Suntory Beverage & Food (SBF) GB&I has invested £14.5 million in a new blackcurrant processing facility in Herefordshire, as part of efforts to strengthen its UK supply chain for Ribena production.

The project has been developed in partnership with Döhler Group’s Bevisol and is based at Bevisol’s newly developed site in Ledbury, Herefordshire. The facility is operating in time for this year’s blackcurrant harvest and will be used to prepare fruit sourced from SBF GB&I’s network of British growers.

The site is located closer to key blackcurrant-growing regions and SBF GB&I’s manufacturing operations, providing a dedicated facility for fruit preparation before the berries are pressed and concentrated for use in Ribena.

Karl Ottomar, supply chain director at SBF GB&I, said the investment marked “a huge milestone” for SBF GB&I, Ribena and British blackcurrant production.

“By investing in innovative processing here in the UK, we are supporting our supply chain while continuing to work closely with the farmers who have been at the heart of Ribena for generations,” he added.

The facility includes advanced evaporators powered by vapour recompression technology, cleanable membrane filtration, automated weighing, tipping and handling systems, and digital smart tag tracking on fruit bins to improve visibility across the supply chain.

Farming minister Stephen Morgan described the project as “a vote of confidence in British farming” and said investments in greener technology and modern processing could help strengthen UK supply chains and support rural jobs.

SBF GB&I sources blackcurrants from 33 farms across five growing regions in the UK, amounting to around 10,500 tonnes of fruit harvested annually over a six-week period. The new facility is expected to support 12 full-time jobs and an additional 30 seasonal roles in the region.

Gero Spika, global account director at Döhler, said the partnership with SBF GB&I combines processing expertise, investment and innovation in a facility designed to support UK fruit preparation.

“This project strengthens our global partnership with Suntory while reflecting our shared commitment to enhancing local production capabilities, supporting jobs in the region and contributing to the long-term future of British blackcurrant farming,” he said.

First created in 1938, Ribena has used British blackcurrants for nearly 90 years. SBF GB&I has also invested in a blackcurrant breeding programme with the James Hutton Institute and a regenerative agriculture pilot in Norfolk.

The announcement forms part of a wider £57.5 million investment programme across SBF GB&I’s UK supply chain. This includes recent projects at its Coleford factory aimed at strengthening manufacturing capability and reducing emissions, as well as plans to upgrade the site’s electricity connection, reduce reliance on its gas turbine and install a new £25 million manufacturing line in 2027.