The Portman Group welcomes two new members as industry support for self-regulation grows during 25th anniversary year
The Portman Group, the social responsibility and regulatory body for alcohol in the UK, is delighted to welcome two new members, C&C Group plc and Mark Anthony Brands International. They are the first new members to join in 2021, the year in which the Portman Group is also celebrating 25 years of its Code of Practice. This brings the total Group membership to fourteen.
C&C Group is returning as a member after previously leaving in 2014. Mark Anthony Brands enhances the breadth of the Council membership, representing one of the foremost hard seltzer brands in the market, White Claw. Hard seltzer is a growing trend in the market.
C&C Group is a leading brand owner and largest drinks distributor in the UK and Ireland, manufacturing, supplying and marketing cider, beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks. In the UK, C&C Group’s portfolio of owned/exclusive brands include: Tennent’s, the iconic Scottish beer brand; Magners the premium international cider brand; as well as a range of fast-growing, super-premium and craft cider and beers, including Orchard Pig, Heverlee and Menabrea
David Forde, Chief Executive at C&C Group has previously been a Portman Group Council member when he was CEO of Heineken UK and Ireland.
Speaking about joining the Portman Group, Forde said:
“Now more than ever, as we see the ramifications of COVID-19, the sector needs to come together to demonstrate that the UK alcohol industry takes its self-regulatory and social responsibility obligations very seriously. As a regulator, the Portman Group actively helps the industry to avoid breaches of the code through guidance and training, holds the industry to account when necessary and represents the positive work of the sector to government. By re-joining the Portman Group, we are increasing our existing strong commitment to socially responsible business practices and industry self-regulation.”
Commenting on their membership of the Portman Group, Davin Nugent, Chief Executive at Mark Anthony Brands International said: “Becoming a member of the Portman Group affirms our commitment to responsible self-regulation of the alcohol industry. Our support of the Portman Group means we are becoming a part of the gold-standard of responsibility and regulation.
“We have long been dedicated to promoting the responsible serving and consumption of our products in all settings and are pleased to have this formalised.”
Speaking about the drive for new members, Chief Executive of the Portman Group Matt Lambert said: “We are especially pleased to welcome two new members to the Portman Group in this the 25th anniversary of our code of practice. It is a significant endorsement of our new strategy “We encourage producers and retailers, both large and small, to talk to us about how they too can play a full part in engaging with key policy challenges and actively supporting the self-regulatory model.”