Work begins on St Austell bottling line
Work has begun on a new £700,000 bottling line at St Austell Brewery in Cornwall.
The new bottling line will increase capacity to 100,000 bottles a week and allow the brewery to meet existing and future demand for its bottled ales
The project has been supported by an £180,000 investment by the South West Regional Development Association (RDA) through its Grant for Business Investment scheme.
"This is a hugely exciting project for the brewery and puts us in a great position to meet the increasing demand for our bottled beers in supermarkets, the off-trade market and the rising popularity of beer with food," said head brewer Roger Ryman.
"Having our own in-house bottling line opens up the opportunity for further innovation and short runs of special ales."
Stephen Bohane, head of business development in Cornwall for the South West RDA, said: "St Austell Brewery is an excellent example of a successful regional business with the ambition, confidence and high quality product to make their mark at a national level.
"It is important that we prepare the region's economy for a return to growth so we are in the best possible position for when recovery comes. So we are pleased to be investing in the new bottling line to help unlock the potential for further growth in St Austell Brewery's business."
The new in-house bottling line will also help St Austell cut down on road miles and go some way to helping it achieve its aim of becoming Britain's greenest brewer. Bottles are to be redesigned to be 25% lighter.
