If I was asked what is Scotland's greatest export, then I would state without compunction that this is Whiskey and to a lesser extent, the Kilt. I thought a while back and realized that measure for measure, bottled water and Whiskey are the drinks that are more expensive than petroleum. This is significant factor because in the case of whiskey, there is no coordination of prices by countries. So while I am not sure now how closely the firms that produce whiskey do compete, I still think that it is a far more open market than the petroleum market.
The main point of this post though is that quite apart from the more recognized whiskey production, Scotland produces a less recognized but equally valuable beverage that goes by the very Scottish name of Irn Bru. And I am amazed at this because when I took the Whiskey tour in Edinburgh a couple of years ago, I never heard mention of this drink produced by the company of similar name. Like whiskey, Irn Bru is also fascinating in the sense that its exact composition is only known to two people and one of whom has had to transfer the production process to his daughter who will take over from the patriarch.
As the story in the Guardian states, the only two people with knowledge of the formula may not travel on the same plane. I surmise that the purpose for this is to prevent the loss of the formula in the event of a plane crash. Well, the Irn Bru corporation should take my advise and review the data because the probability of a plane crash for miles travelled is much much lower than that for other forms of transportation. In my view, the greatest risk that the corporation faces is obviously related to the loss of the formula but the coincidental death of the custodians of that intellectual property from a plane crash is not only highly remote but is also not at the top of the list of risks.
My suggestion then is that the formula should be cut up and encrypted and then stored in very secure but diverse locations and may be referred to by a select number of people. That is infinitely more secure than having the formula inside the heads of two people who are then prevented from travelling together by plane or car. This is ridiculous for a corporation producing Scotland's most popular fizzy drink.
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2 comments:
Irn Bru recipe is already safe. it has been written down and it is safe in a bank somewhere in Scotland!
That precisely was the point. The argument about keeping it in the minds of two people who cannot travel in the same vehicle is ridiculous
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