The classic Scottish soft drink Irn-Bru is having its recipe changed and sugar content reduced by more than 50% – as its maker AG Barr grapples with a shift in consumer tastes and prepares for the implementation of a sugar tax in 2018.
The news hasn’t gone down brilliantly with some fans of the drink however – and the reactions have come in a variety of forms.
1. Petitioning
Ryan Allen has started a campaign called Hands Off Our Irn-Bru, with his petition amassing more than 11,000 signatures online.
“It is a national treasure in Scotland and really is part of our culture with its unique taste, branding and marketing,” he said. “Don’t do it Barr – please have a rethink on this.”
2. Stockpiling
Can't believe Irn Bru are changing the recipe, are you mad? I'm going costco and stocking up. Half the sugar? nope not for me.
— Freezy (@Calfreezy) January 4, 2018
3. Mourning future hangovers
Irn Bru getting dug the same grave as Lucozade, do these chiefs not get hangovers?
— Alex Simpson (@KeenoSimpson) January 4, 2018
4. Googling
irn bru recipe change protest locations
— Mhairi Black Googling (@MhairiGoogling) January 4, 2018
Yes that is a parody account for Scottish MP Mhairi Black.
5. Using gifs
Irn Bru are changing their recipe? pic.twitter.com/6prNkhVzTh
— Eilidh Doyle (@EilidhDoyle) January 4, 2018
6. Fighting with gifs
Irn Bru recipe to be changed later this month.
Scotland: pic.twitter.com/i27l3wJIic
— Daniel Eaglesfield (@DEaglesfield) January 4, 2018
7. Proposing novel ideas
I'm all for the sugar tax, but why can't these companies just do both and charge us more for the extra sugar/old recipes?! I'd happily pay a lil bit more to get the old Lucozade back down my gullet 🙃 #sugartax #lucozade #irnbru #lucozadegate #irnbrugate #thursdaythoughts
— Leah Bean (@leah_bean) January 4, 2018
Irn-Bru’s makers have claimed most people will not taste the difference when the fizzy drink’s reduced sugar recipe is introduced.
An AG Barr spokesman said: “We know that our loyal drinkers love Irn-Bru for its unique great taste and we’ve worked hard to deliver this.
“We ran lots of taste tests that showed most people can’t tell the difference – nine out of 10 regular Irn-Bru drinkers told us we had a good or excellent taste match.”
The new recipe will appear in shops later this month.