Client: Carley’s
Industry: Organic Food Manufacturing
Established Relationship: 20+ years
From Domestic Kitchen to Full-Scale Production
What began as a small family venture supplying wholefoods has evolved into a thriving organic manufacturing operation. Thanks to Adelphi machinery, Carley’s has increased productivity tenfold, enabling the transition from domestic-scale production to a fully operational 1/3 acre bespoke manufacturing site (shaped like an almond!).
The Challenge
To support a growing product range and customer demand, Carley’s needed to move from manual filling and capping to scalable, efficient production - without compromising their values or product quality.
Originally:
- 3 staff
- 3 products
- Manual filling and capping
Growth quickly made this model unsustainable.
The Solution
After meeting Adelphi Manufacturing at a speciality food exhibition in 2006, Carley’s implemented the Response Benchtop Filler to support their expanding production.
Intuitive & Flexible Operation
- Handles all viscosities across nut butters, chutneys, relishes and more
- 3-minute strip-down for cleaning
- Fast container and product changeovers
- Simple, intuitive operation
- In-house servicing by trained staff
Rachel Sutton explains: “We could have outsourced some of our processes, but that really isn’t us. We like to do everything ourselves, in-house — it fits with our values.”
Production Manager Cathy adds: “We’ve got the changeover between different containers and products down to a fine art!”
The Results
- Portfolio expanded from 3 products to 50+ nut and seed butters (with more in development)
- Capacity to process up to 4,000 jars per day
- Over 200 cases filled in under 2 hours during peak periods
- Team busier than ever
Rachel reflects: “We had smaller batches and a smaller range — around 1/10 of what can be achieved now.”
Automating Filling AND Capping
As the long-standing relationship developed, Adelphi offered Carley’s the opportunity to trial the innovative Response Monobloc filling and capping machine.
Protecting Previous Investment
Carley’s existing Response Benchtop Filler fits inside the Monobloc — meaning production can be scaled up without making earlier investment obsolete.
Solving Leakage & Waste
Manual capping had been causing inconsistent torque, leading to oil leakage during transit — creating financial risk and reputational damage.
“We risked credit claims from one of our biggest private label customers… Only the good relationship between us prevented this.”
The Impact of Vacuum Capping
- Dramatic reduction in leakage complaints
- Wastage reduced from 30% expected loss (manual capping) to <0.07% using the Monobloc
Rachel confirms: “The vacuum application is working brilliantly, and there have been dramatically fewer — I can’t really think of any — complaints about leakages.”
- Improved Staff Safety & Comfort
Manual capping had also led to repetitive strain injury (RSI) concerns.
The Monobloc’s vacuum capping system has:
- Eliminated RSI issues
- Improved staff comfort and morale
Carley’s supports a positive work-life balance with a four-day working week — and plenty of encouragement from their dogs, Badger, Jasper and Robin.
Complete In-Person & Remote Support
Adelphi’s Design Engineer, Anand, provided hands-on and remote support via PLC connection for fast diagnostics and troubleshooting. During commissioning, Anand identified inconsistencies in Carley’s jar caps — prompting a supplier change and further reducing waste costs.
Shared Values – Sustainable Manufacturing
Carley’s and Adelphi share a strong environmental ethos, including:
- PV solar panel energy generation
- Rainwater harvesting
- Proactive recycling culture
Both businesses demonstrate that manufacturing can be carried out responsibly and sustainably.
Key Outcomes
- Tenfold productivity increase
- Up to 4,000 jars per day
- 30% → <0.07% wastage reduction
- Expanded 50+ product portfolio
- Improved staff safety
- Sustainable, in-house production growth
Adelphi are proud to have supported Carley’s throughout this remarkable journey — and look forward to continuing a very special partnership for years to come.
