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New investment for Accolade Wines in Bristol
Accolade Wines has rebranded its £100m state-of-the-art drinks manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution facility in Bristol.
As part of the relaunch, the site – now called The Park – has received additional investment to increase its production capabilities, including canning and carbonation facilities, alongside a new dedicated contract packaging team.
With the ability to package over 30 million 9le cases per year and with available capacity, The Park’s ambition is to offer a complete drinks solution for the European sector. Whilst The Park and its 400 employees will continue to support Accolade Wines European operations, the rebrand and additional investment aims to support increased production, offer greater flexibility to meet customers’ demands and welcome new alcoholic and drinks partners to the business.
The Accolade Wines site in Bristol is receiving additional investment to increase its capabilities, including canning and carbonation facilities / Picture: Accolade Wines
The Park has also built on its strong sustainability credentials by becoming a carbon neutral facility. This follows the installation of wind turbines in 2019 that contribute to the use of 100% renewable and CO2 neutral electricity. Additional green initiatives include achieving zero waste to landfill and water conservation management and a packaging strategy.
Robert Foye, chief executive officer, Accolade Wines, said: “This represents an exciting new chapter for the site, one that will differentiate us from our competitors and build synergies with customers and retailers to benefit the whole supply chain. The Park’s core principles remain innovation, outstanding quality and sustainability, and this rebrand gives us the foundations to grow the business in the years to come.”
Richard Lloyd, general supply manager, The Park, added: “Our vision is to transform the drinks industry with agile, bespoke solutions utilising our scale and sustainable footprint. This is a strategic shift for The Park as it moves towards a more independent role within the business. Capacity is scarce in the UK and we have space to support customers with volume flexibility due to seasonal, promotional or market spikes, such as those witnessed during Covid-19. We now have an exciting opportunity to find new partners that will allow us to develop synergies and leverage the scale and expertise offered by the site, which will support the efficiency and green credentials of the wider industry.”
The Park has already secured two new five-year contracts in the last month as a result of the relaunch, including wine and spirit company Benchmark Drinks.
Paul Schaafsma, founder and managing director, Benchmark Drinks, concluded: “It was an easy decision to move Benchmark’s packaging, warehousing and logistics to The Park, it provides Europe’s best complete service solution. Richard Lloyd leads a team focused on continuous improvement and industry leading quality. When you couple this culture with the significant investment made to the site and impressive sustainability credentials, it just makes sense.”