Which European glass suppliers offer non-standard bottle sizes, and what are the alternatives if European options are limited?

Finding non-standard European glass sizes (like 500ml burgundy) is challenging, and members have found success by exploring both European brokers and Chinese suppliers with quality oversight.

**European & broker options:** - **Croxsons** — UK broker with access to Chinese glass manufacturers (ISO/BRC certified) supplying Sainsbury's and M&S own-brand ranges; quoted mould costs around £8k with cost guarantees; contact Matthew for discussions - **Rockwood Hines** — Western broker that bridges quality control gaps and acts as point of contact for Asian suppliers - **Fusion Glass** — Similar broker model offering quality assurance and liaison services

**Chinese suppliers (with caveats):** - **Xilong** — Large manufacturer with 16 glass furnaces, mould fees around £2k, but members noted inconsistent quality; pricing stable at 2019 levels - Generic Chinese suppliers accessed via brokers — prices competitive but require robust quality control

**Mitigating quality risks:** - Use Western brokers (Croxsons, Rockwood Hines, Fusion Glass) to act as intermediaries and quality checkpoints - Consider hiring a separate quality control company to inspect stock before shipping (members haven't yet implemented this, but suppliers typically credit defective bottles) - Budget extra time and oversight costs when sourcing from Asia

**Key caveat:** Members emphasised that the "ground quality control" is critical with Chinese suppliers due to documented inconsistency, even from larger manufacturers. European-only options for non-standard sizes appear extremely limited.