Stronger VB is the toast of SABMiller

SABMiller produced the first growth in volume sales for a decade after restoring the alcoholic strength of Australia's flagship Victoria Bitter.

VB, as it is known, became part of SABMiller after its A$10.5 bn (£15bn) takeover of Foster's at the end of 2011. Previous management dropped VB's strength to 4.3 per cent alcohol by volume, but the new owners have put it back to its original 4.9 per cent and sales in the final three months of 2012 rose by 2 per cent.