Irn-Bru maker AG Barr’s sales and profits increased in the first half of the year, driven by the manufacturer’s soft drinks business.

In the 6 months to 27 July 2024, adjusted pre-tax profit jumped 8.5% to £29.3m, while sales were up 5.2% to £221.3m.

Sales growth was driven by soft drinks, which were up 7%, as both Rubicon and Irn-Bru delivered volume and price gains.

The drinks giant noted that Rubicon was the “stand out performer”, delivering double digit growth in volume and value.

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In its cocktails division, ready-to-drink products in the take home market grew 9.1%, which AG Barr said was “well ahead” of the wider pre-mixed alcoholic drinks market growth rate of 2.7%.

However, sales of its Funkin cocktail brand were down 9.4% over the period, which the manufacturer said was driven by ongoing weak consumer demand in the on-trade channel.

Its Boost energy drink brand also took a hit and it is focusing on margin improvement, including profit recovery and insourcing of production, which it noted was progressing in line with its plan.

The drinks firm expects its soft drinks division to grow further in the second half of the year, supported by its promotional and marketing investment plans, and expects Funkin to perform positively.

AG Barr chief executive Euan Sutherland said: “My first few months with the business has further cemented my view that AG Barr is an excellent business with exciting, tangible and deliverable growth opportunities.

“We continue to invest in our supply chain to build the capacity to support our growth plans and manufacture more volume in-house. This will deliver tangible benefits including enhanced margin and improved service resilience.

“We anticipate a strong H2 performance from our four core brands – Irn-Bru, Rubicon, Boost and Funkin – in particular, with current trading momentum underpinned by further marketing and innovation activities.”

He added that guidance on 2024/25 sales and operating margin is unchanged, as the business remains “confident of continued, sustainable growth over the long term”.