Merseyside-based Vimto and soft drinks firm Nichols plc said its revenue rose 4.7% to £89.5 million in the half year ended June 30, 2026, with profit before tax rising 31.6% to £15 million.

Interim dividend per share rose 34.7% to 20.2p.

Nichols’ portfolio includes the iconic Vimto brand plus a growing portfolio of licensed brands including Levi Roots, ICEE, Myprotein and Sunkist.

Nichols CEO Andrew Milne said: “We are pleased to have delivered another strong period of strategic and financial progress, with revenue growth accelerating to 4.7% supporting further profit growth and record cash generation.

“Reflecting our earnings growth and revised dividend cover policy of 1.5 times, the board has increased the interim dividend by 35%.

“Our UK Packaged business continued to deliver distribution gains and innovation-led growth, whilst Vimto in Africa once again delivered an excellent performance driven by growth in can sales and the continued success of our strategy to migrate production closer to the point of consumption.

“We were also pleased to have delivered a successful Ramadan trading period in the Middle East despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

“We also announced the launch of Myprotein Clear Whey Protein Water in partnership with THG, extending our innovation pipeline into the growing functional drinks category and demonstrating our ability to leverage trusted brands and partnerships to access attractive adjacent growth opportunities.

“Supported by our strong portfolio of brands, geographically diversified model, robust balance sheet and significant financial flexibility, we remain confident in our ability to deliver sustainable growth and create long-term shareholder value.

“The board’s expectations for the full year remain unchanged and we remain confident in achieving our medium-term financial plans.”