AVE UK, a supplier of bottling and packaging machinery, says it has cemented its place at the heart of the UK’s distilling industry with the announcement of two new Italian equipment partners: Frilli and APE Impianti.
Joining AVE UK as part of the wider Della Toffola Group, the two companies represent some of the best in Italian spirit-making, synonymous with craftmanship, excellence and heritage. For the first time, “UK spirits producers can benefit from their high-quality, European equipment safe in the knowledge that local, on-the-ground support and servicing is available 24/7 from AVE’s UK-based team of engineers,” says AVE UK
The UK represents a key marketplace for AVE’s parent company Della Toffola as, despite the interruptions that Covid-19 has brought to hospitality, the country’s distilling industry has proved remarkably resilient. Since its resurgence in 2013, gin has remained a firm favourite among British drinkers. According to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, UK gin sales hit a record high of 80 million bottles in the year ending March 2021, up 30% on the previous 12 months. Total gin sales topped £20bn and the number of UK distilleries has almost tripled since 2016, standing at 560.
Gin is not the UK’s only success story. Scotch Whisky has long been one of the country’s leading exports, accounting for 21% of all UK food and drink exports and generating more revenue than the entire British shipbuilding industry. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, Scotland’s 134 Scotch Whisky distilleries export a total of 1.14bn bottles each year, with a value of £3.8bn.
As part of the Della Toffola Group, AVE UK is uniquely placed to leverage the processing, labelling, packaging and bottling expertise of its European equipment partners, which cover all facets of the food and beverage sector. With the introduction of Frilli and APE Impianti, it can now offer complete, full-line processing and packaging systems to the country’s growing number of spirit producers, as well as individual equipment solutions, ensuring that the UK’s distilling industry remains synonymous with quality and craftsmanship for years to come.
