中文BakPac, the flexible packaging division at Baker Labels, has installed two new Totani automatic spout inserters, an investment worth more than half a million pounds, about 681,000 US dollars. The machines add new capability for custom-printed spouted pouches and strengthen BakPac’s position in the growing refill and liquid pouch market, a format that is quietly moving from niche to mainstream across multiple categories.
A Fast, Deliberate Installation
The two machines arrived at Baker’s Brentwood site on August 6, with installation starting on August 10. Totani engineers were on site for four days to complete installation and commissioning, followed by a week of team training. Both machines are now installed and running live customer work, with further trials, testing and operator training continuing as the team builds up production and refines its pouch specifications.
For BakPac customers, the new machines mean greater access to high-quality digitally printed spouted pouches, with more capacity, more flexibility and faster production options for medium and longer runs. The automatic spout inserters support both top and corner spouts, with BakPac initially offering 10, 17.5 and 21.5 millimetre spout sizes across pouch formats from 50 millilitres to 5 litres, a range that covers everything from sample sachets to bulk liquid refills.
Betting on the Refill Economy
Steve Baker, managing director at Bakers, framed the investment as a bet on timing. “Spouted pouches are a really exciting area for BakPac. The refill market in the UK is still at an early stage, but we believe it is a question of when, not if, demand grows,” he said. “We wanted to invest now, get really good at the process and make sure we have the capacity and capability in place before the market really accelerates.”
That logic, investing ahead of confirmed volume, is a recurring theme among converters positioning for refill. The brands that win the refill aisle will need partners who can scale quickly, and capacity installed early is capacity that is already proven when the orders arrive, rather than capacity still being debugged under customer pressure.
A Trade Supply Opportunity Too
Baker also pointed to a trade angle. Other UK pouch producers and trade customers may lack dedicated spout insertion capability or the capacity for higher-volume spouted work. By investing in two Totani machines from the start, BakPac can support brands directly and also offer a high-quality trade solution as demand grows, turning a capital outlay into both a captive-channel advantage and a new service line for other converters.
“The Totani machines are already proving themselves. The installation was extremely positive, the results we are seeing are excellent, and we are already seeing more spouted pouch work coming through,” Baker said. Spouted pouches are becoming an increasingly important format for brands seeking refill packaging, lighter-weight alternatives to rigid containers and packaging that is easier to store, use and transport than glass or rigid plastic.
Where the Growth Is
BakPac sees particular growth opportunities in beauty and wellness, alcohol and ready-mixed cocktails, food and condiments, health supplements, household products and automotive applications. The new equipment sits neatly within BakPac’s existing digital print and pouch converting workflow, with pouches digitally printed and converted much like its standard stand-up pouches, plus high-quality spout insertion at speed.
Crucially, spout insertion comes late in the process, after printing, laminating and pouch conversion, so adding reliable high-speed capacity at this stage gives BakPac more control over quality, planning and delivery. BakPac’s recyclable Mono material has also run well through the new machines, supporting recyclable spouted pouch options for brands exploring refill packaging and more flexible alternatives to bottles, tubs and jars.
A Model for Reinvestment
The investment is another example of Bakers’ long-standing approach to reinvestment: identify new opportunities, bring in the right equipment, and build the skills and capacity to keep moving forward. For challenger brands, spouted pouches offer a way to start small, test the market and scale with a packaging partner that has the speed, quality and flexibility to support them from first sample to full run.
The timing also reflects a shift in how brands think about packaging waste. Refill formats, once a niche sustainability gesture, are becoming a core part of reuse targets set by regulators and retailers, and spouted pouches are among the most practical refill vehicles for liquids that would otherwise ship in rigid bottles. BakPac’s capacity is a bet that this shift accelerates from pilot to mainstream.
By installing two machines rather than one, BakPac also signals confidence that demand will scale, and gives itself headroom to serve both direct brands and trade customers without one crowding out the other. That redundancy is a quiet advantage when a single machine would otherwise become the bottleneck on a growing product line.
The investment also strengthens Baker Labels’ broader position as a one-stop flexible packaging partner. By pairing digital print, conversion and now spout insertion under one roof, BakPac removes hand-offs between suppliers that typically add time, cost and quality risk, giving brand owners a single accountable source for a complete spouted pouch rather than a chain of vendors to coordinate.
Source: Labels and Labeling – BakPac installs Totani spout inserters
