After nearly five decades of tingling tastebuds with its “totally tropical taste”, the Coca Cola Company has announced that Lilt is to be discontinued.
One of the UK’s most iconic retro fizzy drinks has been discontinued after nearly 50 years to make way for a rebrand.
As of today, Lilt has been relaunched as Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit, reports The Manc.
Lilt launched in 1975 and went on to become a household name, largely because of its advertising.
One famous television advert in 1988 featured a parody of a milkman known as the ‘Lilt Man’, who delivered Lilt in a ‘Lilt float’ on a Caribbean beach, and then in 1998, the drink was promoted again with advertisements featuring two Jamaican women, Blanche Williams and Hazel Palmer, who became known in the media as the ‘Lilt Ladies’.
The new Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit flavour / Credit: Coca Cola Company
The fizzy drink was only sold in a handful of countries outside the UK – including Ireland, Gibraltar, and the Seychelles.
But now, the brand name has been stripped from shop shelves.
Lilt has today relaunched as the brand-new Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit, which the Coca Cola Company assures is “still bursting with tangy tropical flavours” just like Lilt, only it’s “just got itself a new name.”
Iconic tropical fizzy drink discontinued and rebranded after 50 years / Credit: Coca Cola Company
New Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit – which will be sold in 330ml cans, 500ml bottles, and two-litre bottles in both the original and zero-sugar version – featuring “the same totally tropical taste” as Lilt will start to roll-out in shops nationwide today, and feature “a graphic nod to the totally tropical taste of the product’s roots”, according to Coca Cola.
“Our main priority with this announcement is to reassure Lilt’s loyal fanbase that absolutely nothing has changed when it comes to the iconic taste of the drink they know and love,” says Martin Attock, GB VP of commercial development at Cocoa Cola Europe.
“It’s still bursting with tangy tropical flavours. It’s just got itself a new name.”
Manchester's favourite Mexican bar is about to become your newest nightlife destination in Leeds.
It's been a long time coming, but Salon Madre is officially ready to open in Leeds.
Although we may have to wait a little bit longer for Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, Salon Madre, its lively tequila bar and pool hall sibling, is officially opening on Friday 20 February.
Salon Madre, which will be located just around the corner from Madre at 114 Wellington Street, is where the party really gets started.
Image: The Manc Group
Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens.
There will also be plenty of tacos being flung out the kitchen to keep you going until the early hours.
If you’ve ever visited one of their venues in Manchester or Liverpool, you’ll know it’s an absolute riot and we can’t wait to welcome them to the city.
Images: The Manc Group
Co-founder Sam Grainger, inspired by countless trips to Mexico, says: “Mexico is alive with passionate artisans and cooks, mastering everything from street tacos to regional delicacies. It’s a world where traditions blend and evolve and we’ve built that ethos into the heart of both Madre and Salon Madre.”
Madre Leeds will open soon and you can even grab yourself a free margarita by signing up to their newsletter here.
We’ll keep you up to date with their opening times but for now, we'll see you at Salon Madre for a boogie, margarita and game of pool next week.
Award-winning Leeds restaurant announces shock closure just months after opening
Clementine Hall
Emba in Leeds will be closing its doors with the owner blaming rising costs and pressure on the hospitality sector.
Back in April last year, one of Leeds' top restaurants The Owl closed its doors.
Run by renowned Chef Liz Cottam, The Owl was reimagine into Emba - a trendy restaurant tat bridged 'the gap between cosy bar and vibrant dining room'.
To open Emba, Cottam opened a Crowdfunder where supporters would be awarded with prizes such as VIP dinners and merch depending on how much they donated.
But sadly just months after opening, Emba is to close permanently.
Cottam confirmed the sad news with a statement shared with customers over the weekend, saying she was completely "heartbroken".
She said: “This is no longer the right time to own independent restaurants like Emba,” she said. “Under the current conditions they cannot survive and the recent budget confirmed what so many of us already knew: no meaningful help is coming for hospitality.
"The experience of being here and the harsh financial reality of running a business here no longer stack up.
"Being award winning, popular, admired and loved no longer means profitable and as an industry if we’re honest most of us have not truly been okay since Covid."
She signed off the statement promising to return to the restaurant world, she said: “What I do know is this, I am not done. I will keep cooking, keep creating and keep finding ways to do the thing I love.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th February 2023 
