 Weighted 
average 
exercise price 
(pence)

579.2

792.4

387.4

653.9

618.7

826.3

563.0

696.2

647.7

572.5

The weighted average share price for share options exercised during the period was 862.4p (2018: 792.1p).

The share options outstanding as at 29 September 2019 had a weighted average remaining contractual life of 5.6 years (2018: 6.5 years) and the 
range of exercise prices was 221.0p – 902.0p (2018: 221.0p – 810.0p).

The weighted average fair value of options granted during the period was 101.5p (2018: 116.7p).

The fair value of equity-settled share options granted is estimated as at the date of grant using a binomial model, taking account of the terms and 
conditions upon which the options were granted.

The Britvic Performance Share Plan (‘PSP’)
The PSP allows for awards of ordinary shares or nil cost options to be made to selected employees with vesting subject to the satisfaction of 
performance conditions, where different performance conditions apply to different groups of employees. Awards up to and including 2009 and 
2011 and later were made in respect of ordinary shares. Awards granted between 2009 and 2011 were nil cost options. Nil cost options remain 
exercisable until 7 or 10 years after the date of grant for employees based in Ireland and UK respectively, whereas awards of ordinary shares are 
exercised when vested.

Awards granted in 2019
Three awards were granted in 2019. 

The first award is split between the senior leadership team and the senior management team. The performance condition applied to awards 
granted to members of the senior leadership team is divided 75% and 25% between EPS and the total shareholder return (TSR) performance 
conditions respectively. EPS is the only condition applied to awards granted to the senior management team. The EPS condition is the same 
as described in the ESOP section for options granted in 2015.

The TSR condition measures the company’s TSR relative to a comparator group (consisting of 16 companies) over a three year performance 
period. The awards will not vest unless the company’s position in the comparator group is at least median. At median 20% will vest, rising on 
a straight-line basis to 100% vesting at upper quartile.

The second award was granted to members of the senior management team. EPS is the only condition applied to awards granted to the senior 
management team.

In some circumstances, at the discretion of the company, vested awards may be satisfied by a cash payment rather than a transfer of ordinary 
shares. However, it is expected that this plan will be equity-settled and as a consequence has been accounted for as such.

The third award is an exceptional award under the PSP and has been awarded to selected employees. The performance condition applied to 
awards granted is continued employment for three years from date of grant.

Awards granted in 2018
Awards granted in 2018 were as per the three awards in 2019 outlined above.

128 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

27. Share-based payments continued
The following tables illustrate the movements in the number of PSP shares and nil cost options during the period:

Number of shares and nil cost options subject to specific conditions

TSR condition

 EPS condition

Outstanding at 1 October 2017

Granted

Exercised

Lapsed

Outstanding at 30 September 2018

Granted

Exercised

Lapsed

Outstanding at 29 September 2019

536,352

140,085

(129,077)

(89,003)

458,357

131,697

(73,011)

(99,072)

3,194,915

944,259

(433,462)

(837,637)

2,868,075

861,275

(327,362)

(688,565)

417,971

2,713,423

 Continued 
employment 
condition

277,567

138,692

–

(33,727)

382,532

65,152

(141,326)

(27,515)

278,843

Weighted average remaining contracted life in years for nil cost options outstanding at:

29 September 2019

30 September 2018

2.2

3.2

1.7

2.9

–

–

Key assumptions used to determine the fair value of the ESOP and PSP
The fair value of options and awards granted is estimated as at the date of grant, taking account of the terms and conditions upon which shares 
options were granted. The fair value of the award subject to the TSR condition is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation. The fair value of all 
other awards is calculated using the share price at the date of grant, adjusted for dividends not received during the vesting period.

The following table lists the inputs to the model used in respect of the PSP awards and ESOP options granted during the financial year:

Dividend yield (%)

Expected volatility (%)

Risk-free interest rate (%)

Expected life of option (years)

Share price at date of grant (pence)

Exercise price (pence)

2019 

3.41%

21.40%

0.8%

3 – 5

2018 

3.32%

22.60%

0.6%

3 – 5

805.0 – 890.0 533.0 – 809.5

820.0 – 902.0 542.0 – 810.0

The expected volatility reflects the assumption that the historical volatility is indicative of future trends, which may also not necessarily be the 
actual outcome.

28. Notes to the consolidated cash flow statement
Analysis of net debt

Cash and cash equivalents

Debt due within one year

Debt due after more than one year

Derivatives hedging the balance sheet debt*

Adjusted net debt

Cash and cash equivalents

Debt due within one year

Debt due after more than one year

Derivatives hedging the balance sheet debt*

Adjusted net debt

2018
£m

109.5

(171.4)

(597.7)

(659.6)

84.1

(575.5)

2017
£m

82.5 

(89.7)

(582.7)

(589.9)

87.0

(502.9)

 Cash flows
£m

 Exchange 
differences
£m 

 Other 
movement
£m 

(60.8)

69.8

–

9.0

–

9.0

0.3

5.2

10.3

15.8

(15.8)

–

–

(69.9)

70.2

0.3

–

0.3

Cash flows
£m

Exchange 
differences
£m

Other 
movement
£m

28.4

27.9

(119.9)

(63.6)

(6.5)

(70.1)

(1.4)

4.9

(2.2)

1.3

3.6

4.9

–

(114.5)

107.1

(7.4)

–

(7.4)

 2019
£m

49.0

(166.3)

(157.2)

(634.5)

68.3

(566.2)

2018
£m

109.5

(171.4)

(597.7)

(659.6)

84.1

(575.5)

* 

Represents the element of the fair value of interest rate currency swaps hedging the balance sheet value of the USPP Notes. This amount has been disclosed separately to demonstrate 
the impact of foreign exchange movements which are included in debt due after more than one year.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

129

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

29. Commitments and contingencies
Operating lease commitments
Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:

Within one year

After one year but not more than five years

After more than five years

Within one year

After one year but not more than five years

After more than five years

Finance lease commitments
Future minimum lease payments under finance leases are as follows:

Within one year

After one year but not more than five years

Land and 
buildings 
 £m

4.0

10.5

28.1

42.6

Land and 
buildings 
 £m

3.7

9.8

25.5

39.0

2019

Total
 £m

7.9

15.8

28.2

51.9

2018

Total
 £m

8.0

15.4

25.5

48.9

2018 
 £m

0.8

1.0

1.8

Other 
£m 

3.9

5.3

0.1

9.3

Other 
£m

4.3

5.6

–

9.9

2019 
 £m

0.7

0.3

1.0

Due to the timing of the expiry of the finance lease commitments, there is no material difference between the total future minimum lease 
payments and their fair value.

