Suntory’s £25m Apollo 5 line to future-proof Lucozade and Ribena

Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) has announced a landmark £25 million investment in a new high-speed manufacturing line at its historic Coleford factory, marking a shift toward production consolidation and sustainability as its flagship brand, Lucozade, approaches its 100th anniversary.

The investment is the centre-piece of a broader £57 million supply chain transformation programme at the Gloucestershire site, which celebrates its 80th year in 2026.

The new line, dubbed “Apollo 5,” is set to be operational by early 2027 — aligning perfectly with the 100th birthday of Lucozade. This upgrade is designed to replace two aging production lines, modernising a facility that already produces approximately 1 billion bottles per year.

Apollo 5 will consolidate the production of both Lucozade and Ribena onto a single high-speed line, capable of producing 55,000 bottles per hour.

• Unified production: the line replaces separate older lines for Ribena concentrate and ready-to-drink (RTD) formats, drastically reducing operational complexity.
• Resource conservation: utilising advanced aseptic technology, the line uses heat and pressurised air rather than water to clean bottles. This significantly lowers energy and water consumption compared to traditional filling systems.
• Agile switching: the system allows for rapid changeovers between brands, enabling Suntory to respond more dynamically to shifts in consumer demand across the UK and Ireland.

The investment is not an isolated project; it follows a £6 million sustainability initiative launched in late 2024 to electrify the Coleford site and remove its reliance on gas turbines.

By integrating more energy-efficient hardware like Apollo 5, Suntory is aligning its iconic brands with the circular economy and net zero trends that are now defining retail listings. This move ensures that Lucozade and Ribena remain functional not just in their ingredients, but in their manufacturing credentials as well.

“This next chapter is about investing in our factory to strengthen the future of two iconic British brands, Lucozade and Ribena,” says Elise Seibold, chief operating officer at SBF GB&I. “We’re dedicating £25 million to this new line to set us up for long-term success… as we celebrate 80 years since our factory was first built, it reinforces our commitment to the Forest of Dean”.

Karl Ottomar, supply chain director at SBF GB&I, added: “We’re not just replacing factory lines, we’re embracing new technology to future-proof our operations and make them more efficient. This new line is a big step forward, giving us the capability to keep growing and innovating for years to come”.