Molson Coors to pump £100m into UK production network

10-Apr-2024 - Last updated on 10-Apr-2024 at 16:13 GMT

Key move: Fraser Thomson says the investment is for the future and helps achieve sustainability targets

Molson Coors, which owns brands such as Carling, Doom Bar and Madri, has announced it will invest more than £100m in its UK brewery and beverage network over the next five years.

The business said the programme of infrastructure upgrades will improve capabilities and introduce greater efficiencies across its entire UK network.

It will also play a crucial role in supporting Molson Coors’ commitment to reach carbon net zero emissions in the UK by 2035.

Specifically, the plan includes investments to improve brewing capacity and packaging capability at its Burton-on-Trent and Tadcaster breweries.

Cash for cask at Sharp’s

At its Burton site, improvements have included the installation of a brand new 24-tonne high-speed 120,000 cans per hour filler and upgrades to the packaging keg line at both Tadcaster Brewery and Aspall Cyder House.

It will also see investment in the Sharp’s Brewery in Rock, Cornwall, to support new and existing cask ale brands such as Doom Bar, Solar Wave Hazy and Twin Coast.

Molson said the need for additional capacity and capability is linked to the continued strong performance of its brands, with premium and world lager brands in particular seeing strong growth – most notably the rise of Madri Excepcional - alongside Carling’s continued role at the heart of the brewer’s portfolio.

The planned investment follows on from the £13m investment in increasing capacity at the Aspall Cyder House, which concluded in 2022, a £21m investment in a new canning line in Burton in 2021, and an ongoing £10m investment in its Tadcaster brewery, which began at the end of last year.

Investment in the future

Fraser Thomson, chief supply chain officer, Western Europe at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said: “This plan is an investment in our future, giving our people and our brands the tools to fulfil our potential in the UK market while making strong progress against our sustainability targets.

“As a business, we have continued to invest in the UK throughout the challenges caused by the pandemic and this further investment underscores our long-term commitment to the UK and the local communities where we operate.

“This is a landmark moment in our history as we evolve to meet the demands of our growing portfolio and bring new innovations in the years ahead, while continuing to reduce the impact our business has on the environment.”

In 2021, Molson Coors became the first major UK brewer to switch to 100% renewable electricity. All the electricity used to produce the more than 1bn pints that Molson Coors makes each year in the UK comes from 22 wind turbines at the Tween Bridge wind farm in South Yorkshire, less than 40 miles from the Tadcaster brewery.