A small Glasgow soft drinks bottler has launched a direct competitor to AG Barr's

Irn-Bru, called Highland Brew. While Irn-Bru is famous for being made from ''girders'', Highland Brew is apparently made from fruit extracts, yet is remarkably similar in taste and appearance to its rival.

The manufacturer of this newcomer is the Natural Fruit and Beverage Company (NFBC), which was formerly the soft-drinks manufacturing arm of Joseph Dunn. It underwent a management buy-out two years ago.

NFBC's managing director Gerry Dunn led the buy-out and claims initial sales have dented those of Irn-Bru. High demand means staff at the firm's Cambuslang plant have been working 24-hour shift patterns and 15 more have been recruited.

However, Robin Barr, chairman of AG Barr, said he would not be losing any sleep over this latest competitor.