Ribena is a blackcurrant cordial developed in 1938 at the University of Bristol, and during the Second World War the British government distributed it free to children because citrus imports had stopped and blackcurrants are exceptionally high in vitamin C. Suntory acquired it in 2013.
GlaxoSmithKline sold the Lucozade and Ribena business, including the Coleford manufacturing site in Gloucestershire and related inventory, to Suntory Beverage & Food for 1,352 million pounds in cash. GSK booked a profit on disposal of 1,057 million pounds and said the brands would grow better under an owner with drinks distribution in emerging markets. Suntory put them into a new company, Lucozade Ribena Suntory, which began trading in 2014.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Ribena?
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The parent company of Ribena is Suntory, a privately held company headquartered in Japan.
Is Ribena British or Japanese?
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Ribena originated in the United Kingdom in 1938, but it is owned today by Suntory, which is headquartered in Japan. So Ribena is a British-origin brand under Japanese ownership.
When did Suntory buy Ribena?
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Suntory completed its acquisition of Ribena on 31 December 2013, after announcing the deal on 9 September 2013. The deal was valued at £1.35 billion.
Is Ribena still owned by Suntory?
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Yes. As of 16 September 2026, Ribena is still owned by Suntory. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (3) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.