Article: Smoothie operators sell out to Coke

Have the founders of the Innocent label compromised their ethics by taking Pounds 30m from a corporate giant? Martin Hickman investigates

AS 160 Innocent staff stood on the artificial grass in the "chill- out room" of their headquarters, Fruit Towers, yesterday, they were about to receive some news that not all of them found as palatable as their smoothies. A stake in the London smoothie-maker had been sold to the world's biggest soft drinks company and symbol of ruthless US capitalism, Coca-Cola.

For the three founders Richard Reed, Jon Wright and Adam Balon, who met at St John's College, Cambridge, the 30m funding from the US drinks giant will propel the company's fledgling move into ...

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