Vigo Ltd: 40 Years of Supporting UK Drink Producers with Equipment & Engineering
Vigo Ltd has spent more than four decades quietly becoming one of the most important back-room partners for the UK's craft drink producers. From a single airfield workshop in the East Devon countryside to a national equipment supplier sitting inside the Rawlings Group, the company supplies the machinery, consumables and engineering know-how that allow British wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries to actually get their product into a bottle, can or bag-in-box.
Who and what is Vigo?
Vigo Ltd, trading as Vigo and more colloquially known as Vigo Vineyard Supplies, is a UK distributor and integrator of beverage production equipment. The business was founded in 1984 and has been supplying drink producers continuously ever since. It is part of the wider Rawlings Group, the Bristol-based packaging and bottling specialists, which brings together glass packaging, closures, design and decoration under one roof with Vigo's process equipment.
Vigo's portfolio covers essentially every stage of liquid production:
- Packaging equipment - bottling lines, kegging systems, canning lines and bag-in-box / pouch fillers.
- Production equipment - fermentation tanks, filtration systems, pasteurisers, temperature control units, carbonators and testing equipment.
- Processing equipment - brewhouses for beer and mash houses for distilleries, plus fruit presses, destemmers and grape reception equipment.
- Consumables - closures (crowns, ROPP and screw caps, corks), bag-in-boxes, fittings, hoses, yeasts, enzymes, filter cartridges and vineyard sundries.
The customer base is broad and explicitly includes craft beer, cider, wine, spirits, apple juice, cold brew coffee, kombucha and soft drinks. Vigo has been a key supplier to UK wine producers for around 38 years and has watched the English and Welsh wine industry grow from a niche curiosity into an international success story.
Engineering support - the cornerstone
If there is one phrase Vigo uses more than any other, it is support. The company's own engineers are the single biggest differentiator between Vigo and a catalogue-only distributor.
Vigo employs nine in-house engineers, covering mechanical, electrical, electronics, general engineering and welding. They operate from a fleet of Vigo-branded vans and can attend customer sites anywhere in the UK. Behind them sit office-based engineers answering technical phone calls, plus a wider team handling sales, project management and after-sales.
Specific engineering services include:
- Installation and commissioning - full assembly, re-assembly, set-up and commissioning of larger projects at the customer's site.
- Technical adaptations - modifying equipment so it integrates seamlessly with an existing production line.
- UKCA / CE marking - as members of the CE Marking Association, Vigo is authorised to issue UKCA marks where required.
- Maintenance, servicing and repairs - on any equipment originally supplied by Vigo, with tailored service contracts available.
- 12-month parts and labour warranty as standard, with extended warranties on Voran presses and CIMEC bottling machines.
For servicing, repairs or service contracts, the dedicated Engineering Department can be reached on 01404 892109 or techsupport@vigoltd.com.
Renowned manufacturers, carefully chosen
Vigo represents a hand-picked set of mostly European and American manufacturers. Each partner has been selected on build quality, performance and the willingness of its factory to back the equipment for the long term. The full line-up includes:
Eurostar (Italy)
Italian bottling and packaging specialist since 1996. Eurostar designs and builds its own isobaric, gravity and vacuum fillers for still and carbonated drinks, and counts more than 2,000 installations worldwide. The full Eurostar line includes the Multi-head capper, Single-head capper, MEC SI Rinsers, POWERFILL, MEC AV, MEC LP, MAXIMA and CANFILL.
Squadron Technology (Italy)
Compact filling and packaging solutions developed by Eurostar for small-to-medium producers. The range includes the EXACTA semi-automatic isobaric series, the ATHENA compact electropneumatic isobaric series and the VOLUMETRIC series for viscous products - for example the SQUADRON EXACTA ISO 4.4.1C and the SQUADRON Weight Filler.
Juclas (Italy)
Wine and beverage innovation house, part of Vason Group. Juclas designs flotation systems, tangential microfiltration, micro-oxygenation, tartaric stabilisation via electrodialysis and automated rehydration processes for active dry yeasts. Equipment includes the JRO04 Compact Reverse Osmosis, Juclas JRO02 - 8, the Mastermind® Remove Lab Unit, MMR Plus Smart Gas Management and a full range of MMF Hybrid / MFTS tangential microfiltration units.
