Irn-Bru maker AG Barr shines through

Few people needed a soft drink to cool down during a rain-sodden April, but AG Barr thrived despite the lousy weather. The maker of Irn-Bru and the youth-centric drink Rubicon saw sales in the 14 weeks to 5 May increase by 4.3 per cent against the same period last year. The company said: "This is a robust performance given the combined effects of a particularly wet April." It added that it had invested in marketing across its core brands, including its first television advertising campaign for the Rubicon brand it bought in 2008.