Published: 4th January 2023
British condiments brand Tracklements has moved more of its products into our glass jars to ensure sustainability and security of supply.
Wiltshire-based artisan food manufacturer Tracklements has commissioned embossed bespoke 156ml and 190ml jars to add to their existing 285ml container. A fourth bespoke jar is currently in development.
The 156ml was previously manufactured in Europe and the 190ml jar is for a new product on the market.
“We’ve been a Beatson Clark customer for a long time – over 30 years,” said Ben Read, Operations Director at Tracklements. “We’ve taken their standard jars and bottles for a long time but in the last four or five years we’ve also had Beatson Clark manufacture bespoke jars for us.
“Our other glass containers came from Europe – but in 2020 and 2021 there was a major move away from plastic and quite a few European furnaces were being rebuilt, which meant that glass supply was quite tight.
“We decided we wanted to secure the most local supply we could to try to be as sustainable as possible. Beatson Clark is one of very few glass manufacturers in the UK so it made sense to put more of our requirements with them.
“They were very good during the glass supply shortages, doing their utmost to maintain a constant supply of glass to us, and we felt they should be rewarded. We also want to secure that sustainability and security of supply.
“We were faced with some big challenges but Beatson Clark bent over backwards to make sure they maintained a sustainable supply. They’re quite traditional and focussed on customer service, and their sales people come to see us regularly, which is almost a thing of the past. We don’t get much face-to-face contact from suppliers’ representatives but we enjoy that contact, so we’re very happy to continue the long relationship.”
Ben said glass packaging is an important part of the Tracklements brand, and so ensuring its supply was one of the main reasons behind the move.
“Glass is premium,” he said. “We’re a top tier brand, and in the condiment world consumers expect to see high-quality food products in glass. It’s sustainable, it’s robust and it shows off the product very well, so we want to continue using glass.
“It follows that we want to make sure we’ve got the glass we want when we want it, and we’d like it to be environmentally sustainable too: our packaging format of glass jar, paper label and metal lid is about as recyclable and recycled as you can get.
“By using Beatson Clark we’re avoiding some of the transport impact; previously we were buying glass from halfway across the world. The disadvantage of glass bottles and jars is that they contain a lot of air, so when you transport them you’re moving a lot of space around.”
Our Account Manager Aaron Broadley commented: “It’s a pleasure to work with a well known and long established British food producer like Tracklements, and we’re delighted that they’ve come to us for more of their embossed jars.
“More and more brands are beginning to realise the advantages of buying British packaging: it reduces transport miles, it ensures a reliable supply, and we’re always on hand to help with any issues or discuss new products or new marketing plans.
“We’re looking forward to working with Ben and his team for many more years to come!”