Heineken will pump £126m into its pubs and bars estate, as well as, the production of UK beer and cider it was revealed yesterday at the International Festival for Business.
The beer and cider manufacturer will invest £50m into its Manchester brewery, protecting 240 jobs, and £58m into its Hereford Bulmers and Strongbow cider factory to develop the facility and increase production capacity.
The investment will increase brewing production at the Manchester site, which produces Foster’s and Kronenbourg 1664, by roughly 2m hectoliters and includes a new kegging line for draught beer. The development is expected to be completed by summer 2015.
The investment follows Heineken’s announcement in April to plug £58m into its Hereford cider production facility as it relocated production from its Universal Beverages Ledbury facility.
The firm also confirmed an £18.5m investment to develop its Star Pubs & Bars estate in 2014.
David Forde, Heineken managing director said: “These major investments are a clear demonstration of our long-term commitment to the UK.
“Heineken is committed to the UK marketplace and investing in the right infrastructure to ensue that we can continue to delight our consumers day-in and day-out with fantastic cider and beer experiences.”