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7th May 2026
Cheers to Nature Event
We officially opened a new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility at our Samlesbury Brewery in Preston.
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I Ireland (BBG) hosted a special Cheers To Nature event at its Samlesbury Brewery, celebrating the company’s progress towards its global 2025 sustainability goals, which included significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and brewing with 100% operational renewable energy in the UK. The event also celebrated the opening of the brewery’s new state-of-the-art waste- water treatment facility, strengthening BBG’s commitment to sustainable brewing in the UK. The new treatment facility was officially opened by local politician Maya Ellis MP, Ribble Valley & Deputy Mayor, Councillor Caleb Tomlinson were also in attendance.
Globally, the brewer has improved global water use by 22.7% per hectolitre since 2017, and in high stress areas achieved a water use efficiency of 1.95 hl/hl; an improvement of 31.3% since 2017.
The Samlesbury Brewery recently expanded to increase brewing capacity and is capable of brewing up to 4.1 million hL in 2026 - the equivalent of 720 million pints. This increase was supported by a £7.8 million investment in 2025, including the new on-site wastewater treatment facility to further strengthen the brewery’s commitment to protecting one of its most valuable resources: water.
This is in alignment with Samlesbury’s local water service company, United Utilities, as site designs needed to be updated to pre-treat wastewater before discharge through biological processes. As part of the on-site water treatment process, organic material is broken down, which as a result, produces biogas as a by-product. This is reinjected into the brewery’s energy system and used as renewable heat. As a result, the brewery has reduced gas consumption by 5-8% and lowered CO₂ (Scope 1) emissions.
Alongside progress in water stewardship, Budweiser Brewing Group continues to advance its wider sustainability commitments. In the UK specifically, the company has reduced Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions per hectoliter by over 44% since 2017, and absolute Scopes 1 and 2 emissions by over 37% since 2017. This progress is complemented by brewing with 100% operational renewable electricity in the UK in 2025, and 100% of the company’s products were in packaging that is returnable or made from majority recycled content in 2025.
Samlesbury Brewery has been brewing since 1972 and today employs around 500 people, making it a significant contributor to the North West economy. In 2021, £45 million was invested at the site, reinforcing its role as a long-term manufacturing hub and local employer. This latest phase of investment builds on that foundation, strengthening both environmental performance and regional impact.
Yleni De Neve, Sustainability Director, Europe at AB InBev (BBG), said:
“Our significant investments in Samlesbury underlines our long-term commitment to brewing great beer locally in a way that continues to protect the natural resources that businesses and communities depend on. Water is the most important ingredient in our beers, and this new wastewater treatment facility will help us further reduce our environmental impact while supporting the resilience of our operations in the North West, and the UK more broadly.
“As part of AB InBev, we are proud to contribute to global progress in water stewardship and climate action, including significant improvements in efficiency and water savings across our breweries. Building on decades of brewing heritage, this latest investment strengthens the site’s role in the community as a sustainable manufacturing hub and a positive force in the regional economy.”