Case Study Overview
The Maule Brewing Co describe their beers as 'no nonsense, truth telling’ craft beers. Founder Tom Maule's bottle labelling aims were ...
- Consistent label application
- Label 2 different bottle sizes
- An easy to use/calibrate machine
We supplied a VL/1 semi-automatic labelling machine with a facility for printing the labels with a lot mark.
Maule Brewing Co was set up in 2013 by founder Tom Maule, whose aim was to produce ‘no nonsense, truth telling’ Craft Beers.
Tom and Maule Brewing Co’s objectives were to build a brewhouse and a brewing ethos which focus on product quality and consistency. An important part of their brand identity is to be open and transparent about where and how they brew, rather than being what they term 'an anonymous brand.' Tom describes Maule Brewing Co as ‘completely independent, self-built and self-sufficient’.
New premises were found in Northants in October 2013, when they set up, and for the next 12 months Tom, with the help of some brewery engineering contacts, worked hard to transform technical plans into a 10 barrel brewery.
Tom’s first batches of IPA and Pale Ale were packaged in kegs and bottles in November 2014. The company plans to batch-brew a variety of beers, from IPAs, Pale Ales, Lagers and Seasonals up to 4 times a week depending on demand.
A semi-automatic labelling machine was required to apply front and back labels to 330ml and 500ml bottles. Vigo supplied a VL/1 semi-automatic labelling machine, with a capacity of around 600 bottles per hour. Labels are applied under a pressure of 14kg to reduce the risk of bubbling and wrinkles caused by uneven bottle surfaces. The machine was supplied with a hot foil printer for printing the labels with a lot mark
Feedback
'I chose Vigo to supply the machine as they were competitively priced and helpful, both on providing the information I needed to choose the right machine, and being honest by telling me what machine I actually needed. They had every opportunity to advise me to spend more money! They provided the solutions for our business at its current scale with a little room for expansion.
The labeller so far has performed exactly as I expected. Delivery time and technical advice has also been first class. The labeller is easy to use and calibrate to use with both our bottle sizes. It applies the labels evenly every time with next to no effort from the operator! The front and back option allows us to get the exact look we want for our packaging and the foiler has no problem hitting the best before space every time!
So far our experience with Vigo has been excellent, which was refreshing. We are a small independent business and have not always been treated with the customer service we feel is required when buying brewing and packaging machinery. We take our product and packaging seriously and look forward to working with Vigo in the future should we need to upgrade.’
Tom Maule, The Maule Labelling Co
