Coca-Cola to showcase family-run hospitality businesses

Coca-Cola Great Britain is to celebrate local family run hospitality businesses as part of a new campaign.

‘Counter Cultures’ will showcase the generations of families behind the pubs, cafés, takeaways, manufacturing sites and local businesses that help make, distribute and serve Coca-Cola every day.

As part of the campaign, each business involved will receive a five-figure sum to support a local initiative or cause of their choosing. 

The initiative’s hero film connects Coca-Cola’s Wakefield manufacturing site with local businesses, tracing the journey from production to the community counters where Coca-Cola products are served.

New research from Coca-Cola Great Britain to support the launch shows that Britain’s family businesses could be well placed to attract the next generation of talent.

The research found growing support for vocational careers among both younger and older generations. Seven in 10(70%) adults now say they would encourage younger family members to pursue a vocational career, while almost half (47%) of millennials say they would choose that route if they were starting their careers again.

Among Gen Z, the trend is already taking shape. Nearly three in five (58%) are considering vocational career opportunities, while more than half (52%) would consider following in the footsteps of a family member by joining a family business or learning a trade that runs in their family.

The findings highlight a growing opportunity for hospitality businesses, many of whom have traditionally provided practical career pathways and passed skills from one generation to the next.

And they reflect growing interest in vocational careers among younger people, highlighting the important role hospitality businesses continue to play in developing place-based skills and creating long-term career opportunities.

Half of adults (50%) believe giving more young people the choice to stay in, or return to, the communities they grew up in would have a positive impact on both local communities and local economies.

One business featured in the campaign is the Old Red Lion in Grenoside near Sheffield, run by husband-and-wife team David and Lindsey Sargant. It serves as a meeting place for local families, mountain bikers and friends catching up over food and drink, reflecting the important role pubs continue to play at the heart of their communities.

David said: "The Old Red Lion has always been more than just a pub to us. It’s where families come for a meal, mountain bikers stop after a ride, or old friends catch up over a drink. My wife and I run it together and what makes it special is that people feel comfortable here. It’s familiar, people know each other, and they know they will be welcomed – that’s what makes a local pub such an important part of a community."

An Vermeulen, vice president and general manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB, said: “Strong local communities are the beating heart of Great Britain, and as a company that employs thousands of people who make and deliver our products to customers across the country every day, we’re proud to be a part of that.

“Working with customers in every corner of the country gives us a close connection to the local retailers, pubs, cafés and other independent businesses where, for generations, people have taken their first steps into the world of work, building skills, confidence and careers and our research brings to life just how important these kind of businesses are.

“That’s why we’ve created Counter Cultures, to celebrate businesses and families like David and Lindsey Sargant at the Old Red Lion, recognising the vital role they continue to play in creating jobs, strengthening local communities and supporting Britain’s high streets. Like us, these are businesses that are rooted in their local communities, and together we have a unique opportunity to inspire young people, develop future skills and create careers that span generations.”

Earlier this month, the Coca‑Cola Company signed a global agreement with Marriott International to become the hotel group’s global beverage partner across the carbonated soft drinks, hydration and functional beverages categories.