Bottling Machine Finance

Spread the cost of a bottling line from £8,000 to £250,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance

Can you finance a bottling machine?

Yes, bottling machines are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £8,000 to £250,000, and most deals are written over 12–72 months with a deposit of around 10–20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

What would a bottling machine cost per month?

Bottling Machine price (ex VAT) £45,000

Deposit 10%

Agreement term 60 months

Annual interest rate 9%

Balloon payment £0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical bottling machine price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate: From 5.3% APR
Term: 12–72 months
Deposit: 10–20%
Ownership: Yours at the end
Best for: Breweries wanting to own the line outright

Finance Lease

Rate: From 4.9% APR
Term: 12–72 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for: Tax-efficient, claim the lease payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate: From 5.6% APR
Term: 24–60 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return at end
Best for: Move production in-house without a large upfront outlay

Representative example

On a purchase price of £45,000: a 10% deposit of £4,500, then 48 monthly payments of £949 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £50,052, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification	Guide price	Type
Semi-Auto Small Bottling Line	£8,000 – £20,000	Semi-Automatic
Small Craft Bottling Line	£25,000 – £55,000	Semi-Automatic / Automatic
Mid-Scale Bottling Line	£60,000 – £130,000	Automatic
High-Speed Bottling Line	£140,000 – £230,000	Automatic

Tax benefits

A bottling machine qualifies for capital allowances, so most of the purchase cost can be set against taxable profits well within the Annual Investment Allowance most brewing and distilling businesses have available in a given year. Hire purchase lets you claim allowances as the owner from day one. Finance lease and operating lease payments are typically deductible in full as a trading expense, which suits businesses that would rather smooth the deduction over the term than take it all upfront. Speak to your accountant about which structure suits your current tax position.

Market context

A bottling line is typically bought by a brewery moving production in-house that was previously handled by a contract bottler, or by an existing bottling brewery upgrading line speed and format flexibility as off-trade and retail demand for bottled beer grows. Because contract bottling charges per bottle and comes with lead times and minimum run sizes, breweries reaching a certain volume usually find owning a line, even a modest semi-automatic one, more practical for running smaller batches and new products to market on their own schedule. Established bottling line manufacturers, particularly the Italian and German builders that dominate the small and mid-scale market, produce equipment that holds its value, supporting a reasonable used market for craft breweries buying their first line.

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a semi-automatic or fully automatic bottling line?

It depends on volume and labour cost. A semi-automatic line, where an operator loads bottles and manages crowning or capping manually between automated fill and rinse stages, suits lower-volume or highly seasonal production and costs considerably less upfront. A fully automatic line handles more of the process without an operator and makes more sense once bottle volume is high enough that labour cost per bottle starts to outweigh the higher purchase price. Many breweries start semi-automatic and upgrade once volume justifies it.

Can I finance a bottling line and a canning line together?

Yes, if you are buying both, lenders can combine them into a single facility, and some equipment suppliers sell combined lines that switch between bottle and can formats on the same base machine. Financing both formats together can work out cheaper in arrangement fees than two separate agreements, and gives flexibility to serve both retail bottle listings and can-focused trade from one investment.

What deposit do I need for a bottling line?

Hire purchase typically asks for a 10 to 20% deposit, with the deposit amount scaling with the size of the line. Finance lease and operating lease usually require none. A high-speed automatic line represents a much larger total facility than a semi-automatic unit, so lenders will look closely at trading history and projected packaged volume before approving the larger deals.

Can I finance a used bottling line?

Yes, used bottling lines from established manufacturers are financeable, typically up to around 10 years old, subject to an independent inspection of the filler, capper or crowner, and any conveyor and labelling stages. Buying a used line is a common way for a brewery moving out of contract bottling to control upfront cost while still getting proven, reliable equipment.

Does the finance cover labelling equipment too?

It can, if the labeller is quoted as part of the same line by your supplier, which is common for integrated bottling lines. If you are adding a labeller to an existing filler and capper separately, it is usually financed as its own item, though most lenders will still combine it into one facility with your bottling line finance if you are applying at the same time.