UK: Molson Coors to invest in £25 mln in its Burton-upon-Trent brewery upgrade

Molson Coors Beverage Company has announced a £25 mln investment in its Burton-upon-Trent brewery that includes a new hard seltzer canning line and upgrades to its beer and cider packaging facilities to drive efficiencies, the Packaging News reported on July 26.

The new canning line will package Molson Coors’ 4% ABV hard seltzer brand Three Fold, sold in three flavours Red Berries, Citrus and Tropical, in 330ml sleek can, as well as support future innovation in the ready-to-drink category and premium beers.

Work to install the new hard seltzer canning line will begin in late 2021 and the first cans are due to be produced from the new line in late spring 2022. Molson Coors will also upgrade its beer and cider packaging lines which will significantly improve efficiencies in its operations. This work will also begin later this year and is expected to be complete by early 2022.

Phil Whitehead, managing director of Molson Coors Beverage Company in Western Europe, said: “The hard seltzer and ready-to-drink (RTD) categories present a huge opportunity for growth. The RTD category is the fastest growing in alcohol globally and, while it’s early days, we’re seeing strong indications that hard seltzers will prove as popular in Western Europe as they have in the US.

“This investment will allow us to scale up at speed and help our customers to rapidly respond to that growing demand from consumers in this quickly emerging category.”

Kate Griffiths, MP for Burton-upon-Trent, visited Burton Brewery to hear and see first-hand about the investment programme. She said “This investment by Molson Coors in its Burton brewery is a sign of their commitment to continued innovation here in the great brewing town of Burton. It is great news for the company and our town, coming as it does after a very tough year for the brewing and hospitality sector.

“I’ve been really impressed with how Molson Coors has supported its staff and customers during the pandemic, so it’s great to see the business now starting to bounce back with this investment in producing a major new product here in Burton.”

26 July, 2021