Ribena's Owner Backs Climate-Resilient Blackcurrants After Weather Hits Harvest

Extreme weather cut the 2026 UK blackcurrant harvest to about 9,000 tonnes — 10% below average. Since 95% of UK blackcurrants supply Ribena, owner Suntory Beverage & Food faces direct supply-chain risk. It is investing £200,000 with Niab and the Blackcurrant Foundation in soil health research, plus £920,000 over five years in climate-resilient breeding at the James Hutton Institute.