Britvic Ireland introduces lemon flavour to Club Zero portfolio

Britvic has added a lemon flavour to the zero-sugar portfolio of its Irish soft drinks brand Club.

The new variant is intended to coincide with the onset of summer and give Irish consumers “a distinctively zesty” fruit drink without the sugar.

Ireland introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened soft drinks in May, having initially chosen to postpone its implementation by a month in order to satisfy the European Union (EU) that the planned levy did not constitute a form of state aid.

The rates of the Irish sugar tax followed broadly similar lines to that of the UK, where a tax on sugary soft drinks came into effect this April.

The new flavour joins existing orange, rock shandy, raspberry and limited-edition ‘Super Split’ editions of Club Zero.

Niamh McArdle, marketing manager for Club Orange at Britvic Ireland, said: “We’re excited to bring the delicious Club Zero Lemon to Irish consumers. Research has shown that consumers love Club Lemon and are now looking for those unmistakable zingy flavours with zero sugar. That’s why we know Club Zero lemon is the perfect addition to our zero sugar portfolio.

“This has been an exciting 2018 for Club Zero so far, with Club Zero Super Split returning for a limited run this summer also.”

The launch will be heavily supported through the summer months with TV, digital, sampling, trade and consumer press activity and in-store activations.

The zero-sugar lemon flavour will be available in stores throughout Ireland, packaging in 500ml bottles and priced at a recommended €1.29, or €2.39 for a 2-litre bottle.

Though little known outside Ireland, Club is the number one Irish soft drink in the market and an icon of the country’s food and beverage industry. It was first developed in Dublin during the 1930s and is well-known for its texture, featuring fruit pulp, as much as its taste.