Croxsons, a 150-year-old family business that manufactures premium glass packaging for the food and drink sector, has developed the country’s first British-made sparkling wine bottle.
The Sovereign bottle has been designed to elevate and support the burgeoning English and Welsh wine-making industry closing the provenance loop from vineyard to bottle. Winemakers have until now relied entirely on imported bottles transported across Europe.
The English and Welsh wine industry is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the country with over 1000 vineyards (WineGB July 2024) and is estimated to be worth £422m in 2025 growing at a CAGR of 3.5% over the last five years (IBISWorld November 2025).
Sales of sparkling wine have risen 187% since 2018, from 2.2m bottles to 6.2m in 2023 (WineGB), making this the perfect time to bring sparkling wine bottle production home.
The Sovereign bottle will be produced in England and rather than the traditional green colour of European sparkling wine bottles, the British bottle will be made using a distinctive amber glass. This will give the bottle a strong shelf standout and clear British provenance.
Tim Croxson, CEO of Croxsons commented on the launch;
“We are incredibly proud to launch Sovereign, the UK’s first British made sparkling wine bottle, delivering improved sustainability while ensuring British drinkers enjoy wine that is British through and through."
“Six generations of our family have been involved in the wine trade, beginning as a bottle supplier to the London wine trade 150 years ago, so it feels particularly fitting that we are now helping the English and Welsh winemaking industry deliver a truly British sparkling wine bottle.”
The Sovereign bottle uses 77% recycled content which improves its sustainability credentials and with a shorter journey from factory to vineyard, it will reduce road-miles for millions of bottles traditionally transported from France, Germany and Italy.
This launch builds on Croxsons’ wine expertise working alongside English wine brands including Lyme Bay and Ridgeview Wines.
Matt Gayler, Operations Director at Ridgeview Wine said:
“Seeing a UK-made sparkling wine bottle available to producers is a great milestone - it shows just how far the industry has come."
“As we continue to build the reputation of English wine both at home and internationally, having domestically manufactured, high-quality packaging supports our identity, sustainability and ambitions."
“It’s a positive step forward and we’re grateful to those who’ve worked hard to make it happen.”
The Sovereign bottle will be produced in March 2025 and can be ordered direct from Croxsons .