Capital commitments
At 29 September 2019 the Group has commitments of £58.5m (2018: £31.3m) relating to the acquisition of new plant and machinery, of which 
£52m relates to the CHP plant. Under IFRS 16 this balance will come onto the balance sheet during 2020, when the plant is bought into use. 

Contingent liabilities
The Group had no material contingent liabilities at 29 September 2019 (2018: none).

130 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

30. Related party disclosures
The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Britvic plc and the subsidiaries listed in the table below.

Principal activity

Country of incorporation

% equity interest

Name

Directly held

Britannia Soft Drinks Limited

Britvic Finance No 2 Limited

Indirectly held

Britvic EMEA Limited

Britvic Soft Drinks Limited

Robinsons Soft Drinks Limited

Orchid Drinks Limited

Red Devil Energy Drinks Limited

Britvic International Investments Limited

Britvic Overseas Limited

Britvic Pensions Limited

Britvic Property Partnership

Britvic Brands LLP

Britvic Asset Company No.1 Limited

Britvic Asset Company No.2 Limited

Britvic Asset Company No.3 Limited

Britvic Asset Company No.4 Limited

Britvic Finance Partnership LLP

Robinsons (Finance) No.2 Limited

Holding company

Financing company

Marketing and distribution of soft drinks

Manufacture and sale of soft drinks

Holding company

Brand licence holder

Brand licence holder

Holding company

Holding company

Dormant

Pension funding vehicle

Pension funding vehicle

Pension funding vehicle

Pension funding vehicle

Pension funding vehicle

Pension funding vehicle

Financing company

Financing company

Britvic Scottish Limited Partnership

Pension funding vehicle

Britvic Finance Limited

Britvic Irish Holdings Limited

Britvic Ireland Limited

Financing company

Holding company

Manufacture and marketing of soft drinks

Britvic Northern Ireland Limited

Marketing and distribution of soft drinks

Aquaporte Limited

Britvic Americas Limited

Britvic Ireland Pension Trust DAC

Robinsons (Finance) Limited

Supply of water-coolers and bottled water

Marketing and distribution of soft drinks

Pension trust company

Financing company

Counterpoint Wholesale (Ireland) Limited

Wholesale of soft drinks to the licensed trade

Counterpoint Wholesale (NI) Limited

Wholesale of soft drinks to the licensed trade

Britvic Northern Ireland Pensions Trust Limited

Pension trust company

Britvic North America LLC

Britvic France SAS

Fruité Entreprises SAS

Fruité SAS

Bricfruit SAS

Unisource SAS

Teisseire France SAS

Teisseire Benelux SA

Britvic Brasil Holdings SA

Marketing and distribution of soft drinks

Holding partnership

Holding company

Manufacture and sale of soft drinks

Manufacture and sale of soft drinks

Manufacture and sale of soft drinks

Manufacture and sale of soft drinks

Marketing and distribution of soft drinks

Holding company

Empresa Brasileira de Bebidas e Alimentos SA

Manufacture and sale of soft drinks

Bela Ischia Alimentos Ltda

Manufacture and sale of soft drinks

England and Wales¹
Jersey3

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹
Scotland5

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹
Scotland5
Jersey4
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6
Northern Ireland7
Northern Ireland7
USA8
France9
France9
France11
France10
France12
France9
Belgium13
Brazil14
Brazil15
Brazil16

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

131

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the consolidated financial statements continued

30. Related party disclosures continued
Name

Britvic Asia PTE. Ltd

Principal activity

Holding company

Britvic India Manufacturing Private Limited

Non-trading

Britvic International Support Services Limited

Greenbank Drinks Company Limited

The Really Wild Drinks Company Limited

H. D. Rawlings Limited

R. White & Sons Limited

Idris Limited

The Southern Table Water Company Limited

Britvic Corona Limited

Britvic Beverages Limited

Sunfresh Soft Drinks Limited

The London Essence Company Limited

Hooper, Struve & Company Limited

British Vitamin Products Limited

Britvic Healthcare Trustee Limited

Wisehead Productions Limited

Britvic Licensed Wholesale Limited

Knockton Limited

Britvic Munster Limited

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

Dormant

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

Registered office: Breakspear Park, Breakspear Way, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 4TZ

Registered office: 9 Roding Road, Beckton, London E6 6LF

Registered office: IFC 5, St Helier, Jersey, JE1 1ST

Registered office: Portman House, Hue Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE4 5RP

Registered office: 1 Exchange Crescent, Conference Square, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH3 8UL

Registered office: IFSC, 25-28 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland

Registered office: 42-46 Fountain Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 5EF

Registered office: 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, United States of America

Registered office: 482 Avenue Ambroise Croizat 38926, Crolles, France

10  Registered office: La Jaunaie-44690, Chateau-Tebaud, France

11  Registered office: Z.I. Les Afforêts 74800, La Roche-sur-Foron, France

12  Registered office: Z.I. de la Mouline 34440, Nissan-lez-Enserune, France

13  Registered office: Rue Emile Francqui 11, 1435 Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium

14  Registered office: Avenue Reboucas, No. 3842, Pinheiros, CEP 05402-600, São Paulo, Brazil

15  Registered office: Avenida Consul Joseph Noujaim 40, Pina, Recife, Pernambuco, CEP 51110-150, São Paulo, Brazil

16  Registered office: Rodovia MG 285-KM 77, sem número, Centro, CEP 36780-000, Astolfo Dutra/MG, Brazil

17  Registered office: 80 Robinson Road #17-02, Singapore 068898, Singapore

18  Registered office: 9SE, 9th Floor, The Ruby, 29 Senapati Bapatmarg, Dadar (West), Mumbai-400028, India

Country of incorporation

% equity interest

Singapore17
India18

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹
England and Wales2

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹

England and Wales¹
England and Wales2
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6
Republic of Ireland6

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Key management personnel are deemed to be the Executive and Non-Executive Directors of the company and members of the Executive 
Committee. The compensation payable to key management in the period is detailed below.

Short-term employee benefits 

Post employment benefits 

Share-based payments

See note 8 for details of Directors’ emoluments.

There were no other related party transactions requiring disclosure in these financial statements.

2019
 £m

4.9

0.5

5.2

10.6

2018 
£m

5.9

0.5

1.6

8.0

132 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

31. Assets held for sale
On 12 November we announced the decision of the board of directors to enter into exclusive discussions with Refresco over the potential sale by 
Britvic of its three juice manufacturing sites in France, its private label juice business, and the Fruité brand. The proposed sale is subject to a 
consultation process with the relevant employee representatives, which has now been initiated, and also subject to competition clearance by the 
French Competition Authority.

The proposed transaction would complete in spring 2020. As part of the transaction, Pressade and Fruit Shoot would be supplied by Refresco 
under a long-term manufacturing agreement, creating a smaller but higher margin business in France, enabling the local management team to 
focus on growing our profitable brand portfolio.