Comac Group (Italy)
Bottling, canning and kegging specialists founded in 1990 near Bergamo. Their canning lines run from 3,000 up to 82,000 cans per hour using rotary counter-pressure technology; keg fillers are rated up to 1,000 kegs per hour. Key products include the Verona K51, Trieste K42, Capri K31, Milano K62, Portofino K21 and the Smart Kegging Machine K1 One Way. Vigo and Comac also offer CIP, carbonation and tunnel pasteuriser integration.
Speidel (Germany)
Speidel Tank- und Behälterbau GmbH has been making high-quality beverage tanks for more than 100 years and Vigo has been their UK agent since 1996. Speidel tanks use high-spec Outokumpu stainless steel, mirror-finish interiors for chemical-free cleaning, continuous smooth welds to minimise tartrate build-up, and carry a 25-year tank guarantee on non-pressure stainless models up to 2,000 mm diameter. Vigo stocks smaller plastic and stainless tanks online, including the 60 - 500 litre plastic tanks (from £72.00), the 240 litre FD tank with cooling jacket (£1,039.80) and the 30 - 120 litre conical plastic fermenters (from £246.10). Larger Speidel pressure tanks, red-wine tanks and the iconic Fermentation Eggs (from £424.55) are quoted on application.
ABE Beverage Equipment (USA)
Formerly American Beer Equipment, ABE invented the CraftCan™ and LinCan™ canning systems and the patented Servo-seamer™. Vigo has been the UK agent for ABE since around 2017 and has installed 51+ canning lines and brewhouses in that time. The range includes the CraftCan35, CraftCan15, CraftCan Duo, LinCan, BrewPilot and full brewhouses.
Quantor / Kreyer (Germany - France - Luxembourg)
Temperature control and chilling specialists exporting to 80+ countries. Vigo has supplied Kreyer systems for over a decade. Functions covered include cold settling of must, fermentation control via CO₂ monitoring, malolactic fermentation control, micro/macro oxygenation, rapid wort cooling and cold stabilisation. Equipment ranges from individual MiniChilly and IceChilly chillers through to full multi-tank temperature control systems and the VinInfo automatic controller.
Willmes (Germany)
The company that invented the pneumatic grape press back in 1951. Willmes presses are built around double-membrane technology and vertical juice drains, achieving up to 95% juice yield at pressures below 0.8 bar. Vigo supplies the full Sigma and Merlin ranges, plus the Sphera 360° press. At least 20 Willmes presses are currently working in UK wineries.
Barida International (Italy)
Specialists in traditional-method sparkling wine equipment from Canelli, the heart of Italian sparkling wine. Barida's range covers semi-manual through to fully automatic disgorging, dosage and topping-up machines, including corking and muzzling. Models include the Poker 900, Poker 700, Poker 400, the Muima TG semi-automatic and the Atlas M semi-manual. Vigo has been supplying Barida since 2010.
Enoveneta (Italy)
Family-run oenological equipment maker in northeast Italy for more than 60 years, run by the Fiorin family. Enoveneta's range covers grape crushers/destemmers, pneumatic diaphragm presses (PPC, PPC-PLUS, PPA, ATMOS N2), vibrating and sorting tables, peristaltic and mono pumps, elevators and a solar-powered factory. TÜV SÜD and SCI ISO 9001 certified, Industry 4.0 ready. Case studies include Sandridge Barton and Freedom of the Press Winery.
Voran (Austria)
Industry leader in commercial apple processing since 1925, supplied by Vigo since 1987. Voran mills and presses are designed for high juice yields (up to 80%) with low turbidity, robust construction and TÜV AUSTRIA certification. Ranges include the Hydraulic Swivel (PS) Bed Presses, EBP belt presses and the SA / WAR wash mills. Vigo offers a 2-year parts and labour warranty on Voran presses.
Technibag (France)
Specialist bag-in-box and pouch filler manufacturer with 20+ years of experience, represented in 85 countries. Innovations include DAS automated start-up, Oxycontrol® nitrogen flushing, Web & Single technology, Ultra-Clean models, B'Booster connectivity and the Flow Pilot regulator. Models include the B'Booster Top 720, Bib'up Smart Top 180 and Premia Top 420 Ultra Clean.
STS, Bared, Amazon Filters, Schneider, Tenco, GAI, Tonnellerie Rousseau, CM3, CIMEC & Carbonation Techniques
Vigo also distributes:
- STS - Italian automatic linear and rotary labellers (1,000 to 12,000 containers per hour).
