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UK soft drinks manufacturer Nichols has acquired Irish functional vitamin beverage brand VitHit in a £64 million deal, aligning with its strategy to strengthen its portfolio by investing in differentiated soft drinks brands.

The Vimto maker said that VitHit is an ‘excellent fit’ given its strong market position in a ‘structurally attractive’ soft drinks sub-category, asset-light operating model, established profitability and significant growth opportunities.

The company said the deal, which encompasses 100% of VitHit’s share capital and its subsidiaries, is expected to be ‘immediately earnings enhancing’.

VitHit was founded in Dublin in 2001, offering a range of low-calorie and low-sugar beverages fortified with vitamins and other functional ingredients. Its products contain 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of eight essential vitamins, spanning formats including ready-to-drink bottled beverages, sparkling cans and effervescent products.

Nichols praised the brand’s leading position in the UK and Ireland, along with a presence across 13 additional markets internationally. Its network in the UK and Ireland spans grocery, convenience, foodservice and specialist retail channels. For the financial year ended 31 December 2025, VitHit generated revenue of €26.5 million.

The transaction aims to support Nichols’ growth strategy, strengthen its UK packaged business and provide exposure to attractive growth categories, particularly the health and wellness soft drinks segment. Nichols’ board noted opportunities to accelerate international growth for VitHit by leveraging Nichols’ international operating model.

VitHit’s office in Dublin will be retained through the deal. Nichols confirmed that some of VitHit’s management team will ‘step away after a smooth transition,’ while chairman and founder Gary Lavin will step down immediately.

Andrew Milne, CEO of Nichols, said: “The brand has built strong market positions in both the UK and Ireland, supported by a differentiated consumer proposition, high levels of customer loyalty and – above all – a great tasting portfolio of functional soft drinks”.

“Nichols is ideally placed to accelerate VitHit's development through our commercial capabilities, customer relationships, route-to-market expertise and international infrastructure. A significant opportunity exists to expand distribution across the Group’s existing customer base.”

Lavin commented: “Since launching VitHit more than 25 years ago, our ambition has always been to build a distinctive health and wellness drinks brand with broad consumer appeal. We are proud of what the team has achieved and consider Nichols the ideal partner to support the next stage of the brand's development.”