Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What quality issues should we be aware of when sourcing glass bottles from Chinese suppliers?
Members report consistent quality problems with Chinese glass suppliers that require careful vetting. **Greasy bottles** are a frequent issue—several members experienced bottles arriving with a greasy residue requiring machine washing before use. **Inconsistent neck sizes** is another documented problem, leading to leaking bottles when caps or stoppers don't fit properly. **Poor stopper quality** has also been noted alongside the bottle defects. Members have identified some Chinese suppliers worth investigating or avoiding: - **Xuzhou Moaya Glass** — used by at least one member; experienced the greasy bottle and poor stopper issues mentioned above - **Xilong, Rockwood, and Fusion** — mentioned in prior community research on Chinese glass suppliers - **Rawlings and Couch** — one member asked for feedback and contact details, suggesting this supplier was being evaluated The consensus is that success stories do exist with Chinese suppliers, so reliable options are out there, but thorough supplier vetting is essential to eliminate unreliable ones from your shortlist. Members recommend checking references and samples carefully before committing to larger orders.
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.