By Drew Huntley
A new film takes you inside the pipelines of Molson Coors' historic brewery in Burton-Upon-Trent in the U.K., showing how our golden-colored beer is produced with green in mind.
The segment, “The Billion Pint Brewery,” is part of a larger series sponsored by trade group The Brewers of Europe and produced for Molson Coors by BBC Storyworks called “Brewing Ambition.” (U.K. and China users can view it here.) It’s available to watch online and features an inside look at our U.K. operations and interviews with members of our brewery operations team.
“We’re proud to be based in the historic brewing town of Burton, which has been producing beer for nearly 1,000 years, and as one of the UK’s largest brewers, we know it’s our responsibility to do so as sustainably as possible,” says Fraser Thompson, Western Europe operations director. “This film shows for the first time all the hard work and dedication that goes into doing just that. We’ve made bold commitments to play our part in tackling climate change because it is the right thing to do. We know that this really matters to our people, our consumers and customers, and we’re proud that every pint we make is powered by 100% green electricity.”
Molson Coors’ sustainability practices are highlighted throughout the piece.
Sustainability is a priority for Molson Coors. And by partnering with its British suppliers, preserving natural resources has never been more efficient. In fact, Burton holds the title as the first major U.K. brewery to make its products using 100% renewable electricity from the Tween Bridge wind farm.
Producing more than a billion pints a year while simultaneously reducing its imprint is what sets Molson Coors apart from other brewers, says Andy Runcie, Burton’s brewmaster.
“I believe brewing in the right way is around considering the imprint that our product makes and looking to reduce or recycle much of our natural resources,” he said.
That commitment to brewing the right way drives the brewery to go the extra mile to manufacture beer sustainably. To do so, Molson Coors directs attention toward reducing the carbon impact of the energy used to make the beer, reducing the amount of water being used and reducing the amount of packaging materials, including eliminating plastic packaging in our major U.K. brands.
The piece also highlights other green measures in Burton, including the brewery’s carbon recycling efforts and its use of renewable electricity to meet its carbon reduction goals four years early.
“I believe that good stewardship and protection of natural resources is fundamental to the success of brewing going forward,” Runcie said.
It takes two to tango, and what happens outside of the brewery is equally as important as what happens inside. The film also covers the brewery’s relationships with the farmers whose precious crops ensure Burton-made beers are brewed using the best-quality ingredients.
From grain to glass, Molson Coors is working to brew the right way, says Rachel Evans, sales director. “We need to enjoy our brands and also feel great about the way they’re made.”