Boost Drinks Limited is a British drinks company that sells primarily

energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...

and

sports drink Sports drinks, also known as electrolyte drinks, are functional beverages whose stated purpose is to help Sportsperson, athletes replace water, electrolytes, and energy before, during and especially after training or competition. There are many ...

s through convenience stores, independent retail chains and petrol forecourts. It was established in 2001 and is headquartered in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

History

The company was founded on 27 June 2001 by

Leeds Metropolitan University Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The univ ...

graduate Simon Gray at the age of 28 with a bank loan of £30,000. Gray said in an interview that he wanted to take Boost to independent retailers because it would have been "crazy to challenge the big brands with a me-too product". The company was originally known as Blast UK Limited before changing its name to Boost Drinks Limited in July 2001. Gray paid back the bank loan within the company’s first 12 months and distributed Boost into international markets such as Spain, Croatia, South Africa and Nigeria. The brand was launched in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

in 2003, with the Northern Irish market accounting for approximately 15 percent of the company's overall business by 2018. As of 2011, the company employed eight people and had launched in 12 countries. The price of several Boost products increased in 2020. In September of the same year, Boost unveiled a £1.2 million "Choose Now" marketing campaign, which included a £10,000 fund to be shared by three community groups. Boost introduced a "Boost Retailer Hall of Fame" in Northern Ireland during June 2021, with the first winner being Kearney's shop in Randalstown, County Antrim, receiving 30% of the overall vote. In December 2022, it was announced that Boost was acquired by

A.G. Barr A.G. Barr plc, commonly known as Barr's, is a soft drink manufacturer based in Cumbernauld, Scotland. It is widely known for manufacturing the drink Irn-Bru. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Ind ...

for £20 million.

Partnerships

Boost Drinks has had a partnership with

Air Ambulance Northern Ireland Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI) also known as Air Ambulance NI is a registered charity that operates a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) dedicated to responding to serious trauma and medical emergencies in Northern Ireland. In ...

since 2019, when the company gave £10,000 to the charity. From February 2021, under a deal signed with Dorset-based brewery

Hall & Woodhouse Hall and Woodhouse is a British regional brewery founded in 1777 by Charles Hall in Blandford Forum, Dorset, England. The company operates over 250 public houses in the south of England, and brews under the name Badger Brewery. History The b ...

, Boost Drinks became responsible for the distribution, marketing and sale of soft drink brand

Rio Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

. Boost Drinks became the "official energy drinks partner" of

Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...

for the 2021–22 Premier League season.

Products

In 2010, the company attempted to introduce a

smoothie A smoothie is a beverage made by puréeing ingredients in a blender. A smoothie commonly has a liquid base, such as fruit juice or milk, yogurt, ice cream or cottage cheese. Other ingredients may be added, including fruits, vegetables, non-dai ...

product, but the response was "disappointing" and it was soon abandoned. Boost has released a number of "limited edition" flavours, to its energy and sports drinks line, including a 'Winter Spice' flavour in 2015, a tropical flavour in 2016, a pomegranate and blueberry flavour in 2017, and a grape and cherry product in 2018. Boost also launched

protein drink A protein supplement may be a dietary supplement or a bodybuilding supplement, and may take the form of a protein bar. Effects Muscle building as GURJAR In untrained individuals, changes in lean body mass and muscle strength during the initial ...

s and an

iced coffee Iced coffee is a coffee beverage served cold. It may be prepared either by brewing coffee normally (i.e. carafe, French press, etc.) and then serving it over ice or in cold milk or by brewing the coffee cold. In hot brewing, sweeteners and fla ...

range in 2016 and 2020 respectively.

References

External links

* {{Sports drinks British companies established in 2001 Coffee companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in Thorpe Park Leeds Drink companies of England Energy drinks Food and drink companies established in 2001 Soft drinks manufacturers Sports drinks