Suffolk UK-based cider producer Aspall has become the first to use new lightweight, recyclable PET beverage containers made by Petainer for its cider exports to Russia, America, Japan and Europe.
With exports booming in Australia and launches due in China and India, Aspall has ordered 20-litre and 30-litre keg sizes for its draught ciders – the first time it has used PET containers.
Also available in 15-litre and 40-litre sizes, the Petainer PET kegs are designed for one-way use and have low-cost Micro Matic-compatible fittings, which allow the containers to be connected to existing standard tapping systems.
“Trials and tests have shown that the Petainer Kegs deliver the product to discerning customers in an optimum condition,” says Aspall director and head of export Henry Chevallier Guild. “Quality is our principal consideration but we believe there are also important cost and environmental benefits for us in transporting cider in Petainer plastic kegs.”
Petainer kegs can be supplied either as complete, ready-to-fill containers or as performs, which are blown to full size on or near the site where they are filled, giving them a “clear advantage” over metal kegs and other plastic formats.
Andy Carter, Petainer’s regional sales director for the UK and Ireland, says: “PET kegs are a significant breakthrough in the sales and marketing of volume beer and cider.
“Companies like Aspall recognise that using lightweight, one-way PET containers opens up new channels and market opportunities. This makes it possible for users to expand into international markets, which would not be feasible with metal kegs.”
Petainer is a leading company in the development, design and manufacture of recyclable PET bottles and other containers for leading European food and drink brands, with manufacturing plants in Lidköping, Sweden, and in Aš in the Czech Republic, supported by sales offices in the UK and Germany.
Aspall is the first cider customer for Petainer PET kegs
