The Year-to-Date at Holden’s – Mark Hammond

Two major developments at Holden’s Bottling have dominated the year to date.

Firstly, the successful installation and commissioning of our new 24/4 Simonazzi and PSA canning line.

The filler is now fully operational and settling in well, with volumes from our canning teams continuing to increase as we make the most of the additional capacity.

We are particularly pleased with the quality of the nitro-pour beers we are now producing, an exciting area that represents one of the few genuine growth opportunities within the packaged beer market.

Alongside this, we have commissioned our new four-pack machine, which we believe will prove to be a valuable addition to our offering.

The second major challenge has been the well-publicised shortage of amber glass from O-I. Many of you will have experienced the disruption this has caused across the industry, and it has undoubtedly created difficulties for both ourselves and our customers.

Encouragingly, we believe supply is beginning to improve, with availability expected to return to more normal levels throughout the rest of the year.

Looking ahead, demand remained strong throughout the summer and into September, so we would encourage customers to book production as early as possible to secure capacity.

Finally, I would like to thank all of our customers, suppliers and partners for their continued support and trust throughout the year. We greatly value the relationships we have built together and look forward to continuing to work with you in the months ahead.