Britvic upbeat despite no profit

BRITVIC has expressed satisfaction with its Irish division, even though operating profits here fell from £4.3 million (just under €5m) to zero in the half-year to the end of March.

The British juice and soft drinks producer said the fall in operating profits here was fully expected and due to the tough market conditions, but added that Britvic Ireland “is optimally positioned to take advantage of the eventual upturn in the Irish soft drinks market, despite the short-term trading pressures”.

The company owns Irish brands such as Ballygowan, Club, Cidona and Mi-Wadi, as well as established British brands like Tango and Robinson’s.