The first brand to roll off Elopak’s new gable top carton filling line, which opened in Wales in March, will be the relaunched Cracker Drinks juice range.
The new production line – at the Fruitapeel site in Llantrisant, one of the UK’s fastest growing producers of own-label and branded juices and smoothies – is the UK’s only aseptic juice, gable top carton filling line.
Cracker Drinks is relaunching its range of five juice-drink products – three juice products and ‘Still & Cloudy lemonade’ – in Elopak’s 1-litre Pure-Pak Curve cartons.
The products are being filled on an Elopak S-PS80 High Aseptic filling machine, with volumes expected to reach 6 million cartons a year.
Prior to the opening of the new Wales facility, Cracker Drinks was filling the products in Germany.
“To date, aseptic juice producers had to go outside mainland UK for gable top,” says co-packer Fruitapeel’s managing director Terry Haigh.
“Cracker saw the logistical benefits, both cost and environmental, and the opportunities of British-based production.”
The new gable top pack forms part of a comprehensive brand review, and the subsequent relaunch will include Cracker’s first social media campaign and PR activities to drive brand awareness.
Production of Cracker Drinks in 1-litre Pure-Pak Curve cartons began in April 2013, with products scheduled to appear on-shelf across all the UK’s main multiple retailers, and pub and restaurant trade, by May 2013.