Industry
Co-Packing
Challenge
Holden’s needed greater visibility and planning support to scale their canning services—with demand for aluminum cans surging and UK EPR tax regulations approach.
Results
With bi-weekly planning sessions, forecasting capabilities and proactive support from Cask, Holden’s secured over 1M cans this year and is poised to expand significantly—with full visibility and a plan for tax-smart growth.
Key Product
Can Supply
Cask is a trusted partner that helps us confidently plan and execute for our clients. Their clear communication and ability to align with our production timelines and supply needs allow us to deliver reliably and scale with intention. As a business that prides itself on customer experience and reputation, we value Cask’s collaborative approach and commitment to getting things right.
Holden’s knew where they wanted to go. We brought the playbook to get there—allocations, forecasting, print options, and steady hands on every order. Our job is to make planning simple and deliver on-time with consistency.
About Holden's Bottling Co.
Holden's is a UK-based co-packer with over 80 years of expertise in contract packaging. They are making strategic expansions offering Aluminum can packaging, following the acquisition of South East Bottling. With a recent investment in a 250 CPM canning system on-lining in early 2026, they are broadening their offerings and customer base—now supporting some of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the UK and beyond.The Challenge
As more brands began requesting cans, Holden’s needed a packaging partner that could support high-volume orders with professionalism, speed and long-term planning. With a 250 can per minute (CPM) rotary canning system coming online and demand rising fast, the ability to forecast clearly and coordinate supply became mission-critical.
At the same time, the UK's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tax starting October 2025, which imposes fees by packaging weight, added financial urgency to their packaging decisions.
Glass packaging incurs 11× more EPR fees than Aluminum—1,100% higher costs due to packaging weight. For Holden's and many other large producers in the UK, glass packaging could cost Holden’s customers £1.32M more annually at 30M unit annual volume. A shift to cans isn’t just strategic—it's financially urgent.
The Solution
Holden’s began by sourcing 1M cans through Cask in 2025, laying the groundwork for expanded capacity as demand grew. To meet demand and navigate new market realities, Holden’s needed more than just a can supplier—they needed partner.
Cask manages the complexity of ordering directly from the manufacturer, coordinating production with Ball, securing allocations and handling all the moving parts that would otherwise strain a busy procurement team. What was once a daunting, opaque process is now structured, predictable and scalable. Cask provides:
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Bi-weekly production planning meetings to keep timelines tight and teams aligned
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Quarterly forecasting sessions to secure future supply and prevent costly delays
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Proactive communication and transparency—no surprises on production updates
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On-time delivery—fast turnaround times and consistent on-time orders
Holden’s is equipped to confidently scale their aluminum can offering in sync with their new 250 CPM rotary canning line, while maintaining service excellence for their co-packing clients. And as EPR tax implementation nears, Cask’s planning support help Holden’s shift more of their annual volume into lightweight, cost-efficient aluminum formats—unlocking both operational speed and meaningful savings.
The Results
Holden’s is operating with confidence as they lead the future of beverage packaging in the UK. They know what’s coming, when it’s printing, and how to communicate timelines to clients. Their growing customer base benefits from premium can formats with strategic guidance—and they’re positioned to support major bottling-to-canning transitions across the UK. With the EPR tax going live in October 2025, Holden’s is actively modeling savings for clients considering the switch.
Is your packaging strategy ready for EPR tax?
The UK’s new EPR tax scheme, coming into effect in October 2025, will radically change how beverage makers think about packaging. While glass may carry a lower per-tonne fee, its weight per unit makes it dramatically more expensive. For brands packaging in millions of units per year, this isn't a minor line item—it’s a six-figure strategic decision. Use this simple EPR tax calculator for fees and cost savings by switching to aluminum.
Cask can help you model savings, manage allocations and make cans a growth lever for your business—not a headache.
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