In accordance with IFRS 5 the major classes of assets and liabilities classified as held for sale as at 29 September 2019 are as follows:

Assets

Intangible assets (note 14)

Property, plant & equipment (note 13)

Inventories

Trade & other receivables

Total assets held for sale

Impairment charge

Assets held for sale

Liabilities

Trade & other payables

Pension liability (note 22)

Deferred tax liability

Liabilities directly associated with disposal group

Net assets directly associated with disposal group

2019
£’m 

4.7

33.7

11.7

23.2

73.3

(31.2)

42.1

26.4

1.3

0.7

28.4

13.7

32. Acquisition of subsidiaries
The final tranche of the deferred consideration payable on the acquisition of Ebba of £35.9m (BR$152.2m) was paid during 2018. 

On 2 February 2017 the Group completed the acquisition of the trade and assets of East Coast Suppliers Limited a licensed wholesaler in Ireland. 
Deferred consideration of £0.2m (€0.3m) is due 36 months from completion (i.e. 2020).

33. Post balance sheet events
There are no post balance sheet events, other than the potential sale described in note 31. 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

133

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Company balance sheet

Non-current assets

Investments in group undertakings

Other receivables

Derivative financial instruments

Deferred tax asset

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

Derivative financial instruments

Cash and cash equivalents

Current liabilities

Bank overdraft

Trade and other payables

Interest bearing loans and borrowings

Derivative financial instruments

Other payables

Net current assets

Total assets less current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Interest bearing loans and borrowings

Derivative financial instruments

Other non-current liabilities

Net assets

Capital and reserves

Issued share capital

Share premium account

Own shares reserve

Hedging reserve

Merger reserve
Retained earnings*
Total equity

29 September 
2019 
 £m

30 September 
2018
 £m

Note

5

9

6

9

7

8

9

8

9

10

706.8

2.5

39.4

0.4

749.1

576.3

27.8

–

604.1

(14.7)

(76.2)

(317.9)

(0.2)

(2.5)

(411.5)

192.6

941.7

787.0

2.7

40.3

1.6

831.6

509.7

36.3

51.3

597.3

–

(74.4)

(384.8)

–

–

(459.2)

138.1

969.7

(516.8)

(596.7)

(3.1)

–

(4.1)

(2.5)

(519.9)

(603.3)

421.8

366.4

53.1

145.5

(10.3)

(2.3)

87.3

148.5

421.8

52.9

139.1

(5.4)

(8.4)

87.3

100.9

366.4

* 

The company has taken advantage of the exemption permitted by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 not to publish its individual profit and loss account and related notes. 
The company made a profit attributable to the equity shareholders of £121.3m in the period (2018: loss £7.4m).

The financial statements were approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue on 27 November 2019. They were signed on its 
behalf by:

Simon Litherland   

Joanne Wilson

134 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

 
Company statement of changes in equity

At 1 October 2017

52.8

133.9

(3.7)

Issued share 
capital 
 £m

Share premium 
account 
 £m

Own shares 
reserve 
£m

Hedging 
reserve 
 £m

(5.9)

Merger 
reserve 
 £m

87.3

Retained 
earnings 
 £m

181.6

Loss for the period

Movement in cash flow hedges

Deferred tax in respect of cash 
flow hedges

Total comprehensive expense

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Issue of shares

0.1

5.2

Own shares purchased for share 
schemes

Own shares utilised for share 
schemes

Movement in share based 
schemes

Payment of dividend

At 30 September 2018

Profit for the period

Movement in cash flow hedges

Deferred tax in respect of cash 
flow hedges

Total comprehensive income

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

52.9

139.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Issue of shares

0.2

6.4

Own shares purchased for share 
schemes

Own shares utilised for 
share schemes

Movement in share 
based schemes

Payment of dividend

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(4.4)

(5.2)

7.9

–

–

(5.4)

–

–

–

–

(4.3)

(9.0)

8.4

–

–

–

(3.0)

0.5

(2.5)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(8.4)

87.3

–

7.3

(1.2)

6.1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

At 29 September 2019

53.1

145.5

(10.3)

(2.3)

87.3

(7.4)

–

–

(7.4)

–

–

(7.1)

5.5

(71.7)

100.9

121.3

–

–

121.3

–

–

(7.5)

9.4

(75.6)

148.5

Total 
£m

446.0

(7.4)

(3.0)

0.5

(9.9)

0.9

(5.2)

0.8

5.5

(71.7)

366.4

121.3

7.3

(1.2)

127.4

2.3

(9.0)

0.9

9.4

(75.6)

421.8

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

135

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the company financial statements

1. Significant accounting policies, judgements, estimates and assumptions
Statement of compliance with Financial Reporting Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure Framework (FRS 101)
The company meets the definition of a qualifying entity under Financial Reporting Standard 100 (FRS 100) issued by the Financial Reporting 
Council. Accordingly, these financial statements were prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure 
Framework (FRS 101) and in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis of preparation
These financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis and in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and applicable UK accounting 
standards and present information about the company as an individual undertaking, and not about its group.

The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention except for the measurement of derivative instruments at fair value. The 
company has taken advantage of the exemption permitted by Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 not to publish its individual profit and loss 
account and related notes.

The financial statements are presented in GBP sterling and all values are rounded to the nearest million pounds (£ million). As permitted by FRS 
101, the company has taken advantage of the disclosure exemptions available in relation to:

(a) the requirements of IFRS 7 ‘Financial Instruments: Disclosures’;
(b) the requirement of IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’;
(c) the requirements of paragraphs 10(d), 10(f), 16, 38A, 38B, 38C, 38D, 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, 111 and 134 to 136 of IAS 1 ‘Presentation of 

Financial Statements’;

(d) the requirements of IAS 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’;
(e) the requirements of paragraphs 30 and 31 of IAS 8 ‘Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors’ in relation to standards 

not yet effective;

(f)  the requirements of paragraphs 17 and 18A of IAS 24 ‘Related Party Disclosures’; and
(g) the requirements of IAS 24 ‘Related Party Disclosures’ to disclose related party transactions entered into between two or more members 

of a group, provided that any subsidiary which is a party to the transaction is wholly owned by such a member.

Where required, equivalent disclosures are given in the consolidated financial statements of Britvic plc.

Significant accounting policies: use of judgement, estimates and assumptions
The preparation of financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported 
for assets and liabilities as at the balance sheet date and the amounts reported for income and expenditure during the year. However, the nature 
of estimation means that the actual outcomes could differ from those estimates. There are no significant judgements and estimates relevant 
to these financial statements.

Foreign currency translations
The company’s financial statements are presented in sterling, which is also the company’s functional currency.

