Edmunds tops off bottled cocktails with high quality neck sleeves

Premium bottled cocktail producer Edmunds Cocktails has improved packaging presentation and consistency across its portfolio, following investment in a new heat tunnel from Sovereign Labelling Machines.

Edmunds Cocktails crafts ready to drink cocktails by skilfully combining the finest spirits, juices, syrups, and aromatics into exceptional cocktails that recreate a bar quality experience without the fuss or need for specialist liqueurs. Edmunds partners with premium spirits manufacturers and sources ingredients from local suppliers wherever it can. All cocktails are then hand blended, bottled, and labelled in-house, before being sold to restaurants, bars, and direct to consumers.

With demand for its bottled cocktails on the rise and a resulting increase in production volumes, the family run business needed to improve its packaging process. A key part of the bottling of ready to drink cocktails is the application of shrink capsules to the bottle neck, which creates a professional looking, tamper evident seal once shrunk into place.

Paul Mayes, co-founder and operations director at Edmunds Cocktails, said: ‘As production volumes increased, we identified a bottleneck in our existing capsule application process; as our previous machine struggled with speed and limited throughput and introduced avoidable inefficiencies.

‘We invested in a dedicated solution from Sovereign Labelling Machines to streamline capsule application and shrinking, removing constraints from the line and supporting our ongoing scale up.’

The solution delivered to Edmunds Cocktails is a tamper band shrink tunnel with a capacity of 60 pieces per minute. The heat tunnel is integrated into the beverage brand’s existing packaging line to allow the seamless bottling, labelling, and neck sleeving of bottles, ready for boxing up and dispatch.

The heat tunnel is being used to apply and shrink capsules across the entire bottled cocktail range and supports small and large production runs. It has ‘materially improved line flow’, according to Paul, as well as providing consistent heat distribution that is delivering the premium finish required by the brand. Bottle neck clearance issues that were experienced previously have now been eliminated also.

Paul continued, ;The solution has improved consistency and presentation of the finished product, while also increasing throughput and reducing manual intervention. Lead times are shorter, changeovers are smoother, and overall line reliability has improved, all of which directly benefits our customers.’

Jordan Hynes, business development manager at Sovereign Labelling Machines, said: ‘When smaller, independent brands are faced with labelling and sleeving challenges, this results in a material impact on their ability to serve customers effectively. Even something as ‘simple’ as a tamper evident neck sleeve can have a big impact.

‘For Edmunds Cocktails, these challenges threatened to curtail its growth trajectory, so it was essential for the company to upgrade its packaging line capability.

‘We are delighted that our solutions have allowed the brand to overcome neck sleeving challenges and get back to what the company does best – mixing delicious ready to drink bottled cocktails that consumers can enjoy when they are at home, with friends, or when they are out.

‘I look forward to seeing – and tasting – Edmunds Cocktails, complete with their high quaity neck sleeves.’

Paul was similarly pleased to have worked with Sovereign on this project and said: ‘The machine build quality is excellent, and the installation and commissioning process was smooth. Service levels have been strong throughout, with clear communication and fast response times.

‘Jordan in particular has been great to work with. He is knowledgeable, responsive, and genuinely invested in making sure the solution worked perfectly for our operation.

‘We are extremely happy with the solution and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Sovereign Labelling Machines to other growing drinks producers looking to scale efficiently.’