Greene King has unveiled its major new supply chain depot in Middleton, Greater Manchester.
The 290,000 sq ft warehouse and office space - equivalent to over four football pitches - is officially operational this month, serving around 1,000 Greene King managed and free trade pubs in the northwest.
It marks a £23 million investment over the 15-year lease, in partnership with GXO, the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, to harmonise Greene King’s supply chain in the region.
As many as 21,000 tonnes of drink and 11 million cases of food and GNFR (goods not for resale) will pass through the doors of the depot in a year.
The redevelopment of the Middleton site brings all elements of the supply chain, which were previously stored at three depots, under one roof. There will be cost synergies through the consolidation of all food and non-food into one site with opportunities to manage resources across the combined operation.
There are further benefits thanks to the installation of 63,500 sq ft solar panels, with the potential to generate a targeted 1.1 million kWH per year. The site has plans for a dedicated ‘re-wilding’ area, featuring perennial wildflowers and native fruit trees aimed to encourage pollinator insects and local birds as part of Greene King’s biodiversity programme.
Speaking after the official opening, Matt Starbuck, Greene King’s Brewing and Group Supply Chain Managing Director, said:
“This is an important step in optimising our supply chain operations in the northwest and is the culmination of months of planning and hard work alongside our supply chain partner, GXO. By having all our food, drink and non-food items delivered from one depot we have an agile and operationally efficient supply chain which is good news for our pub teams, customers and communities. By leveraging our commercial strength and scale, the benefits will allow us to reinvest in the business.”
Chris Hyde, GXO UK & Ireland’s Managing Director – Food and Beverage, said:
“As our partnership with Greene King continues to go from strength to strength, we are delighted to begin operating this new facility in Middleton. Earlier this year, we extended our relationship for a further 10 years, enabling us to continue driving efficiencies across Greene King’s supply chain and helping deliver outstanding products to their customers. We’re also proud that our reverse-logistics capabilities support Greene King’s sustainability ambitions by reducing waste and increasing the recycling and re-use of products returned to the depot or partners.”
