Cumbernauld-based Irn-Bru maker A.G. Barr said on Tuesday its recent trading has been “better than anticipated” and that it expects profit for the current 53-week financial year to the end of January 2022 to be slightly ahead of the performance delivered in the 52-week year prior to Covid.

Barr’s other brands include Rubicon and Funkin.

In a trading update, Barr said: “At our full year results on 30 March 2021 we communicated that the business was in strong financial health, with our brands and business poised for growth on a like for like basis.

“Trading since then has been better than anticipated, driven by a combination of factors, some Covid related, including customer restocking, in the hospitality sector in particular, and some associated with underlying brand momentum, such as the positive performance of recent innovation launches.

“As such we now expect profit for the current 53-week financial year, to the end of January 2022, to be slightly ahead of the performance delivered in the 52-week year prior to Covid (2019/20 Profit before tax : £37.4m).

“We will provide further information at our scheduled H1 trading update on 3 August 2021.”