Transactions in foreign currencies are initially recorded in the entity’s functional currency by applying the spot exchange rate ruling at the date 
of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rate of exchange ruling at the balance 
sheet date. Any resulting exchange differences are included in the income statement and should be read in conjunction with the information 
provided under Derivative financial instrument and hedging in notes 3, 24 and 25 of the consolidated financial statements.

Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates as at the dates of 
the initial transactions. Non-monetary items measured at fair value in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates at the date when 
the fair value was determined.

Investments
The company recognises its investments in subsidiaries at cost less any provisions made for impairment. The company assesses investments 
for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an investment may not be recoverable. If any 
such indication of impairment exists, the company makes an estimate of its recoverable amount. Where the carrying amount of an investment 
exceeds its recoverable amount, the investment is considered impaired and is written down to its recoverable amount.

In respect of IFRS 2 ‘Share-based payment’, the company records an increase in its investment in subsidiaries to reflect the share-based 
compensation expense recorded by its subsidiaries.

Share-based payments
The cost of the equity-settled transactions with employees of other members within the group is measured by reference to the fair value at the 
date at which equity instruments are granted and is recognised as a capital contribution in investments in subsidiary undertakings over the vesting 
period, which ends on the date on which the employees become fully entitled to the award. A corresponding credit is recognised within equity. 
Fair value is determined by using an appropriate, widely used, valuation model. In valuing equity-settled transactions, no account is taken of any 
vesting conditions, other than conditions linked to the price of the shares of the company (market conditions).

136 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

1. Significant accounting policies, judgements, estimates and assumptions continued
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents includes cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks and other short-term highly liquid investments with original 
maturities of three months or less, which are readily convertible into known amounts of cash and subject to insignificant risk of changes in value.

For the purposes of the statement of cash flows, bank overdrafts repayable on demand are a component of cash and cash equivalents.

Income taxes
The current income tax is based on taxable profits for the period, after any adjustments in respect of prior periods. It is calculated using taxation 
rates enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date and is measured at the amount expected to be recovered from or paid to the 
taxation authorities.

Provision is made for deferred tax liabilities, or credit taken for deferred tax assets, on all material temporary differences between the tax base 
of assets and liabilities and their carrying values in the financial statements.

Deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is regarded as probable that future taxable profits will be available against which the 
temporary differences can be utilised.

Financial assets
All financial assets held by the company are classified as loans and receivables. Financial assets include cash and cash equivalents, other 
receivables and loans. The company determines the classification of its financial assets at initial recognition. Financial assets are recognised 
initially at fair value, normally being the transaction price plus directly attributable transaction costs.

Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in active markets, do not qualify 
as trading assets and have been designated as either fair value through profit or loss or available for sale. Such assets are carried at amortised cost 
using the effective interest method if the time value of money is significant. Gains and losses are recognised in the profit and loss account when 
loans and receivables are derecognised or impaired.

Finance costs arising from the outstanding loan balance and finance charges are charged to the profit and loss account using an effective interest 
rate method.

Financial liabilities
All financial liabilities are initially recognised in the balance sheet at fair value less directly attributable transactions costs and are subsequently 
measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method.

Gains and losses arising on the repurchase, settlement or other cancellation of liabilities are recognised respectively in finance income and 
finance cost.

Dividends
Dividend income is recognised when the company’s right to receive payment is established. Final dividends are recorded in the financial 
statements in the period in which they are approved by the company’s shareholders. Interim dividends are recorded in the period in which 
they are declared.

Derivative financial instruments
The company uses derivative financial instruments such as forward currency contracts and interest rate swaps to hedge its risks associated 
with foreign currency and interest rate fluctuations. All derivative financial instruments are initially recognised and subsequently remeasured 
at fair value. Derivatives are carried as assets when the fair value is positive and as liabilities when the fair value is negative.

The fair value of forward currency contracts is calculated by reference to current forward exchange rates for contracts with similar maturity 
profiles. The fair value of interest rate swap contracts is determined by reference to market values for similar instruments.

For those derivatives designated as hedges and for which hedge accounting is appropriate, the hedging relationship is documented at its 
inception. This documentation identifies the hedging instrument, the hedged item or transaction, the nature of the risk being hedged and how 
effectiveness will be measured throughout its duration. Such hedges are expected at inception to be highly effective.

Any gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value of derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are taken to the profit and loss 
account. The treatment of gains and losses arising from revaluing derivatives designated as hedging instruments depends on the nature of the 
hedging relationship, as follows:

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

137

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the company financial statements continued

1. Significant accounting policies, judgements, estimates and assumptions continued
Cash flow hedges
Hedges are classified as cash flow hedges when hedging exposure to variability in cash flows that is either attributable to a particular risk 
associated with a recognised asset or liability or a highly probable forecast transaction. For cash flow hedges, the effective portion of the gain 
or loss on the hedging instrument is recognised in other comprehensive income, while the ineffective portion is recognised in the profit and loss 
account. Amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income are transferred to the profit and loss account in the period in which the 
hedged item affects profit or loss, such as when a forecast sale occurs. However, when the forecast transaction results in the recognition of a 
non-financial asset or liability, the amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income are included in the initial carrying amount of the 
asset or liability.

If a forecast transaction is no longer expected to occur, amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income are transferred to the 
profit and loss account. If the hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised without replacement or rollover, or if its designation 
as a hedge is revoked, amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income remain in equity until the forecast transaction occurs and 
are then transferred to the profit and loss account or included in the initial carrying amount of a non-financial asset or liability as above.

Fair value hedges
Hedges of the change in fair value of recognised assets or liabilities are classified as fair value hedges. For fair value hedges, the gain or loss 
on the fair value of the hedging instrument is recognised in the profit and loss account. The gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the 
hedged risk adjusts the carrying amount of the hedged item and is also recognised in the profit and loss account. If the hedge relationship no 
longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, the hedged item would no longer be adjusted and the cumulative adjustment to its carrying 
amount would be amortised to the profit and loss account based on a recalculated effective interest rate. The fair value gain or loss on the 
hedging instrument would continue to be recorded in the profit and loss account.

Issued share capital
Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of new shares or options are shown in equity as 
a deduction, net of tax, from the proceeds.

Other reserves
Share premium account
The share premium account is used to record the excess of proceeds over the nominal value on the issue of shares.

Own shares reserve
The own shares reserve is used to record purchases and issues by the company of its own shares, which will be distributed to employees as and 
when share awards made under the Britvic employee share plans vest.

Hedging reserve
The hedging reserve records the effective portion of movements in the fair value of forward exchange contracts, interest rate and cross currency 
swaps that have been designated as hedging instruments in cash flow hedges.

Merger reserve
The merger reserve arose as a result of the non pre-emptive share placement which took place on 21 May 2010. It was executed using a structure 
which created a merger reserve under Section 612-3 of the Companies Act 2006.

