Pinsent Masons advises Nichols plc on Vit Hit acquisition

Founded in Manchester in 1908 and best known for the iconic Vimto brand, Nichols has evolved into an international soft drinks business with an owned and licensed brand portfolio that also includes Myprotein, ICEE, Sunkist and Levi Roots. The company is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and features in the FTSE AIM 100 Index.

Founded by former Irish rugby player Gary Lavin in 2000, VITHIT has grown by an incredible 18 per cent annually, on average, since 2020. Through a pioneering “health-first” approach to soft drinks, each bottle now contains just 35 calories and just 6 grams of sugar. Today, VITHIT is sold in more than 15 countries, including Ireland, the UK, Benelux, Australia, Spain and Iceland. In 2025 alone, the business sold more than 45 million bottles.

The deal accelerates Nichols’ long-term evolution into a broader packaged portfolio of growth brands.

The Pinsent Masons deal team was led by Corporate partners Gerry Beausang and Andrew Black, supported by associates Maeve O’Brien and Georgia Poole. The team comprised expertise from across its Irish, UK, UAE and Australian offices, bringing together specialists from multiple disciplines and jurisdictions to deliver a strategically important acquisition for a longstanding client.

To support the VITHIT acquisition, Nichols agreed a new group-wide revolving credit facility with NatWest. Pinsent Masons also advised Nichols on this debt transaction with a cross-border team led by Finance partner Matthew Clayton-Stead and supported by Finance managing senior associates Caitlin Bradshaw and Lisa Matthews.

Gerry commented, "This deal is the latest in a recent series of significant transactions involving acquisitions of, or investments in, Irish companies. We continue to see a very strong appetite from international parties, both trade and financial investors, in investing in Irish assets across different sectors.”

The deal is also just the latest high-profile food and drink acquisition delivered by Pinsent Masons. Earlier this year, the firm’s private equity team advised longstanding client Huel on its landmark sale to multinational food and beverage group Danone.