Carlsberg to invest in UK soft-drinks production

Carlsberg is adding a new soft drinks canning line at its Rugby factory in the UK to “significantly increase” production capacity at the site.

According to the Danish brewing giant, the new £20m ($40.1m) canning line will create over 30 new jobs. Carlsberg’s Rugby facility will now have ten canning lines and will be able to go from producing 560,000 canned soft drinks an hour to 610,000 for the UK market.

The investment will also enable the location to produce brands such as Tango and Pepsi Max.

The investments form part of Carlsberg’s broader strategy to “enhance its supply chain and production capabilities”, it said in a statement.

It added that recruitment for new roles is already underway, with the new line to generate 34 new jobs in engineering and manufacturing.

The company also told Just Drinks the 30 new jobs will be permanent, full-time roles and takes the total number of employees at the site to more than 430 people.

The expansion brings the total investment in the Rugby site over the past five years to more than £60m.

The cash injection follows on from the Tuborg brewer investing £4m in a new logistics hub in Wolverhampton in July.

Commenting on the investment, Nigel Paine, VP of production at Carlsberg Britvic, Carlsberg’s UK business, said: “This investment underscores our commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in our supply chain.

“By expanding our production capacity, we can meet the growing demand for our popular brands, create more jobs, and enhance our operational efficiency.”

The new supply chain setup looks set to support Carlsberg’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, further supported by a government grant for sustainability initiatives.

Earlier this week, it emerged that US prebiotic soda brand Poppi looked set to be launched in the UK early next year.

Carlsberg Britvic, the UK arm of the brewing giant and PepsiCo’s partner in the country, has signed an exclusive deal with an undisclosed retailer and received interest from potential on-trade customers.

Speaking at The Beverage Forum 2025 conference in London on Tuesday (7 October), Nick Hunter, head of new business at Carlsberg Britvic, said Poppi would be launched in the UK “probably in the next four months”.

Just Drinks asked Carlsberg’s UK business today (9 October) whether the latest investment was part of the company getting ready to launch Poppi in the UK or whether the Poppi products made here be shipped over.

The business said: “We are proud of our partnership with PepsiCo and our shared commitment to develop and grow a portfolio of brands that consumers know and love. While it is too early to share further information at this stage, we will be happy to provide further details when the time is right.”