Own shares
The cost of own shares held in employee share trusts and in treasury is deducted from shareholders’ equity until the shares are cancelled, 
reissued or disposed. Where such shares are subsequently sold or reissued, the fair value of any consideration received is also included 
in shareholders’ equity.

New standards and interpretations not applied
See note 3 of the consolidated financial statements for details of new standards and interpretations not applied.

2. Auditor’s remuneration
Auditor’s remuneration has been borne by another group undertaking. For further details, refer to note 7 of the consolidated financial statements.

3. Profit of the company
The company made a profit of £121.3m in the period (2018: loss £7.4m).

138 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

4. Directors’ remuneration
The remuneration of the Directors of the company is borne by another group company.

Directors’ emoluments

Aggregate gains made by directors on exercise of options

Number of directors accruing benefits under defined benefit schemes

2019
 £m

3.1

2.0

2019
 £m

–

2018
 £m

2.9

–

2018
 £m

–

Further information relating to Directors’ remuneration for the 52 weeks ended 29 September 2019 is shown in the Directors remuneration report 
on pages 60 – 65.

5. Investments in group undertakings

Cost and net book value at the beginning of the period

Capital contribution

Group restructuring* 

Cost and net book value at the end of the period

2019 
£m

787.0

11.4

(91.6)

706.8

2018 
 £m

781.4

5.6

–

787.0

* 

A project was undertaken during the year in order to simplify aspects of the Group structure, which resulted in the redemption of all of the fixed rate redeemable preference shares in the 
capital of one of the subsidiary companies for an aggregate price of £91.6m. 

The list of the subsidiary undertakings of which Britvic plc is, either directly or through subsidiary companies, the beneficial owner of the whole of 
the equity share capital is given in note 30 of the consolidated financial statements.

6. Trade and other receivables

Loans due from subsidiary undertakings

2019 
£m

576.3

576.3

2018
 £m

509.7

509.7

At initial application of IFRS 9, management considered the outstanding intercompany loans. These loans are repayable on demand. The Directors 
are confident that these amounts are fully recoverable and hence have applied a no Expected Credit Loss provision on the amounts owed.

7. Trade and other payables

Amounts due to subsidiary undertakings 

Accruals and deferred income

Other creditors

All of the amounts due to subsidiary undertakings are repayable on demand.

8. Interest bearing loans and borrowings

Current

Bank loans

Loans due to subsidiary undertakings

Private placement notes

Unamortised issue costs

Total current

Non-current

Private placement notes

Unamortised issue costs

Total non-current

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

2019
 £m

72.3

3.9

–

76.2

2019 
 £m

66.8

152.4

99.2

(0.5)

317.9

518.0

(1.2)

516.8

2018 
 £m

71.8

2.1

0.5

74.4

2018 
£m

58.1

214.4

112.9

(0.6)

384.8

598.0

(1.3)

596.7

139

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the company financial statements continued

8. Interest bearing loans and borrowings continued
Private placement notes
The Group holds loan notes with coupons and maturities as shown in the following table:

Year issued

2009

2010

2014

2014

2017

2017

2018

2018

2018

Maturity date

December 2019

December 2020 – December 2022

February 2021 – February 2024

February 2024– February 2026

February 2025 – February 2032

February 2027 – February 2032

June 2028 – June 2033

June 2030

June 2028

Amount

$120m

$113m

£35m

$114m

£120m

£55m

£65m

£20m

€40m

Interest terms

US$ fixed at 5.24%

US$ fixed at 4.04% – 4.14%

UK£ fixed at 3.40% – 3.92%

US$ fixed at 4.09% – 4.24%

UK£ fixed at 2.31% – 2.76%

UK£ LIBOR plus 1.32% – 1.36%

UK£ fixed at 2.66% – 2.88%

UK£ LIBOR plus 1.06%

€EURIBOR plus 0.65%

The company entered into a number of cross-currency swap agreements in relation to the loan notes to manage any foreign exchange risk on 
interest rates or on the repayment of the principal borrowed. These swaps expire in line with the loan notes and are discussed in note 25 of the 
consolidated financial statements.

See note 24 of the consolidated financial statements for an analysis of the interest rate profile and the maturity of the borrowings and related 
interest rate swaps.

Fair values of financial assets and financial liabilities
Hierarchy
The company uses the following valuation hierarchy to determine the carrying value of financial instruments that are measured at fair value: 

Level 1:  quoted (unadjusted) prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2:  other techniques for which all inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value are observable, either directly or indirectly. 
Level 3: 

techniques which use inputs which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value that are not based on observable market data.

Unless otherwise stated, the valuation basis used to calculate fair value is level 2.

All derivatives are valued using discounted cash flow analysis using the applicable yield curve for the duration of the instruments. Forward 
currency contracts are measured using quoted forward exchange rates and yield curves derived from quoted interest rates matching maturities 
of the contracts. Cross currency interest rate swaps are measured at the present value of future cash flows estimated and discounted based on 
quoted forward exchange rates and the applicable yield curves derived from quoted interest rates. Equity derivatives are measured using share 
prices and yield curves derived from quoted interest rates matching maturities of the contracts. The fair value of derivatives also includes the 
non-performance risk of both Britvic and its derivatives trading counterparties.

As in the prior year, the carrying value of financial assets and liabilities are considered to be reasonable approximations of their fair values, except 
for fixed rate borrowings.

140 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

9. Derivative financial instruments

Non-current assets: derivative financial instruments 

USD GBP cross currency fixed interest rate swaps 

USD GBP cross currency floating interest rate swaps 

Current assets: derivative financial instruments

USD GBP cross currency fixed interest rate swaps

USD GBP cross currency floating interest rate swaps

GBP euro cross currency floating interest rate swaps

Current liabilities: derivative financial instruments

GBP euro cross currency fixed interest rate swaps

Non-current liabilities: derivative financial instruments

GBP euro cross currency fixed interest rate swaps

2019 
£m

30.1

9.3

39.4

0.6

26.9

0.3

27.8

(0.2)

(0.2)

(3.1)

(3.1)

2018
 £m

15.2

25.1

40.3

33.0

2.9

0.4

36.3

–

–

(4.1)

(4.1)

Derivatives designated as part of hedge relationships
As at 29 September 2019 these hedging relationships are categorised as follows:

Cash flow hedges
Cross currency interest rate swaps
The company has a number of cross currency interest rate swaps relating to the 2007, 2010 and 2014 USPP Notes. The 2007 USPP note matured 
in the year ended 29th September 2019. These cross currency interest rate swaps have the effect of fixing both the value of the USD borrowings 
into sterling and the rate of interest payable. The cross currency interest rate swaps are designated as part of a cash flow hedge relationship with 
the USPP Notes.

