After building one of the UK’s most recognisable functional drinks brands, entrepreneur Simon Gray is stepping back into soft drinks with a new mission: making wellness more accessible through everyday retail.
Gray, founder of Boost Drinks, has launched IT’S GIVING - the first brand under his new business, Fizz With Purpose - marking what he describes as “functional drinks chapter two.”
But unlike many wellness-led brands currently entering the market, IT’S GIVING has been created with mainstream soft drinks occasions in mind, with affordability, accessibility and repeat purchase at its core.
“I didn’t set out to launch another drinks brand,” says Gray. “After Boost, I genuinely thought that chapter of my life was done. But over time, staying close to the market, it became obvious there was a gap emerging between the conversations happening around health and the products most people could realistically access every day.”
From Boost to a new generation of functional drinks
Gray founded Boost Drinks in 2001 after recognising an opportunity to bring functional energy drinks to the mass market at an affordable price point. The business grew rapidly through convenience retail and wholesale channels before being acquired by AG Barr plc.
“That was chapter one,” says Gray. “Energy, performance and accessibility.”
Now, he believes the next major opportunity sits within the growing demand for wellness-focused soft drinks - particularly around gut health - but with a model built for scale rather than exclusivity.
“There’s been some brilliant innovation in modern soda and functional drinks, particularly in the US,” he says. “But a lot of those products still sit at premium price points or within narrower retail environments. Meanwhile, the health issues they’re trying to address affect almost everyone.”
Addressing the everyday wellness gap
The launch comes as consumer interest in gut health continues to accelerate, particularly among Gen Z and Millennial shoppers seeking alternatives to traditional sugary carbonates and alcohol.
At the same time, fibre deficiency remains one of the UK’s biggest nutritional gaps, with 96 per cent of consumers failing to meet recommended daily fibre intake levels.
“What struck me was that fibre isn’t a niche wellness issue - it’s an everyday issue,” says Gray. “If we genuinely want wellness to become mainstream, the solution has to fit naturally into everyday shopping habits and everyday budgets.”
IT’S GIVING officially launched on 30 March 2026Photo: Handout
Each can of IT’S GIVING contains 6g of plant-based fibre, but Gray is keen to position the brand first and foremost as a great-tasting soft drink.
“This was never about creating another worthy wellness product,” he explains. “Taste comes first. Affordability comes first. If consumers don’t enjoy it, they won’t buy it again. And if the pricing doesn’t work for everyday retail, it won’t scale.”
Built for everyday retail
IT’S GIVING has been developed with strong roots in convenience retail and a deep understanding of impulse purchasing, frequency and accessibility - areas Gray knows intimately from building Boost Drinks.
“True democratisation of wellness only happens when products show up where people already shop every day,” he says. “This brand was designed to work within everyday soft drinks occasions, not outside of them.”
While convenience has been a key focus from launch, the brand has been built to work wherever everyday soft drinks are purchased, supporting reach, relevance and repeat purchase across multiple retail environments.
A brand name designed to connect across generations
The name IT’S GIVING intentionally plays across both modern culture and straightforward functionality.
For younger consumers, the phrase taps into popular Gen Z language used to describe a mood, feeling or vibe. For older consumers, Gray says it works in a much simpler, more literal sense.
“It does what it says on the tin,” he says. “IT’S GIVING fibre. IT’S GIVING balance. IT’S GIVING a better everyday soft drink option.”
“This business has given me purpose again”
For Gray, the business also represents something more personal: a return to building brands, relationships and teams after exiting Boost.
“We all need purpose in our lives,” he says. “And honestly, this has given me that again. It’s Giving reconnection with people I’ve worked with for years, It’s Giving new opportunities, and - importantly for retailers – It’s Giving strong margins too.”
Despite his previous success, Gray is measured about the opportunity ahead.
“This is a competitive and fast-moving market,” he says. “But I believe if you start with the right intent, apply the lessons you’ve learned, and focus on solving real everyday problems, then you can build something meaningful.”
“Functional drinks chapter two starts here.”
The story so far
IT’S GIVING officially launched on 30 March 2026 and is already rolling out across major UK wholesalers including Dhamecha, Bestway, Parfetts, United Wholesale Scotland (UWS) and JW Filshill, Musgrave; S&W; O’Reilly’s; C&N, Northern Confectioners targeting widespread availability within convenience and independent retail.
Just weeks after launch, the brand was also recognised at the UK Soft Drinks Awards 2026, being named a finalist in all three categories it entered:
- Best New Brand
- Best Functional Drink
- Best New Drink Concept
The recognition came less than two weeks after launch, placing the new brand alongside some of the most established names in the category.
“It’s still very early days,” says Gray, “but it’s hugely encouraging to see the brand already starting to cut through across both trade and industry conversations.”