- New Bottling Line increases capacity by nearly 1 million HL at the Magor site
- Visit comes following a £70 million investment in the Brewery and the installation of a wind turbine at the end of 2020, meaning all Budweiser Brewing Group’s UK beer is brewed using 100% renewable electricity
Magor, UK, July 2021 Budweiser Brewing Group UK & Ireland, a proud part of AB InBev UK Ltd, welcomes Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths, MS, to its Magor Brewery in South Wales on 20th July. During the visit, the Minister officially opened Magor’s new Bottling Line and toured the brewery to discover more about Budweiser Brewing Group’s sustainability practices.
Magor Brewery, which brews beers including Budweiser, Stella Artois and Bud Light, is a significant employer in the region, with 500 people working across the site which has been brewing since 1979. The brewer plays an important role in the South Wales community and economy by providing job and apprentice opportunities to local people.
The Minister officially opened the brewery’s new Bottling Line, which will supply the nation with more beer brewed using 100% British barley and with 100% renewable electricity. At the end of 2020, a new wind turbine was installed at the brewery in Magor to help power the site with renewable electricity that supplies nearly a quarter of the energy consumed at the brewery. Budweiser Brewing Group also worked with logistics partners at the Magor site to make efficiencies across its delivery supply chain, employing a truck sharing scheme to remove empty trucks on major routes and streamlining the number of journeys being made. This initiative will remove 300 trucks from UK roads every year, saving over 46 tonnes of CO2 as part of the company’s continued commitment to deliver on sustainability goals and meeting demands for its products.
The Minister’s visit also presented Budweiser Brewing Group’s apprentices with a chance to discuss the brewing and engineering skills they have acquired throughout their apprenticeship. Over the past 12 months, there have been twelve new hires and over the last six years, seven apprentices have completed the programme and now work as engineering team members, with four apprentices currently in different stages of the four-year programme.
The Minister then joined Brewery Manager Lloyd Manship on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Magor brewery.
Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, said: “The Budweiser Brewing Group brewery at Magor has a long and important history within the local community and establishing a new bottling line is a show of confidence in the workforce and the area.
“I was particularly impressed by the steps which have been taken to make the brewery more sustainable and very pleased to be able to speak to some of the apprentices learning their trade at the site. Food and Drink is vital to the Welsh economy and ensuring this growth is sustainable is crucial to our future prosperity.”
Lloyd Manship, Brewery Manager, says: “We are thrilled to have welcomed the Minister to open our new Bottling Line. It was a great opportunity for her to hear about our commitment to sustainability and the impact that our £70 million investment will have on apprentices, local jobs and the wider economy.”