Cash flows due under these cross currency interest rate swaps match the interest payment dates and maturity profile of the USPP Notes. 
The maturity profile of the USPP Notes can be seen in note 8.

During the year the cash flow hedge has been tested for effectiveness and as a result a £0.5m loss (2018: £0.5m loss) has been recognised 
in the income statement in respect of ineffectiveness.

Fair value hedges
Cross currency interest rate swaps
The company has a number of cross currency interest rate swaps in respect of the 2009 and 2010 USPP Notes. These instruments swap the 
principal and interest from fixed rate US dollar into floating rate sterling (the ‘2009 and 2010 USD GBP cross currency interest rate swaps’). 
The cross currency interest rate swaps are designated as part of a fair value hedge relationship with the USPP Notes.

The fair value movements on the 2009 and 2010 USD GBP cross currency interest rate swaps are recorded in the income statement, with 
a corresponding adjustment to the carrying value of the USPP Notes where the hedge is deemed effective.

The increase in fair value of the cross currency interest rate swaps, excluding maturities, of £0.6m (2018: £0.7m decrease) has been recognised in 
finance costs and offset with a similar loss on the borrowings of £0.1m (2018: £0.5m gain). The net gain of £0.5m (2018: £0.2m loss) represents 
the ineffective portion on the hedges of the debt.

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

141

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Statements
Notes to the company financial statements continued

10. Issued share capital
The issued share capital is wholly comprised of ordinary shares carrying one voting right each. The nominal value of each ordinary share is £0.20. 
There are no restrictions placed on the distribution of dividends, or the return of capital on a winding up or otherwise.

Issued, called up and fully paid ordinary shares

At 1 October 2017

Shares issued relating to incentive schemes for employees

At 30 September 2018

Shares issued relating to incentive schemes for employees

At 29 September 2019

No. of shares

Value
 £

263,797,000

52,759,400

809,911

161,982

264,606,911

52,921,382

903,826

180,765

265,510,737

53,102,147

Of the issued and fully paid ordinary shares, 1,180,721 shares (2018: 724,335 shares) are own shares held by an employee benefit trust. This 
equates to £236,144 (2018: £144,867) at £0.20 par value of each ordinary share. These shares are held for the purpose of satisfying the share 
schemes detailed in note 27 of the consolidated financial statements.

An explanation of the Group’s capital management process and objectives is set out in note 24 of the consolidated financial statements.

11. Dividends paid and proposed

Declared and paid during the period

Equity dividends on ordinary shares

Final dividend for 2018: 20.3p per share (2017: 19.3p per share)

Interim dividend for 2019: 8.3p per share (2018: 7.9p per share)

Dividends paid

Proposed

Final dividend for 2019: 21.7p per share (2018: 20.3p per share)

2019
 £m

53.6

22.0

75.6

57.6

2018 
 £m

50.8

20.9

71.7

53.7

12. Contingent liabilities
The company is co-guarantor of the Group’s bank loan and overdraft facilities. See note 18 of the consolidated financial statements.

13. Related undertakings
In accordance with Section 409 of the Companies Act 2006, a full list of related undertakings, the country of incorporation and the percentage 
of share capital owned as at 29 September 2019 is disclosed in note 30 in the consolidated financial statements.

Subsidiary undertakings are controlled by the Group and their results are fully consolidated in the Group’s financial statements.

142 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Additional Information
Shareholder information

Contacts
Britvic plc
Registered address: 
Breakspear Park, Breakspear Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 4TZ

Telephone: 
+44 (0)1442 284400

Company Secretary enquiries by email: 
company.secretariat@britvic.com

Investor relations enquiries by email: 
investors@britvic.com

Website:  
www.britvic.com

This report is available to download via the company’s website www.britvic.com/annualreport.

The Britvic Registrar:
Equiniti, Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex BN99 6DA

Shareholder helpline: 
0371 384 2550 (UK callers), +44 121 415 7019 (non-UK callers)

Shareview dealing:   
08456 037 037

ISA helpline: 
0845 300 0430

Employee helpline:   
0371 384 2520 (UK callers), +44 121 415 7018 (non-UK callers)

For those with hearing difficulties, a textphone is available on 0371 384 2255 for UK callers with compatible equipment.

Websites: 
www.equiniti.com, www.shareview.co.uk.

ADR Depositary Bank and Registrar:
BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, PO Box 505000, Louisville, KY 40233-5000, USA

Direct mailing for overnight packages: 
BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, 462 South 4th Street, Suite 1600, Louisville, KY 40202, USA

Investor helpline: 
+1-888-BNY-ADRs (USA callers, toll free), +1-201-680-6825 (non-USA callers) 

Email:  
shrrelations@cpushareownerservices.com 

Website:  
www.mybnymdr.com

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

143

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Additional Information
Shareholder information continued

Dividends
2019 dividends

Interim

Final

Payment date

12 July 2019

5 February 2020

Amount per share

8.3 pence

21.7 pence

Dividend mandates
Shareholders who wish to have their dividends paid directly into a sterling bank or building society account should contact the Registrar for a 
dividend mandate form or the form can be downloaded from the company’s website at www.britvic.com/investors/shareholder-centre/dividends.

Shareholders outside the UK who wish to have dividends paid directly to a bank account in their local currency should contact the Registrar 
helpline on +44 121 415 7019 as arrangements can be made in over 90 countries.

This method of payment removes the risk of delay or loss of dividend cheques in the post and ensures that your account is credited on the 
due date.

Dividend reinvestment plan (‘DRIP’)
Shareholders can choose to reinvest dividends received to purchase further shares in the company through the company’s DRIP. A DRIP 
application form is available via the Registrar or via download from the company’s website at www.britvic.com/investors/shareholder-centre/
dividends.

2019/20 financial calendar
Ex-dividend date

Record date

Annual General Meeting

Payment of final dividend

Interim results announcement

5 December 2019

6 December 2019

31 January 2020

5 February 2020

13 May 2020 (provisional date)

Further information
Stock exchange listings
Britvic is listed on the London Stock Exchange and can be found using the code BVIC. The company was floated through an IPO in 
November 2005.

Britvic American Depository Receipts are traded on OTCQX in the USA under the symbol BTVCY. OTCQX is an over-the-counter (‘OTC’) market, 
where securities not listed on major exchanges are traded directly by a network of dealers. One ADR represents two Britvic plc ordinary shares.

Share dealing services
The company’s Registrar, Equiniti Financial Services Limited, offers a telephone and internet dealing service, Shareview, which provides a simple 
and convenient way of buying and selling shares. For telephone dealings call 03456 037 037 between 8.00am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 
for internet dealings log onto www.shareview.co.uk/dealing.