- Bared - Cross-flow filtration specialists with over 30 years of experience; units reach <1 NTU clarity.
- Amazon Filters - UK-based cartridge and housing manufacturer; Vigo assembles bespoke filtration skids in-house.
- Schneider - German pumps for wine, cider and juice since 1948; ranges include impeller, eccentric screw and centrifugal pumps such as the TSB (from £695) and Phoenix 12000 (from £1,425).
- Tenco - Italian vacuum and volumetric fillers including the legendary Enolmatic (£225), Enolmatic with stainless steel nozzle (£395), Enolmaster 4-head electric (£2,000) and Enolmaster 4-head pneumatic (£2,000).
- GAI - Italian syphon fillers and bench-top sparkling wine foil applicators, including the 4, 6 or 8-head syphon filler (from £1,725) and the Benchtop foil applicator (£850).
- Tonnellerie Rousseau - Third-generation Burgundian cooperage founded 1954, with 11 Meilleurs Ouvriers de France and PEFC-certified oak.
- CM3 Engineering - Semi-automatic and automatic dosing, capping and labelling stations.
- CIMEC - Italian automatic bottling and canning line specialist with 35+ years' experience. Vigo supplies CIMEC with a 3-year parts and 2-year labour warranty.
- Carbonation Techniques - UK manufacturers of the Carbo2000, Carbo 200 and high-capacity carbonators, supplied for water, cider, beer, wine and soft drinks.
Online shop and consumables
Alongside the heavy equipment, Vigo runs a Shopify-powered online shop for consumables and accessories. Over 500 lines are stocked, with new lines added regularly. Current indicative pricing includes:
- Carbonated Beverage Calculator Ruler - £17.50
- T Cork Pusher Attachment for Manual Crown Capper - £18.50
- 5 litre bag-in-box metallic (pack of 10) - £19.00
- PVC shrink capsules for wine bottles - from £27.30
- 28mm Aluminium ROPP caps - £132.00
- 30mm Aluminium ROPP caps - £105.00
- Speidel stainless-steel Hydropresses - from £775.00
- Speidel Centrifugal Mill - £695.00
- Vigo In-Bottle Pasteuriser + Large Basket - £4,335.00 (Save £130)
- Vigo In-Bottle Pasteuriser + Trolley - £4,450.00 (Save £200)
- Vigo In-Bottle Pasteuriser + Trolley + Large Basket - £4,800.00 (Save £330)
The shop also stocks Amazon SupaGard, SupaPore and SupaSpun filter cartridges, stainless and plastic DOE filter housings, Schneider impeller pumps, Speidel conical plastic fermenters, fermentation eggs, citric and ascorbic acid, and a wide range of DIN adaptors, RJT fittings, hoses and gauges. Online ordering is available to UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man addresses; orders to the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the world are taken by phone or email. A separate Used & Special Offer Equipment list is maintained in parallel.
Wine production - 38 years and counting
Vigo began supplying UK wine producers 38 years ago, when the English and Welsh wine industry was around an eighth of the size it is today. The current wine equipment catalogue brings together:
- Grape reception (Enoveneta vibrating tables, sorting belts, destemmers, elevators, mono pumps).
- Pressing (Willmes Sigma, Merlin and Sphera 360° pneumatic presses; Speidel Hydropresses).
- Fermentation and storage (Speidel stainless-steel tanks up to multi-thousand-litre capacities, with optional cooling jackets).
- Temperature control (Kreyer chillers and full multi-tank systems).
- Filtration (Bared cross-flow filters, Amazon cartridge systems).
- Adjustment and stabilisation (Juclas reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, Mastermind® lab units, MMR smart gas management).
- Bottling and packaging (Eurostar, Squadron, CIMEC, Tenco, GAI bottling and capping lines; STS labellers; Technibag bag-in-box).
- Sparkling wine equipment (Barida disgorging/dosing/topping monoblocs, muzzling, foiling).
- Oak maturation (Tonnellerie Rousseau barrels, demi-muids, large-format casks and vats).
Reference winery customers include Sandridge Barton, Furleigh Estate, Polgoon, Laurel Vines Vineyard, Lyme Bay, Camel Valley, Sheppy's Cider, Herbert Hall, Freedom of the Press Winery and Mereworth.
Beer, cider & juice equipment
Although the company is often associated with vineyards, Vigo's beer business is just as substantial. The Brewery Equipment range covers:
- ABE canning lines and brewhouses (51+ installations).
