Leading drinks producer acquires Angus soft fruit processing company

The deal follows the retirement of the Angus company’s founders John Gallagher and Anne Thomson, and marks a strategic move by Summerhouse Drinks to expand its production capacity and strengthen its commitment to Scottish-sourced ingredients.

The acquisition was finalised in early October through a two-part deal that includes the purchase of Ella Drinks’ wholesale fruit processing equipment, along with its established retail brands—Ella Drinks, Bouvrage, and Angus Apples.

The investment in the processing equipment was made possible with support from NESFLAG and was partially funded by Aberdeenshire Council’s Coastal Communities Challenge Fund.

Production will relocate to Summerhouse Drinks’ facility near Fraserburgh after a handover period, with operations expected to commence in early 2025.

Claire Rennie, founder of Summerhouse Drinks, said: “John and Anne at Ella Drinks have set a standard for producing some of the finest not-from-concentrate fruit juices in the UK.

"We are delighted to secure this processing capacity within Scotland, ensuring that these exceptional Scottish fruit juices remain available to consumers. Beyond producing fruit juice for our own soft drinks, we will continue to serve the wide range of customers that Ella Drinks has built over the years.”

Anne said that she and John have always cared passionately about the business, the flavours of berries grown in East Central Scotland and the need to make these accessible to consumers, the trade and manufacturers.

She added: "We are delighted that Summerhouse Drinks are taking that purpose forward into the future and wish them every success. It has been a huge pleasure to have supplied the best of Scotland for over 25 years to the most discerning of businesses and consumers throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK.

“We should also thank Allan Young from the Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS), funded by the Scottish Government, for introducing our opportunity to a wide audience.”