Radnor Hills unveils UK’s first high-speed Tetra Pak A3 line
Cutting the ribbon on the new line. From left Colin Brown of Tetra Pak, Huw Irranca-Davies, Radnor Hills MD Simon Knight and Radnor Hills CEO William Watkins
Soft drinks manufacturer Radnor Hills has significantly scaled up its UK production capacity with a multi-million-pound investment featuring the installation of a pioneering, high-speed Tetra Pak line. This marks a major boost for the UK’s carton packaging market and the country’s soft drinks supply chain.
The new facility was officially opened by the Deputy First Minister of Wales, Huw Irranca-Davies. The £5 million investment fundamentally transforms Radnor Hills’ carton manufacturing footprint, leading to a capacity jump.
The investment will allow Radnor Hills to increase its overall carton capacity by a staggering 150%, jumping from 60 million packs to 150 million packs annually.
The core of the investment is the installation of the Tetra Pak A3 Speed 0500—the first high-speed portion pack line with this specific technology upgrade to be commissioned in the UK.
The new filling machine runs the popular Tetra Prisma Aseptic 200ml carton format at a rate of 24,000 cartons per hour, providing a dedicated annual capacity of 90 million cartons.
This significant increase in capacity is strategically aimed at meeting surging consumer and sectoral demand for the carton format, positioning Radnor Hills to aggressively expand its market penetration.
Chris Sanders, sales and marketing director of Radnor Hills, highlighted the tactical advantages: “Our Tetra Pak sales have been growing year on year for us and this new line will make us one of the most versatile soft drinks manufacturing sites in Europe…it will help us continue growth in the schools and foodservice sector while also giving us the ability to look at developing new export markets and the travel sector as well as potential innovation for the healthcare sector, hotel industry, prison service and new channels like convenience.”
The capacity ensures the company can support major new product developments, including its recent launch of the Radnor Fruits Disney Stitch range and the upcoming Radnor Hydrate line, essential for schools and leisure sectors.
Katrin Andersson, Tetra Pak’s managing director for North Europe, confirmed the line’s significance: “We are delighted to continue our strong relationship… Radnor Hills are a key partner for Tetra Pak and their strong brand presence and focus on innovation make them an ideal collaborator on pioneering projects such as this.”
The investment, which coincides with Radnor Hills’ 35th anniversary, also includes extended warehousing capacity, further automation, and a new ERP system, cementing the company’s position as a leading soft drinks supplier committed to Welsh spring water and high-speed packaging efficiency.