- CIMEC automatic bottling and rotary canning lines.
- Comac kegging - washers, fillers and full automatic lines up to 1,000 kegs per hour.
- Speidel tanks and fermentation eggs.
- Kreyer chillers for fermentation and cellar temperature control.
- Carbonation Techniques carbonators (Carbo2000, Carbo 200).
- Rizzolio automatic bottle fillers as an economic stepping-stone between semi-auto and CIMEC lines.
Cider and juice producers are equally well served through Voran presses and mills, Technibag bag-in-box fillers, Schneider pumps, Tenco fillers and Speidel tanks. Case studies highlighted include Hunt's Cider, Chalkdown Cider, Cornish Orchards, Tutts Clump Cider, Harrow Wood Farm, Elgin's Orchard and Heron Valley.
Service contracts and new offerings
Vigo now offers formal service contracts for canning lines, tailored to a producer's annual volume. Each contract includes scheduled engineer visits, estimated parts costs and the peace of mind that comes from having the original supplier's own engineers looking after the kit. Two practical guides sit alongside the offering: one explaining how the new service contracts work and a second setting out the case for canning in-house.
Case studies
A number of recent case studies bring the offering to life. A few highlights:
- Hunt's Cider - A complete kegging and bottling solution for a new purpose-built factory, including tanks, chilling, tunnel pasteuriser and labelling. Eliminated the cost and carbon footprint of contract filling.
- Tibico Fermentary - Multiple Enolmaster fillers, ROPP cappers, semi-auto labellers, 4-head in-bottle carbonators, glycol chillers, 9× 600-litre fermentation eggs and 40× 110-litre BO variable-capacity tanks for a UK kefir producer.
- Laurel Vines Vineyard - Barida semi-automatic disgorging/dosing/topping/corking/muzzling machine doubled sparkling wine output from 150 to 300 bottles per hour.
- GingerBeard's Preserves - Tenco Doselite volumetric filler more than doubled output and improved weight accuracy on a small-batch preserves line.
- Blighty Booch - Kombucha expansion using a mix of new and pre-owned kit.
- Lacons Brewery - Comac keg washer and filler installed after a cellar and brewhouse cooling upgrade.
Glass packaging via Rawlings
Following Vigo's merger with Rawlings, customers can also source glass packaging, closures, graphic design and decoration through one supplier. The Rawlings Bristol range covers beer and cider bottles, spirits bottles, soft drinks bottles, wine bottles, food jars and a full closures and pumps category. This end-to-end approach means a new start-up can go from raw juice or wort to a finished, decorated, capped and labelled product without ever leaving the Vigo/Rawlings family.
Logistics, delivery and service
Online orders can be placed for delivery within the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Standard boxed orders are sent by DPD or FedEx with a signature required; bulky items go by pallet via C&D South West. Delivery times run 2 - 3 working days for mainland England, Wales and the Scottish Lowlands, 3 - 4 working days for the Scottish Highlands, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, and 4 - 7 working days for the Scottish Islands. Click-and-collect is available from Vigo's Devon warehouse with at least one hour's notice. Standard opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm, excluding Bank Holidays and the Christmas & New Year break.
For larger equipment, Vigo's engineers handle delivery, offloading advice and full commissioning. Customers without forklift facilities are advised in advance so a tail-lift lorry can be requested.
Charities and community
Vigo as a company actively supports Circus Starr, the Drinks Trust, the World's Biggest Coffee Morning for Macmillan, Red Nose Day and Christmas Jumper Day. The Drinks Trust in particular provides help for current and former drinks-industry employees facing medical, financial or mental-health difficulties.
Visit, call or email
Vigo is based at Dunkeswell Airfield, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4LF, with the wider group registered at Unit 3, Crown Road, Warmley, Bristol, BS30 8JJ. The main sales line is 01404 892100 (international +44 (0) 1404 892100), with the Finance Department on 01404 892103, Marketing on 01404 892106 and Engineering on 01404 892109. Email addresses include sales@vigoltd.com, techsupport@vigoltd.com, accounts@vigoltd.com and marketing@vigoltd.com. The company is also active on Instagram and offers a video overview on YouTube.
For a new build, an upgrade or simply a spare part, Vigo's combination of carefully chosen manufacturers, deep engineering expertise and a comprehensive online shop makes it the default first call for many of Britain's drink producers.