AG Barr has indicated that it might be looking to acquire the Lucozade and Ribena brands that re being sold by pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline.

The manufacturer of Irn-Bru has reported strong trading and is now looking to expand its offerings. Roger White, the Chief Executive Officer of AG Barr said that the company’s trading performance is better than rival Britvic. AG Barr, which offers Tizer and fruit juice range Rubicon, was still keen to join the larger industry player in the country.

Britvic, which makes Robinsons range, Pepsi and Tango in the UK, had agreed to a deal with Irn Bru manufacturer AG Barr in the previous year. However, the Office of Fair Trading had referred the deal to the Competition Commission. The Commission is largely expected to give its approval and has already indicated a provisional approval but many believe that Britvic is losing interest in the deal.

When asked about the acquisition of Lucozade and Ribena, he said, “GlaxoSmithKline has publicly said they will sell that business before the end of the year. As far as I am concerned, the process hasn't started information being available. We would always be interested in businesses and brands we think we can add value to. We will wait and see what happens.”