Lincoln & York invests £1m into high-speed line
Independent coffee producer Lincoln & York marked its 30th anniversary during November with a £1m investment into its Brigg roastery in Lincolnshire.
The money will be used to upgrade facilities at the roastery and support Lincoln & York on its mission to double volumes by 2026.
Currently, the private label coffee manufacturer roasts more than 9,000 tons of coffee annually and supplies more than 150 customers across 32 markets.
“Investing in our roastery remains a key priority,” said Lincoln & York managing director Ian Bryson.
“However, our investment goes beyond equipment, and extends to our employees and their futures too. We now have 90 employees at Lincoln & York and we’re proud to have three of the UK’s 135 coffee Q Graders, on the Lincoln & York team.”
CCEP to install £42.3m automated system
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) announced a £42.3m investment into an automated pick and place system (ASRS) for its Wakefield site last month.
Standing at 38m tall, the ASRS will take two and a half years to install and will more than double the Wakefield site’s warehousing capacity.
Once operational, the system will enable the facility to hold and move almost 60,000 pallets at one time.
“Wakefield offers a range of modern manufacturing jobs and sits at the heart of many of our latest manufacturing technologies,” said Stephen Moorhouse, vice president and general manager at CCEP.
“We’ve invested more than £100m since 2019 to help us evolve operations on site and further support the local economy."
Heineken constructing new global R&D centre
Heineken is investing €45m (£37.5m) in the construction of a new global R&D centre in the Netherlands.
Located in Zoeterwoude, Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre is due to open midway through next year and will cover an area of 8,800 square metres and feature offices, laboratories, a model service centre and sensory research and packaging development departments.
Staff from 12 different countries will be employed at the site to work across brands such as Heineken, Desperados and Amstel.
“As the beating heart within our global R&D network, this centre opens new possibilities to optimize flavors and processes and to bring innovative products to market,” commented Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink.
“This is a crucial milestone in realizing our Brew a Better World 2030 strategy, through which Heineken raises the bar and enables faster progress towards a net zero, and a fairer, healthier world.”
Investor rescues Atom Brewing from administration
The future of Atom Brewing Co was secured during November thanks to a pre-pack administration deal with local investor Rob Brocklesby.
The agreement has guaranteed the continued operation of the Atom Beers brand and the firm’s brewery in Hull, while also preventing layoffs.
Brocklesby is the owner and managing director of Hull-based animal feed producer Adams and Green and has committed to providing the necessary investment that will allow the brewer to thrive.
“In a very challenging market, Atom has always strived to make the best beers possible and has significant recognition across the industry and is a recognised Hull brand,” Brocklesby said after announcing the deal.
“The beers are excellent and with this investment there is a bright future ahead.”
JBS to invest $2.5bn in Nigerian meat production
Last month, JBS signed a $2.5bn five-year investment deal with the Nigerian Government.
As part of the agreement, JBS will construct six factories dedicated to poultry, beef and pork production, while the Nigerian Government will provide the economic, health and regulatory conditions “necessary for the viability and success of the project”.
The global meat producer said that by establishing a solid partnership with the Nigerian Government it can support the country and the whole of Africa in addressing food insecurity.
However the move was criticised by ProVeg Nigeria and ProVeg Brazil, which said in a joint statement that the investment plan was “counterproductive to ensuring food security” and would result in “heightened biosecurity risks, increased antibiotic resistance, deforestation and climate-damaging emissions”.
