Nurture Brands has sold its juice factory to The Juice Smith as the group focuses on its best-selling coconut water brand Rebel Kitchen and Emily seaweed crisps.
Juice Smith picked up the 15,000 sq ft purpose-built facility in Kent for an undisclosed sum, with no job losses at the site as 14 staff transferred over to the new owner.
The deal marked a significant step in the company’s expansion and long-term growth strategy, significantly scaling its manufacturing capabilities for branded and private label cold-pressed juice and shots. Juice Smith will also continue to supply existing Nurture Brands customers.
Nurture Brand’s camu camu shot innovation will continue under Juice Smith’s ownership, although no longer under the Rebel Kitchen brand.
The camu shots – made using Peruvian berries containing more than 30 times the vitamin C per ml of an orange – were launched exclusively in Waitrose in February 2025.
Juice Smith said it would be the only brand in the UK to offer camu camu in a juice format, strengthening its position at the forefront of functional nutrition.
Ex-professional rugby player Richard Smith-Bernal founded Juice Smith in 2013. It sells a range of Juice Smith branded organic cold-pressed juice and shots on its website, as well as supplying customers in hotels, spas and gyms. The business also runs a Juice Smith restaurant in Surrey.
“This is a defining moment for The Juice Smith,” Smith-Bernal said. “By bringing together brand, production and expertise, we are building a business capable of delivering exceptional juice at scale. Our focus remains on quality, consistency and supporting our partners – whether through our own range or private label – as we continue to grow.”
Nurture Brands acquired the Kent factory in a 2023 acquisition of The Juice Executive from Alexandra Auger, who started the business in 2014. Auger remains at Nurture as group operations director.
“We’re proud of the juice business we have built and confident it will continue to thrive under The Juice Smith,” Nurture Brands MD Adam Draper added.
“This strategic divestment allows us to focus our resources behind the continued growth of Rebel Kitchen Coconut Water.”
Ben Arbib started Nurture Brands in 2019 as a platform for sustainable, plant-based brands, expanding into savoury snacking, dairy alternative drinks and confectionery. But it has slimmed down its portfolio in the past two years to focus on coconut water and seaweed crisps.
Rebel Kitchen’s coconut water is made using 100% young green coconuts, with no added ingredients. It leads the UK coconut water category in terms of growth, with retail sales currently growing 47% year-on-year (Circana 52 weeks to end of February 2026) and grocery listings in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Ocado.
No comments yet