- £57.5 million of investment in supply chain projects as the factory reaches it eighth decade
- Matt Bishop, Member of Parliament for the Forest of Dean and Councillor Nick Penny, Mayor of Coleford will visit the factory to mark the celebrations
Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I (SBF GB&I), the producer of Lucozade and Ribena, is today celebrating 80 years since construction began on its Coleford factory in the Forest of Dean.
Known to most people locally as the ‘Ribena factory’, the famous blackcurrant drink has been manufactured there since 1947 when production first began. Later, Lucozade was incorporated onto site in 1957. Evidence of the site's long history remains visible today, with blackcurrant stains from berries pressed in the 1940s preserved in the factory’s concrete paving.
Even with eight decades of manufacturing behind it, the factory looks forward to a bright future, with Suntory - the Japanese owners that acquired the Lucozade and Ribena brands in 2014 - continuing to invest multi-million pound sums to evolve a site that produces some of Britain’s best-loved soft drinks.
Long-term investment
Major targeted investments across its supply chain in projects that will improve operational efficiency, support the UK’s decarbonisation ambitions and deliver a lasting economic boost to the region total over £57m. Investment includes a new £25m manufacturing line due to start production in 2027 and £14.5m on a next-generation blackcurrant processing facility in Ledbury, operational in time for this summer’s harvest.
Sustainability projects remain central to long-term growth. In the past six years, over £13 million has been spent to significantly improve the recyclability of the ready to drink bottles produced at the factory, reducing the size of the plastic sleeve on bottles of Ribena, Lucozade Sport and Lucozade Energy. £6m is also being spent on an electrification project to reduce the factory’s reliance on its gas turbine which is expected to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 58% once completed, putting SBF GB&I years ahead of its 2030 50% reduction target.
Beyond investment, support from Suntory over the last ten years has helped the site continue to nurture the knowledge, dedication and skills of generations of local people working in Coleford as it produces these iconic drinks. One of the largest Suntory-owned facilities in Europe, the factory produces more than 420 million of litres of Lucozade and Ribena each year, supplying customers across Great Britain and Ireland.
"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,” said CEO Elise Seibold. “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.”
Karl Ottomar, Supply Chain Director, SBF GB&I, added: "What makes the people in our factory special is their ability to keep moving forward while holding on to the knowledge, skills and pride built up over decades. As we continue to invest in the site, it’s about more than strengthening resilience and productivity; it’s about backing the people, skills and community that have made it such an important part of British manufacturing. That spirit of improvement, pride and care is what continues to drive the factory forward today.”
Image: SBF GB&I
The people behind Coleford
The story of SBF GB&I’s factory couldn’t be told without its people. For many in the Forest of Dean, the history of the Coleford factory is closely linked to the history of their own families as generations of people have shaped its success over the past eighty years.
Today, more than 300 people keep the Coleford factory running and over half of employees have been part of the business for at least ten years. Six apprentices are now learning their trade on site, building their skills and helping to carry that legacy into the future.
The impact of the business extends well beyond its factory walls. SBF GB&I continues to support communities where its employees live and work through charitable partnerships and volunteering. Announced this year, its Together for Good Community Fund, commits up to £2.5 million to communities across the UK and Ireland by 2030, including £125,000 ringfenced for the Forest of Dean to help local organisations make a meaningful difference. The company’s Mizuiku water education programme has also run by the banks of the river Severn for local families across the region since 2023.
Celebrating eight decades
This Thursday, 6th August, SBF GB&I brings together employees, community representatives and political stakeholders to the Coleford factory to mark 80 years in the Forest of Dean. The celebration will reflect on the story of British heritage, powered by Japanese innovation, showcasing the people, partnerships and investment that continue to shape its future.
Image: SBF GB&I