Irn-Bru maker AG Barr raises prices as inflation bites

Irn-Bru maker AG Barr has revealed that it has raised prices for its drinks in the face of inflationary pressures.

The Cumbernauld-based company reported it had seen rising costs for raw materials, including packaging and energy bills, in the 12 months to the end of January.

Barr said it had "adjusted our pricing with customers where appropriate".

The comments came as the firm reported that profits were likely to be ahead of expectations set out in November.

Sales for the year are expected to reach £267m - up 17.5% compared with the previous year - beating the pre-pandemic period, when sales hit £255.7m.

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Barr said this was despite recent trading restrictions due to the Omicron variant of Covid-19 which saw pubs, bars and restaurants closed.

The company said: "While government restrictions have impacted consumer behaviour across the year, both our Barr Soft Drinks and Funkin business units have traded well, particularly during the periods when restrictions were eased."

'Volatile backdrop'

Inflation remains problematic for the brand and the company said it would "seek opportunities across the coming year to offset the impact on our business".

Chief executive Roger White said: "We have remained fully operational throughout the year, producing high-quality products and providing strong business support to all of our customers.

"We have delivered an excellent financial performance against a volatile backdrop, whilst at the same time delivering on our strategic priorities."