Soft drinks firm Britvic, which owns Ballygowan and MiWadi, has reported higher revenues and profits for the year to the end of of September.
The company said it had seen growth in both retail and hospitality channels, which benefited from the good summer weather and no Covid lockdown restrictions this year.
Its revenues for the year rose by 15.5% to £1.618 billion, while profits after tax increased 45.3% to £140.2m.
The company posted adjusted earnings per share of 57.3 pence, up 29.3%, and has proposed a full year dividend of 29 pence, a 19.8% increase on last year.
Britvic said its revenue in Ireland increased by 18.7% during the year. All brands reported growth, including Pepsi, which saw volumes rise by 17.3%, while MiWadi reported growth of 18.4% and Ballygowan's revenues jumped by 22.7%.
The company said it continued to leverage the strength of its brand portfolio in Ireland with innovation.
"The Hint of Fruit flavoured water from Ballygowan has been a huge success, achieving nearly 19% market share of the flavoured water category only seven months after launch. Revenue for our flavour concentrates brands, Robinsons and MiWadi, was well ahead of last year," Britvic said.
"We also entered the energy category with the launch of Club Loaded and the extension of the Energise brand into the stimulant segment," it said.
"Through a combination of price, mix and promotional management and simplifying the operating model with the closure of Counterpoint last year, the Irish business has delivered a significant improvement in operating margin, in line with our strategy," it added.
Kevin Donnelly, Managing Director, Britvic Ireland, said the company was pleased with the performance of its innovation initiatives with Ballygowan Hint of Fruit capturing almost one fifth of the flavoured water market within a matter of months, and successful launches into the Energy Drinks category, driving 62% growth in the Energise Brand.
"Our 'Healthier People, Healthier Planet Strategy' has led to further reductions in our carbon emissions, in packaging weight per serve, in calories per serve and our staff engagement has increased to 79%. Our clear strategy is delivering results and driving forward momentum," he added.
Britvic said that revenues at its Great Britain division rose by 15.1% to £1.100 billion, with both the retail and hospitality channels delivering good growth year on year. It noted that immediate consumption revenue increased 20.4% as the company benefitted from the end of Covid-19 restrictions in 2021.
Revenue at its Brazil operations jumped by 25.3% to £143m with the strongest performer there its Fruit Shoot product with sales up 93% year on year.
Meanwhile revenue in its Other International division rose by 11.9% to £374.9m and the company said it delivered growth across various sub-channels, including Benelux, travel, export, and the Middle East.
Simon Litherland, Britvic's chief executive, said the company have delivered excellent results, with strong growth in volume, revenue and profit, in the face of significant headwinds.
"We recognise that there are significant inflationary pressures on our consumers, customers and suppliers, and we remain focused on mitigating costs in a responsible manner through efficiency initiatives and revenue management, while continuing to invest in our brands, people, sustainability and infrastructure," the CEO said.
But he also added that the uncertain environment makes it difficult to forecast consumer demand in the near term.
"We draw confidence however from the continued resilience and growth of our category, our brands and our talented people. Our strategy is working, with clear drivers to continue our consistent track record of growth and delivery of superior returns for all our stakeholders," he added.
