Molson Coors completes £13m cider plant modernisation project

Acquired in 2018, the drinks giant has spent the past three years making the site more efficient and investing in increased production – up 60% to about 70m pints of cider per year – to meet demand for ‘super-premium’ hard cider in the UK.  

Upgrades to the site included a new, modern fermentation building that allowed for the reformatting of Aspall’s ‘tank farm’ – where the cider is blended and stored – to create space for further expansion. Aspall also upgraded its wastewater treatment plant, allowing for treatment onsite.  

Reducing food miles ​

The project also included construction of a new weighbridge that allows transport trucks to be weighed on-site to ensure they are fully loaded before departure, reducing trips. 

Together with the wastewater treatment upgrades, the weighbridge will reduce local traffic by the equivalent of 800 tankers a year, helping to reduce the site’s environmental impact, said the company. 

Despite the bevy of upgrades to the site, Molson Coors endeavoured to keep the general look and feel of 29-year-old building intact. 

Rich heritage  ​

Phil Whitehead, Molson Coors’ managing director for Western Europe, said: “Aspall is one of Suffolk’s best-loved exports and one of Britain’s most distinctive cider brands. So, a fundamental commitment when we took ownership of the brand was to strengthen — and never detract from — its rich heritage.” ​

“[Aspall Cyder has] been produced at the same site for nearly three hundred years, and our investment in the Cyder House is all about ensuring this continues for many more to come. It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the site and investing in the U.K.” ​

Molson Coors will further support the Aspall brand with the launch of its first-ever TV advertisement this year, as part of a £3m marketing campaign.  

Meanwhile, a family-owned brewery in Salford, Manchester has s​ecured a quarter of million pounds funding through Cynergy Business Finance,​​ which will assist in fulfilling increased orders and invest in new plant and machinery.