Individual Savings Accounts (‘ISAs’)
ISAs in Britvic plc ordinary shares are available through Equiniti Financial Services Limited. Further information may be obtained through the ISA 
Helpline, telephone 0345 300 0430.

Warning to shareholders – boiler room fraud and other investment scams
Share or investment scams are often run from ‘boiler rooms’ where fraudsters cold-call investors offering them worthless, overpriced or even 
non-existent shares, or offer to buy their shares in a company at a higher price than the market value. Shareholders are advised to be very wary of 
any unsolicited advice, offers to buy shares at a discount or offers of free reports about the company. Even seasoned investors have been caught 
out by such fraudsters and it is estimated that £200m is lost in this way in the UK each year.

The Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’) has some helpful information about such scams on its website, including tips to protect your savings 
and how to report a suspected investment scam. Britvic encourages shareholders to read the information on the site, which can be accessed 
at www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart/share-bond-boiler-room-scams. If you suspect an attempt at fraud, report it to the FCA on 0800 111 6768.

144 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Electronic communications
Britvic has adopted website communication as the default method of communication with shareholders. We periodically contact shareholders 
to ask if they would prefer to receive hard copy documents. Shareholders who do not respond to this query within 28 days are deemed to have 
consented to website communication under the 2006 Companies Act provisions. Britvic will still send a paper notification to tell these 
shareholders when new documents are posted to the website.

Alternatively, shareholders can elect to receive these notifications by email, by registering with Shareview at www.shareview.co.uk. This will save 
on printing and distribution costs, creating environmental benefits. When registering, you will need your shareholder reference number which can 
be found on your share certificate or proxy form. Please contact Equiniti if you require any assistance or further information.

Shareholder profile as at 29 September 2019

Range of holdings

1-199

200-499

500-999

1,000-4,999

5,000-9,999

10,000-49,999

50,000-99,999

100,000-499,999

500,000-999,999

1,000,000 plus

Category

Private individuals

Nominee companies

Limited and public limited companies

Other corporate bodies

Pension funds, insurance companies and banks

Number of 
shareholders

Percentage 
 of total 
shareholders

Ordinary 
 shares
 (million)

24,541

100,671

240,974

1,862,102

1,455,583

4,568,860

5,904,128

34,595,013

27,257,797

15.76%

11.70%

13.22%

32.42%

8.03%

7.42%

3.07%

5.38%

1.40%

Percentage 
 of issued 
 share capital

0.01%

0.04%

0.09%

0.70%

0.55%

1.72%

2.22%

13.03%

10.27%

71.37%

100%

416

309

349

856

212

196

81

142

37

42

1.60% 189,501,068

2,640

100% 265,510,737

Number of 
shareholders

Percentage 
of total 
shareholders

Ordinary 
shares 
 (million)

Percentage 
 of issued
 share capital

1,736

65.76%

4,291,870

613

223

64

4

23.22% 214,499,423

8.45%

2.42%

0.15%

44,489,743

2,211,020

18,681

2,640

100% 265,510,737

1.62%

80.79%

16.76%

0.82%

0.01%

100%

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

145

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationAdditional Information
Non-GAAP reconciliations

Adjusting items
The Group includes adjusting items, which are income and expenses included in the financial statements that are disclosed separately because of 
their size, nature or infrequency to allow shareholders to understand better the elements of financial performance in the year, so as to facilitate 
comparison with prior periods and to assess trends in financial performance more readily. 

These items primarily relate to material projects such as the Business Capability Programme which included supply chain and back office 
transformation, and one-off items that are not considered part of business operations such as the pension revaluation charge that followed the 
Guaranteed Minimum Pension equalisation ruling in 2018. In addition, acquisition related costs such as amortisation of acquired intangibles and 
the impairment of assets held for sale as part of a disposal are also considered adjusting items.

Adjusted KPIs are used to measure the underlying profitability of the Group and enable comparison of performance against peers. They are also 
used in the calculation of short and long term reward schemes.

Adjusting items include fair value movements on financial instruments where hedge accounting cannot be applied on future transactions and also 
where hedge ineffectiveness is recognised. These items have been included within adjusting items because they are non-cash and do not form 
part of how management assess performance.

Strategic restructuring – business capability programme

Reversal of impairments of trademarks

Costs in relation to the acquisition and integration of subsidiaries

Strategic M&A Activity

Closure of Fruit Shoot multi-pack operations in USA

Impairment of assets held for sale

Pension scheme costs 

Fair value movements

Acquisition related amortisation 

Total included in operating profit

Fair value movements

Total included in finance costs

Tax on adjusting items included in profit before tax

Impact of change in France tax rate on deferred tax relating to acquisition fair value adjustments

Total included in taxation

Net adjusting items

52 weeks 
ended 
 29 September 
2019 
£m

52 weeks 
ended 
 30 September 
2018 
 £m

Notes

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(h)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(f)

(33.0)

–

1.3

(2.5)

(2.1)

(31.2)

(6.2)

–

(10.4)

(84.1)

(0.5)

(0.5)

7.4

–

7.4

(40.3)

11.5

–

–

–

–

(0.1)

(11.0)

(39.9)

(0.5)

(0.5)

6.9

2.2

9.1

(77.2)

(31.3)

a. 

Strategic restructuring – business capability programme relates to a restructuring of supply chain and operating model in Britvic GB, Ireland, France and Brazil including the closure of the 
Norwich site. Primarily these costs relate to employee costs and dual running supply chain costs.

b.  Reversal of impairments of trademarks relates to a reversal of impairment in the Ballygowan trademark in the prior year.

c. 

d. 

e. 

f. 

Primarily relates to the acquisition and integration costs offset by the release of provisions for Bela Ischia Alimentos Ltda (Bela Ischia) and Empresa Brasileira de Bebidas e Alimentos 
SA (Ebba). 

Part of the French business has been designated as held for sale. The fair value calculation as detailed in note 31 has resulted in an impairment charge. In accordance with IFRS 5 the 
assets and liabilities held for sale are remeasured at the lower of book value and net realisable value (less costs to sell). 

Pension scheme costs relate to past service cost as recognised at half year relating to the equalisation of Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) in GB & Northern Ireland pension schemes 
and pension advisory costs.

Fair value movements relate to the fair value movement of derivative financial instruments where either hedge accounting cannot be applied to future transactions or where there is 
ineffectiveness in the hedge relationship. 

g.  Acquisition related amortisation relates to the amortisation of intangibles recognised on the acquisitions in Ireland, France and Brazil.

h.  Costs primarily relating to asset write-offs, stock write-offs and employee costs.

