Kingsland announces six-figure bag-in-box investment

By Lisa Riley

Published: 01 March, 2021

Kingsland Drinks is gearing up to boost its bag-in-box wine capabilities this year with a six-figure investment in additional production line machinery.

Expected to be fully operational by May, the new production line will increase Kingsland’s capacity for packing bag-in-box wines by 50%, totalling more than 28 million litres per year, according to the business.

The new line, at Kingsland Drinks’ site in Irlam, Salford, builds on the company’s existing bag-in-box infrastructure, which supplies 1.5ltr, 2.25ltr and 3ltr formats to some of the UK’s biggest retailers.

It will be installed in two parts: a new filler will be fitted in April 2021, followed by the installation of a pick and place and end of line palletisation system.

The investment would reinforce Kingsland’s position as a ”full-service drinks company and leverage the booming bag-in-box sector”, said the company.

“We’re proud of our ability to offer a full category service and have carefully expanded and upgraded operations in recent years to enhance our offering. Many of our suppliers are keen to venture into new wine formats and bag-in-box is certainly one that is being embraced by consumers, due to changes in lifestyle and the fact that at-home drinking occasions are set to be a dominant feature of socialising,” said MD Ed Baker.

“The pandemic has shone a well-deserved light on this format and it can only gain momentum as the industry educates consumers on its benefits. Bag-in-box wine is here to stay, and our investment means we approach the years ahead with experience and world class capabilities.”

The latest investment follows the addition of a new canning line in 2020 with the capability to produce 80 million cans per year.

Moreover, in the last six years alone, Kingsland has installed a carbonation line, reinstated its onsite winery, introduced new high-speed bottling lines, expanded its NPD capabilities with a new laboratory focused on future-thinking and insights-driven product development, and upgraded its capacity to bottle spirits and package new formats.