Irn Bru maker AG Barr buys Rio drinks brand for £12.3m

The makers of Irn Bru have bought over the well-known English drinks brand Rio Tropical.

AG Barr purchased the brand for £12.3m from the brewery and pub company, Hall and Woodhouse Limited.

The deal will add to AG Barr's long list of drinks brands, which include the likes of Bundaberg, Funkin, Rubicon and Snapple.

AG Barr was set up in Falkirk in 1875, with the soft drink manufacturer now based in Cumbernauld.

The brand, Rio, had been marketed, sold and distributed on an exclusive licence basis by AG Barr's recently acquired Boost Drinks division since 2021.

Rio Tropical is described as "a delicious blend of 11% real fruit and juice (orange, Guava, Apricot, Mango and Passion Fruit) in lightly sparkling water".

The drink was created in 1980 by Dorset brewery Hall and Woodhouse and and was originally called Arriva'.

AG Barr said that the purchase was not expected to have a material impact on its profits for the current financial year ending 28 January 2024.

In August, AG Barr's chief executive, Roger White, said he would be stepping down from the role on a "mutually-agreed date" within the next 12 months.

Mr White, 59, is thought to be one of the longest-serving chief executives of a public company in the UK.

In a statement on the recent purchase of Rio, he said: "As brand builders we are delighted to acquire the Rio brand and secure its long-term position in our wider portfolio.

"This allows us to realise the benefits of full brand ownership and support Rio's continued growth. This acquisition is a further positive indication of our strategic ambitions."