Northern Monk upgrades labeling Sovereign Labelling Machine

Leeds, UK-based independent brewery Northern Monk Brew Co has installed a Monarch wraparound labeller from Sovereign Labelling Machines, improving the operational performance of the business and the impact of labelled cans. 

Northern Monk is known for its use of traditional monastic brewing values and processes to produce a range of beers that have a progressive approach to ingredients and techniques. 

Sovereign is a supplier of high-quality labeling and sleeving systems for different industries and applications. This includes the vast beverage market, where labelled cans are one of the most prominent forms of product decoration. 

The system installed by Northern Monk is a Sovereign Monarch line. It features a linear wrap labeler that precisely and securely applies full-height wraparound labels onto containers. This is preceded by a scroll-fed system that controls the flow of cans, with servo-driven conveyors ensuring smooth and controlled passage of containers to be labelled throughout the line. 

The system is being used to label cans for supermarket retail, special editions, and Patrons Projects beers, which account for around 40 percent of the beer packed by Northern Monk. Self-adhesive labels are applied to cans at a rate of up to 200 a minute using the Sovereign Monarch line. 

Nat Newport, trainee packaging manager at Northern Monk, explained: ‘We were looking for a labeler that could meet current demand, eliminate issues we were encountering, while also being future-proof. 

‘The result of this project has been a huge improvement in operational efficiency, a reduction in label waste, and a much higher quality to our applied labels.’ 

Jordan Hynes, business development manager at Sovereign Labelling Machines, said: ‘Over the last three decades, we have supplied many systems into the can making and decorating industry. These have been installed by brands and co-packers requiring efficient and high-quality output. 

‘We are delighted to have been tasked by Northern Monk, the UK’s leading independent brewery, to support it with the labelling it needs to maintain and strengthen its position in the market. Northern Monk is a fantastic example of the impact high-quality labelling has for a brand and its products. It also goes to show the true impact on production and operational efficiency when labeling is not at the required level.’ 

Newport added: ‘Our new Sovereign Monarch labeler has brought our operational efficiency back up to where it needs to be and reduced the workload on our operators, enabling them to more effectively allocate their time. Overall, this project has been a great success and allowed us to achieve an even better result than we hoped.’