Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I is celebrating 80 years of manufacturing at its Coleford site in Gloucestershire, a facility widely known as the 'Ribena factory'. The famous blackcurrant drink has been produced there since 1947, with Lucozade joining the site's output in 1957. The factory's long history is still visible today, as blackcurrant stains from berries pressed in the 1940s remain preserved in the concrete paving.
A Major European Production Hub
The Japanese-owned company, which acquired the Lucozade and Ribena brands in 2014, now operates one of the largest Suntory-owned plants in Europe at Coleford. The site employs 300 people and produces more than 420 million litres of Lucozade and Ribena each year.
Investment at the site is substantial, with targeted spending across the supply chain totalling more than £57m. This includes a new £25m manufacturing line due to start production in 2027 and £14.5m for a next-generation blackcurrant processing facility in Ledbury.
Commitment to Sustainability
Sustainability projects remain central to the factory's long-term growth, according to SBF GB&I. Over the past six years, more than £13m has been spent on improving the recyclability of ready-to-drink bottles produced at the factory, including reducing the size of the plastic sleeve on bottles of Ribena, Lucozade Sport and Lucozade Energy. An additional £6m is being invested in an electrification project to reduce the factory's reliance on its gas turbine.
Elise Seibold, chief executive of SBF GB&I, said: "The significance of this milestone isn't simply that our factory has been here for 80 years; it's that we're continuing to protect its future for the decades still to come. It's a responsibility and commitment to the people who work here today, to the generations who were guardians of the site before us and to the community that continues to be such an important part of Coleford's story."
Community and Economic Impact
Matt Bishop, the Labour MP for the Forest of Dean, added: "For eight decades, the factory has been at the heart of the Forest of Dean, producing iconic British brands while providing skilled, secure jobs that have supported generations of local families. What stands out most is the commitment of the people who work here. The pride, loyalty, and expertise of the workforce have been central to the factory's success over many decades, and it is clear that investment in people remains just as important today as investment in facilities."
The factory's 80-year milestone comes as SBF GB&I continues to invest in the site's future, with the new manufacturing line and blackcurrant processing facility set to enhance production capabilities and support the UK's decarbonisation ambitions.
