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The Food WorksSW, the South West's leading food and drink innovation centre, has unveiled a new commercial canning line designed to help food and beverage businesses bring new products to market more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Based in Weston-super-Mare, the centre's latest investment responds to growing demand from producers seeking flexible manufacturing solutions to test, launch and scale canned products without the substantial capital expenditure typically associated with commercial canning equipment.
The new facility accommodates both 250ml and 330ml formats, making it suitable for limited-edition launches, pilot runs and expanding production volumes. It is available to businesses across the UK, from start-ups and SMEs to established brands looking to explore new product opportunities.
Simon Gregory, director at The Food WorksSW, said: "The new canning line will enable producers to innovate and bring canned products to market more quickly, affordably and flexibly than ever before. We've already received a high level of interest from businesses, which highlights the growing demand for accessible production facilities that help brands test, launch and scale products with confidence."
He added: "We now offer a full end-to-end service under one roof, meaning producers can develop their drinks in our drinks kitchen and then move seamlessly into canning. It creates a more efficient, streamlined process for businesses looking to scale."
The launch reflects wider trends across the beverage sector, where increased consumer demand for premium soft drinks, functional beverages, low- and no-alcohol alternatives, and sustainable packaging formats has driven interest in flexible production solutions that reduce barriers to market entry.
Among the first businesses to utilise the new canning line is Imber Drinks, a premium non-alcoholic beverage brand preparing for its commercial debut later this year.
Mary Walker, co-founder of Imber Drinks, said: "We're delighted to be one of the first brands to use the new canning line at The Food WorksSW."
Established by North Somerset Council and operated by the Future Food Partnership CIC, The Food WorksSW was created to address a lack of specialist facilities and technical support available to food and drink businesses in the region.
Since opening in 2020, the centre has supported more than 350 businesses through product development, diversification and commercial growth initiatives. As the only food and drink innovation centre of its kind in the South West, it offers five specialist development kitchens, 12 fully occupied food-grade business units, technical consultancy services, photography facilities, meeting and conference spaces, and a programme of industry training events.
The centre also continues to expand its support services through partnerships such as the West of England Food and Drink Support Initiative (FDSI). The fully funded programme provides technical expertise and business guidance to producers, manufacturers and hospitality businesses across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
Through the initiative, eligible businesses can access support in areas including food safety and HACCP planning, certification guidance, nutrition and labelling compliance, recipe development and production scale-up. Participants are also offered access to development kitchens and hands-on product development assistance.
The introduction of the canning line represents a significant enhancement to The Food WorksSW's offering, further strengthening the infrastructure available to emerging and established food and beverage brands navigating increasingly competitive markets.