A sculpture of Robert Barr is erected inCamelon, near Falkirk.
The company was founded in 1875 by Robert Barr inFalkirk.[4] In 1887, his son, Robert Fulton Barr, set up a division of the original company inGlasgow, which had a much larger population.[4] In 1892 the Glasgow branch passed to Andrew Greig Barr (where the name A.G. Barr comes from), a brother of the branch's founder.[4] In 1899, they soft launchedIrn-Bru, eventually launching it in 1901.[5] The Falkirk and Glasgow divisions merged in 1959, and the company was listed on theLondon Stock Exchange in 1965.[4]
In 1972, A.G. Barr acquired theTizer brand.[4] In 2001 the company acquired Findlays Mineral Water which is sourced in theLammermuir Hills.[6] In 2002,Roger White joined A.G. Barr as managing director, and in 2004 became the first chief executive from outside the Barr family.[7]
The company acquiredForfar-based Strathmore Mineral Water in May 2006.[8] The Irn-Bru 32energy drink variant was launched in 2006.[4] In 2008, the company purchased the Taut sports drink range,[9] and exotic fruit drink companyRubicon.[10]
In November 2012, the company agreed to merge withBritvic, which produces drinks likeJ2O,Tango andRobinsons, as well as holding the authority to producePepsi for the UK market, to create one of Europe's largest soft drinks companies.[13] The merger was abandoned in July 2013.[14]
In 2014 A.G. Barr signed a 10-year deal withDr Pepper Snapple Group to sell, market and distribute the Snapple brand in the UK and some of Europe.[15]
The company acquired a cocktail mixer business, Funkin, in February 2015.[16]
In December 2022, the company acquiredBoost Drinks for £20 million from founders Simon and Alison Gray.[17] The company also took full control of Moma Foods at that time.[18]
In March 2025, A.G. Barr announced plans to discontinue Strathmore bottled water in a move that could see the closure of its Forfar factory;[20] however, in July 2025 the brand was acquired byTŷ Nant which safeguarded the jobs.[21] Also in July A.G. Barr acquired a majority stake in Innate-Essence Limited, parent company of The Turmeric Co.[22]
In February 2026, the company announced that it was to acquire Hexam-basedFentimans for £38 million and Devon-based Frobishers for £13 million.[23]
On 14 July 1961, theCoca-Cola Company asked Lord Walker[note 1] for aninterim interdict about the type of bottle used by A.G. Barr's "Kolabar", "Cydrap" and "Stilkrush" in theCourt of Session. Coca-Cola's argument was that "real danger that the bottle used by [A.G. Barr] for containing Kolabar will be mistaken by the public for [Coca-Cola].", while A.G. Barr's argument was "the position of Coca-Cola in the soft drinks industry in Scotland is insignificant in comparison with that of [A.G. Barr]". Lord Walker refused the interim interdict, as a large part of their business could've been disturbed, additionally because Coca-Cola made no sales in the country at that point.[25][26]
.jpg)
£420.4 million (2025)[1].jpg)
