Delivering Happiness, parent company of sustainable packaging pioneer Packamama, has appointed Richard Lloyd to help lay the foundations for what could evolve into a next-generation wine packaging and bottling facility.
The appointment also marks the start of a strategic collaboration to strengthen Packamama’s current operations while looking ahead to what the future of wine packaging might become.
Lloyd, former managing director of both The Park and Encirc Beverages – facilities that collectively packaged over 50% of the UK’s wine in 2024 – brings unparalleled expertise to this exploratory phase, supported by lead investor Ryan Howsam.
“I’m thrilled to be leading this opportunity to help create a packaging facility of the future, coupled with working closely with Packamama to understand and strengthen their existing bottling operations,” said Richard Lloyd. “We’re looking at the full packaging system with fresh eyes – unconstrained by legacy, informed by live data, and shaped by evolving regulation like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the deposit return scheme (DRS). That means exploring new technologies, formats, and supply chain partnerships that can meet the changing expectations of retailers, consumers, and the planet. The potential is significant, both in terms of what’s achievable today and what could be possible tomorrow.”
The journey begins with a close look at what’s possible today. “While today’s work focuses on strengthening what exists, the long-term ambition is to rethink what’s possible. The single-format production line is dead,” said Santiago Navarro, CEO & founder of Packamama. “Forward-thinking retailers are calling for packaging transformation and our intention is that this facility will answer that call – not with incremental improvements, but with a fundamental rethink of how wine should be packaged, moved, and sold in a sustainable future.”
Robin Copestick, a board director of Delivering Happiness Limited and MD of Freixenet Copestick, added: “This is a vision for the wine aisles of the future. With Richard at the helm, we are designing a facility not limited by the past, but inspired by what’s possible. That is how meaningful change is made.”
Investor and entrepreneur Ryan Howsam, who is backing the first phase of this project, commented: “This initiative is exactly the kind of high-impact opportunity I look for, combining commercial potential, environmental urgency, and world-class leadership to transform a sector ready for disruption. I am excited to support the team in bringing this vision to life.”
This collaboration and the proposed facility represent a pivotal step in Delivering Happiness Limited’s broader journey to reimagine what wine packaging can be – commercially, environmentally, and experientially – not only through packaging, but by enabling a new generation of wine products that align with the sustainability goals, commercial pressures, and consumer expectations shaping the future of the industry.
