PREMIUM DRINKS
CANNED WINE CO.
Canned Wine Co. was founded to elevate thoughtful connections between people, planet and place, through the appreciation of wine. With quality and sustainability at the heart of the business, Canned Wine Co. showcase exciting single-varietal, vintage wines in smaller, infinitely recyclable formats. It is their aim to develop industry-leading technical knowledge within the canned wine industry and form long-term partnerships with talented winemakers across Europe to capture and share a sense of place and time.
SUSTAINABILITY PURPOSE
Canned Wine Co. are trying to change perceptions within the premium wine category and showcase that alternative packaging with lower environmental footprints can contain high quality wine, be aesthetically pleasing and appeal to diverse consumer groups. To support this, Canned Wine Co. are a funding partner of communications non-profit Every Can Counts to help improve consumer awareness around recycling of aluminium cans and are co-founders of Wine Traders for Alternative Formats to champion a variety of packaging formats. As most of their impact is in the supply chain, cultivating trusted, long-term relationships with their suppliers based on mutual respect and learning are integral to their business model. At Canned Wine Co., they carefully choose new suppliers for their wines and only work with winemakers that sustainably cultivate their vineyards and provide social value for their local communities. They are passionate about honesty, transparency and holistically integrating sustainability into every decision they make at Canned Wine Co. – from the wine and bulk transport to their packaging, distribution and communications. Canned Wine Co. want to be humble about their imperfections and continuously learn and share their insights along their sustainability journey.
Established
2019
Headquarters
Bath, UK
First Certified
2024
Employees
1-15
Categories
Premium Drinks
Website
Distribution
UK, Ireland, Netherlands & Greece
REAL CHANGE IN ACTION
SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT
Canned Wine Co. demonstrates a robust commitment to sustainable procurement practices by prioritising transparency and integration of sustainability requirements throughout their supply chain. Sustainability considerations are seamlessly integrated into the procurement process from planning to continual improvement, emphasising the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. Beyond meticulously maintaining supplier records when it comes to production, Canned Wine Co. have implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) to assess key ESG areas, which they continuously update through supplier self-assessment questionnaires. They exclusively collaborate with winemakers who prioritise land stewardship and sustainable vineyard practices, favouring regenerative or organic methods to minimise environmental impact. To mitigate transport emissions, wines are sourced solely from Europe and bulk shipped directly from the winery to the canning site. Regular in-person meetings with winemakers ensure ongoing supply relationship management and enable site audits for adherence to standards.
SUSTAINABILITY PURPOSE
Canned Wine Co. serves as an industry example in its purpose-driven approach. The brand’s clearly defined impact strategy prioritises responsible sourcing and supply chain design, product design, key partnerships, developing employees and promoting sustainable lifestyles. Their governance KPIs include facilitating internal training for staff covering topics like sustainability, DEI, mental health awareness, energy conservation, and digital footprints. The brand has implemented a comprehensive sustainability action plan with clear KPIs and ESG targets, ensuring measurable progress. Sustainability remains a permanent item on the leadership agenda and transparent communication about the brand’s efforts underscores their dedication to positive impact. Additionally, they've cultivated an inviting culture, attracting top talent and solidifying their role as a local employer of choice.
PACKAGING INNOVATION
Core to Canned Wine Co.’s business model is championing premium wines in alternative packaging – aluminium cans. By sourcing high-quality, unusual grape varieties directly from top European winemakers and innovating in the shelf life of canned wines, Canned Wine Co. is able to push the boundaries of what premium wine means, creating a new market category in the UK. This has led to recognition from Decanter, Harrods, The National Trust and a limited edition with The National Gallery. Multi-sensory labels reflecting the wine inside help consumers confidently try canned wine and explore new grape varieties. Smaller serve sizes further help de-risking the decision to try wines at more premium price points. For trade customers, wine-in-cans improve the speed of service, reduce storage requirements, breakages and wastage across their operations. Aluminium cans have a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional glass bottles and have a high recycling rate in the UK and continental Europe. Canned Wine Co. collaborates with Every Can Counts to encourage the responsible disposal of cans for recycling.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Community involvement is another top priority for Canned Wine Co. particularly when it comes to local education, culture and positive industry influence through policy advocacy. The company maintains a close relationship with the University of Bath to encourage knowledge sharing and placement opportunities. This extends to supporting and inspiring the wider student and alumni community, by participating in CV reviews, interview workshops, career panels and business showcases. Canned Wine Co. started a local network of entrepreneurs in Bath and co-founded a trade association for wine traders championing alternative formats. The brand also engages with the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, local MPs and industry-wide campaigns that support SMEs in the wine and hospitality industries. As part of its wider sustainability strategy, Canned Wine Co. has implemented two days of paid volunteering per annum for employees. Local, sustainability-focused charity partners are chosen for the team day and employees can dedicate another day to activism or volunteering aligned with personal sustainability passions.
