Beverage Bites: News up to March 26, 2015
New CFO for Coca-Cola Amatil, how to succeed as a tequila don, and more beverage bites
People on the move: Coca-Cola and PepsiCo
Coca-Cola Amatil has grabbed senior Woolworths executive Martyn Roberts, who will take on the position of CFO later this year.
Martyn Roberts, currently finance director (supermarkets) of Australian supermarket chain Woolworths, will succeed Nessa O’Sullivan. Roberts has held a number of positions at Woolworths since 2008, and previously worked in senior roles for Louis Vuitton Europe and Australian fashion retailer Belinda International.
Meanwhile, PepsiCo welcomed financial heavyweight Richard W. Fisher as an independent member of its Board on Monday (March 23).
Fisher was president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, from 2005 to March this year. He had previously held the rank of Ambassador while serving as deputy US Trade Representative, where he oversaw the introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other agreements.
Nutritional labeling on Diageo drinks
Diageo has pledged to provide consumers with alcohol content and nutrition information for each serve, a move it claims is a first for any alcohol company.
The information will be displayed through Diageo’s responsible drinking website, DRINKiQ.com, and/or on-pack in most of Diageo’s markets (subject to local regulatory approval). This will be done as soon as possible, the company says.
Ivan Menezes, chief executive, Diageo, said consumers are becoming more and more discerning about what they are drinking, adding that the drinks giant aims to provide information that can be understood quickly and easily by consumers.
It already has gained approval for a ‘serving facts’ panel in the US, with nutritional and alcohol per serve information.
A big day for Capri Sun and friends
F&B giants Kraft Foods and Heinz will merge to create The Kraft Heinz Company, they announced yesterday.
Kraft is behind beverage brands such as Maxwell House coffee, Capri Sun juice drinks, flavoured drink mix Kool-Aid, and MiO liquid water enhancers.
Ban on alcoholic energy drinks in Russia’s capital
Moscow has banned the sale of alcoholic energy drinks, a law that affects beverages with caffeine or other stimulants and an alcoholic content of 1.2 – 9%.
The drinks, which will be banned as of May 1, are popular among young Moscow residents, according to The Moscow Times.
Moscow is not the first place in Russia to implement a ban, with other regions also creating similar laws.
And finally… “Drink for a don, fight like a don, win like a don”
Tequila brand Jose Cuervo is inviting bartenders from 17 countries to battle it out for the chance to create their own batch and become the next ‘Don of Tequila’
The winner of the competition will harvest a crop of agave on Jose Cuervo’s estate in Tequila, Mexico; blend it into their own distinctive tequila, and label the batch under their name.
Aspiring Dons must upload a photo of their own tequila serve to the competition website, then those admitted to the next round will compete in national events in front of judges in July. A final showdown will take place at the Jose Cuervo distillery in La Rojeña.
Launched yesterday, the competition expects bartenders to show a strong understanding of the brand, and have the “passion, grit and cojones to become a don.”
