The North East business that is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, has invested £1.5m on a brand new purpose built bottling line supplied by Enterprise Tondelli.
The company provided the turnkey solution, which comprises a sterile filtration unit, a BRB Blobus self-adhesive labeller, a Matrix Tri block rinser, filler, capper and Baumer wrap around tray and carton erector.
Camerons’ investment has been supported with a £150,000 grant provided through the Tees Valley Business Compass scheme, and creates 12 new full-time jobs.
According to the company, beer, imported by tanker or brewed on site, can be packaged initially into glass bottles ranging from 275ml to 660ml. However, the plant has also been designed with the flexibility to fill into PET bottles with space to install a wet glue labeller if required.
The investment in the bottling plant complements the 1 million hectolitre a year brewery and adds to the current keg and cask pack capability of the site.
Camerons produce for four of the world’s top ten brewers and believe the investment now provides them with a complete vertically integrated solution of brewing and packaging that is aligned to the “growing market demand for a reliable, high quality and cost effective” contract brewing and packaging solution for a number of key markets.
“The long term shift from On-trade to Off-trade has driven significant growth in the premium packaged ale market and Camerons has recognised the importance of investing to support this growing sector both in respect of its own brands and contract products,” they explained.
The company said it also recognised the opportunities for a cost effective UK brewing and / or packaging supply chain solution for products that is sold into the UK market, but currently brewed outside the UK.
They have already penned a contract for 10,000 HL a year of brewing and packaging for a brand that is currently imported from the continent and is actively targeting other like opportunities.
Camerons managing director, Chris Soley explained: “Customers keep telling us that we make some of the most consistent quality beer in the world brewed to the most exacting standards.
“Therefore to be now be able, to provide them with this quality in a PET or glass format is great news for them and will take cost out of their supply chains”
