innocent

US-based Coca Cola has made a minority stake offer for UK-based smoothie group innocent, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph.

innocent saw sales fall 20 per cent last year from €146m to €117m, but this has not deterred several potential bidders, the publication said.

The group has said that it is looking for investment to allow development in international markets and to diversify into products such as the recently launched chopped vegetables and sauce range.

However, innocent co-founder Richard Reed told The Grocer that it was unlikely that anything would be finalised before the end of April.