Canned Wine Co. demonstrates a robust commitment to sustainable procurement practices by prioritising transparency and integration of sustainability requirements throughout their supply chain. Sustainability considerations are seamlessly integrated into the procurement process from planning to continual improvement, emphasising the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. Beyond meticulously maintaining supplier records when it comes to production, Canned Wine Co. have implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) to assess key ESG areas, which they continuously update through supplier self-assessment questionnaires. They exclusively collaborate with winemakers who prioritise land stewardship and sustainable vineyard practices, favouring regenerative or organic methods to minimise environmental impact. To mitigate transport emissions, wines are sourced solely from Europe and bulk shipped directly from the winery to the canning site. Regular in-person meetings with winemakers ensure ongoing supply relationship management and enable site audits for adherence to standards.
Canned Wine Co. serves as an industry example in its purpose-driven approach. The brand’s clearly defined impact strategy prioritises responsible sourcing and supply chain design, product design, key partnerships, developing employees and promoting sustainable lifestyles. Their governance KPIs include facilitating internal training for staff covering topics like sustainability, DEI, mental health awareness, energy conservation, and digital footprints. The brand has implemented a comprehensive sustainability action plan with clear KPIs and ESG targets, ensuring measurable progress. Sustainability remains a permanent item on the leadership agenda and transparent communication about the brand’s efforts underscores their dedication to positive impact. Additionally, they've cultivated an inviting culture, attracting top talent and solidifying their role as a local employer of choice.
Core to Canned Wine Co.’s business model is championing premium wines in alternative packaging – aluminium cans. By sourcing high-quality, unusual grape varieties directly from top European winemakers and innovating in the shelf life of canned wines, Canned Wine Co. is able to push the boundaries of what premium wine means, creating a new market category in the UK. This has led to recognition from Decanter, Harrods, The National Trust and a limited edition with The National Gallery. Multi-sensory labels reflecting the wine inside help consumers confidently try canned wine and explore new grape varieties. Smaller serve sizes further help de-risking the decision to try wines at more premium price points. For trade customers, wine-in-cans improve the speed of service, reduce storage requirements, breakages and wastage across their operations. Aluminium cans have a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional glass bottles and have a high recycling rate in the UK and continental Europe. Canned Wine Co. collaborates with Every Can Counts to encourage the responsible disposal of cans for recycling.
Community involvement is another top priority for Canned Wine Co. particularly when it comes to local education, culture and positive industry influence through policy advocacy. The company maintains a close relationship with the University of Bath to encourage knowledge sharing and placement opportunities. This extends to supporting and inspiring the wider student and alumni community, by participating in CV reviews, interview workshops, career panels and business showcases. Canned Wine Co. started a local network of entrepreneurs in Bath and co-founded a trade association for wine traders championing alternative formats. The brand also engages with the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, local MPs and industry-wide campaigns that support SMEs in the wine and hospitality industries. As part of its wider sustainability strategy, Canned Wine Co. has implemented two days of paid volunteering per annum for employees. Local, sustainability-focused charity partners are chosen for the team day and employees can dedicate another day to activism or volunteering aligned with personal sustainability passions.
A WORD FROM THE CEO
We believe that the mindful consumption of wine can be a vehicle to engage consumers around social and environmental issues; linking place, climate and agricultural practice with experience and flavour. In line with this, our mission is to become a global mark of trust for quality, sustainability and talent in wine.
SIMON ROLLINGS
CEO & CO-FOUNDER
WHY POSITIVE LUXURY
The holistic, ambitious ESG+ framework underpinning the Butterfly Mark closely aligns with Canned Wine Co.’s values around sustainability, social responsibility and transparency. Working towards a certification that was developed by industry-leading experts helps us credibly communicate our genuine commitment to sustainability to consumers and partners. We appreciate the support provided by the Positive Luxury Accelerator Programme and are excited about the future-oriented approach and focus on innovation of this programme, as it is a natural fit for a start-up trying to disrupt a traditional industry.
MARIEKE HAMMES
SUSTAINABILITY & OPERATIONS MANAGER
PATHWAY TO HIGHER STANDARDS
Canned Wine Co. aims to constantly revisit their sustainability strategy and ambition as they learn more, collect more data and grow as a business – with the accompanying growth in responsibility. This includes honestly communicating their progress and struggles. Using the ESG+ framework and Positive Luxury Accelerator Programme, they aim to set goals for 2025 and 2030 to guide their sustainability actions with more focus.