146 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Adjusted profit

Operating profit as reported 

Add back adjusting items in operating profit

Adjusted EBIT

Net finance costs 

Add back adjusting net finance costs

Adjusted profit before tax and acquisition related amortisation

Acquisition related amortisation

Adjusted profit before tax

Taxation

Less adjusting tax credit

Adjusted profit after tax

Adjusted effective tax rate

Earnings per share

Adjusted basic earnings per share

Profit for the period attributable to equity shareholders

Add: Net impact of adjusting items

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for basic earnings per share

Adjusted basic earnings per share

Adjusted diluted earnings per share

Profit for the period attributable to equity shareholders before adjusting items and acquisition related intangible 
assets amortisation

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for diluted earnings per share

Adjusted diluted earnings per share

Constant currency movements, excluding the Soft Drinks Levy

2018

52 week period ended 30 September 2018 as reported

Soft Drinks Levy

Adjustment for foreign exchange

2018 at constant currency, excluding sugar tax

2019

52 week period ended 29 September 2019 as reported

Soft Drinks Levy

2019 excluding sugar tax

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019 

52 weeks 
ended 
 29 September 
2019 
£m

52 weeks 
ended
 30 September 
2018
 £m

130.0

84.1

214.1

(19.7)

0.5

194.9

(10.4)

184.5

(29.4)

(7.4)

147.7

19.9%

2019 
 £m

80.9

77.2

158.1

264.5

166.1

39.9

206.0

(20.3)

0.5

186.2

(11.0)

175.2

(28.7)

(9.1)

137.4

21.6%

2018
 £m

117.1

31.3

148.4

263.7

59.8p

56.3p

158.1

148.4

266.9

59.2p

265.4

55.9p

Revenue 
 £m

1,503.6

(33.2)

(5.7)

1,464.7

1,545.0

(60.3)

1,484.7

Adjusted 
EBIT
 £m 

206.0

–

(1.0)

205.0

214.1

–

214.1

147

Strategic ReportCorporate GovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationAdditional Information
Non-GAAP reconciliations continued

Adjusted free cash flow

Adjusted EBIT

Depreciation

Amortisation (non-acquisition related)

Adjusted loss on disposal of PPE

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted working capital movements

Purchases of intangible and tangible assets

Net pension charge less contributions

Net interest and finance costs

Adjusted income tax paid

Share based payments

Issue of shares

Purchase of own shares

Other

Adjusted free cash flow

52 weeks 
ended 
 29 September 
2019
 £m

52 weeks 
ended 
30 September 
2018
£m

214.1

45.7

8.0

2.3

270.1

(20.2)

(74.8)

(22.3)

(19.1)

(23.7)

11.3

2.2

(8.4)

0.9

116.0

206.0

44.8

7.4

1.4

259.6

15.5

(143.5)

(22.1)

(19.0)

(28.1)

5.6

1.0

(3.1)

(0.9)

65.0

148 

Britvic Annual Report and Accounts 2019

Glossary

A&P is Advertising and Promotion and is a measure of marketing 
spend including marketing, research and advertising.

FMCG is Fast Moving Consumer Goods.

Adjusted earnings per share is a non-GAAP measure calculated 
by dividing adjusted earnings by the average number of shares during 
the period. Adjusted earnings is defined as the profit/(loss) attributable 
to ordinary equity shareholders before adjusting items. 

GPTW stands for Great Place to Work and is a methodology process 
adopted by businesses to measure employee engagement.

Innovation is defined as new launches over the last three years, 
excluding new flavours and pack sizes of established brands.

Adjusted EBIT is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as operating 
profit before adjusting items. EBIT margin is EBIT as a proportion of 
group revenue.

Adjusted free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as 
net cash flow excluding movements in borrowings, dividend payments 
and adjusting items.

Adjusted profit after tax is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as 
profit after tax before adjusting items, with the exception of acquisition 
related amortisation.

Adjusted net debt is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as group 
net debt, adding back the impact of derivatives hedging the balance 
sheet debt.

LEC is the London Essence Company. These are a range of premium 
tonics and sodas produced by incubator company WiseHead Productions.

Non-GAAP measures are provided because they are closely tracked 
by management to evaluate Britvic’s operating performance and to 
make financial, strategic and operating decisions.

Non-working A&P is a measure of marketing spend that is not spent 
directly on consumer facing activity. It would include, but is not limited 
to, agency fees, research and production costs.

Organic is a non-GAAP measure which excludes the impact of the 
acquisition of Bela Ischia and presented on a constant currency basis. 
In GB and Ireland organic also excludes the Soft Drinks Industry Levy 
(SDIL) and Sugar Sweetened Soft Drinks Tax (SSDT).

AER refers to Actual Exchange Rate where variances are calculated 
on sterling values translated at actual exchange rates.

PET is polyethylene terephthalate plastic. 

Retail market value and volume is a measure of the recorded 
sales at the retail point of purchase. This data is typically collated by 
independent organisations such as Nielsen and IRI from data supplied 
by retailers.

Revenue is defined as sales achieved by the group net of price 
promotional investment and retailer discounts.

Revenue management is used to define a range of actions to affect 
ARP. It includes, but is not limited to, price increases, changes to price 
promotions and variation of pack size.

rPET is recycled polyethylene terephthalate plastic. 

Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) is a levy applied on soft drinks 
manufacturers in the UK.

Sugar Sweetened Soft Drinks Tax (SSDT) is a levy applied on soft 
drinks manufacturers in the Republic of Ireland.

Volume is defined as number of litres sold, excluding factored brands 
sold by Counterpoint in Ireland. No volume is recorded in respect of 
international concentrate sales.

ARP is Average Realised Price and is defined as average price per litre 
sold, excluding factored brands and concentrate sales.

Brand contribution is a non-GAAP measure and is defined as revenue 
less material costs and all other marginal costs that management 
considers to be directly attributable to the sale of a given product. 
Such costs include brand specific advertising and promotion costs, 
raw materials, and marginal production and distribution costs.

Brand contribution margin is a non-GAAP measure and is a 
percentage measure calculated as brand contribution, divided by 
revenue. Each business unit’s performance is reported down to 
the brand contribution level.

Business Capability Programme (BCP) relates to a restructuring of 
supply chain and operating model to enhance commercial capabilities 
in GB and Ireland, including the closure of the Norwich site. 

CAGR is Compound Annual Growth Rate.

Constant exchange rate is a non-GAAP measure of performance 
in the underlying currency to eliminate the impact of foreign 
exchange movements.

EBITDA is Earnings Before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation 
and Amortisation.

EGalim law is a French agriculture and food law intended to improve 
the quality of produce, ensure food producers are paid fair prices and 
promote healthy, safe and sustainable food.

Consultancy, design and production
www.luminous.co.uk

Design and production

www.luminous.co.uk

Britvic plc 
Breakspear Park 
Breakspear Way 
Hemel Hempstead 
HP2 4TZ

Tel: +44 (0)121 711 1102

www.britvic.com

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