BakPac at Bakers has strengthened its position in the fast‑moving refill and liquid pouch market with a major investment in two new Totani automatic spout inserters, now fully installed and running at the company’s Brentwood site.

The upgrade, valued at more than half a million pounds, marks a significant expansion of BakPac’s flexible packaging capability and gives brands greater access to high‑quality digitally printed spouted pouches at speed and scale.

The machines arrived on 6 August, with installation beginning the following Monday. Totani engineers spent four days on site completing commissioning, followed by a week of intensive operator training. Both inserters are now in live production, with further testing underway as BakPac builds up throughput and refines workflows.

For BakPac’s customers, the investment translates directly into more capacity, more flexibility and faster turnaround options for medium and longer‑run spouted pouch projects. The new equipment supports both top and corner spouts, with BakPac initially offering 10mm, 17.5mm and 21.5mm spout sizes across pouch formats ranging from 50ml to 5 litres. This gives brands a wide range of options for refill packaging, liquid products and lightweight alternatives to rigid containers.

Managing director Steve Baker said the decision to invest early reflects BakPac’s long‑term view of the refill market and the growing demand for spouted formats across multiple sectors.

“Spouted pouches are a really exciting area for BakPac,” he said. “The refill market in the UK is still at an early stage, but we believe it is a question of when, not if, demand grows. We wanted to invest now, get really good at the process and make sure we have the capacity and capability in place before the market really accelerates.”

Baker added that the investment also opens up new opportunities in trade supply. “We know there are other UK pouch producers and trade customers who may not have dedicated spout insertion capability, or the capacity to take on higher‑volume spouted pouch work. By investing in two Totani machines from the start, we are putting BakPac in a position to support brands directly, but also to offer a high‑quality trade solution as demand for spouted formats grows.”

The new inserters integrate seamlessly into BakPac’s digital print and pouch converting workflow, allowing brands to move from prototype to scale without changing suppliers. BakPac’s recyclable mono material has also run successfully through the machines, supporting customers looking for more sustainable refill packaging options.

Crucially, the investment removes one of the key bottlenecks in spouted pouch production. Spout insertion takes place at the end of the process, after printing, laminating and pouch conversion, making reliable, high‑speed capacity essential for protecting quality and delivery schedules.

“Spout insertion is one of the final stages in the production process, so it is critical that we protect quality and delivery,” Baker said. “Having the capacity of two Totanis means we can support customers as they scale, whether they are testing a new refill concept, moving into higher‑volume repeat work, or looking for a trusted trade partner with specialist spouted pouch capability.”

The arrival and positioning of the machines was handled by Bakers’ facilities and maintenance team, reflecting the company’s long‑standing commitment to reinvestment and continuous improvement. Discussions are already underway about further spout inserter investment as demand continues to grow.