Printing without limits: Roland DG powers customisation in the wine trade

The UK drinks sector is evolving at pace, and personalisation now sits at the heart of that transformation. The drinkware category alone is forecast to grow by around 6% annually through to 2031, fuelled by rising demand for premium, high quality products that reflect individual identity. At the same time, branded barware and promotional accessories are undergoing their own shift, with drinks brands seeking more distinctive, design led items to stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

For suppliers, the result is mounting pressure: faster turnaround times, sharper branding, and greater creative flexibility. For The Waiter’s Friend Company, a UK specialist in European made wine tools and premium barware, this moment became an opportunity. The company found the catalyst for its next stage of growth in the Roland DG MO-240 flatbed printer, transforming its production model and unlocking a new era of high impact, high margin customisation.

The Waiter’s Friend has spent decades supplying corkscrews, champagne stoppers, ice buckets and accessories to UK wine merchants, distributors and hospitality clients. For years, all custom branding was outsourced to pad printers in the UK and Italy – a dependable but increasingly restrictive model.

‘The company has been around for 30 years,’ general manager Alistair Coulthurst said. ‘But when the business changed ownership a few years ago, it became obvious that relying solely on third party pad printing was holding us back. Lead times of two to three weeks just are not viable in today’s market.’

Investing in the DG MO-240 marked a decisive strategic shift, giving the team the freedom to take full control of the customisation workflow. Powered by the high productivity MO Series technology – engineered to print up to 1.4 times faster than comparable models – the business quickly saw transformation. The machine’s staggered printheads, powerful curing lamps and expanded bed size deliver speeds of up to 2.39 m² per hour in standard mode, enabling faster turnaround without compromising print quality.

White ink prints twice as fast as previous generation devices, and the ability to lay down thicker gloss layers has further increased output efficiency. Combined with streamlined set up processes and flexible jig changes, the team can now move effortlessly between different product types.

After a year of running the MO-240, the results speak for themselves. Production is faster, workflows are more controlled, and the business can react in real time to customer demand – something impossible under the previous outsourcing model.

‘We brought all of our corkscrew printing in-house,’ Alistair explained. ‘It allowed us to increase margins, cut lead times to around a week, and gain far more freedom in colour choices and production schedules.’

With multi-layer printing and the ability to handle a wide range of substrates, the company has unlocked a new level of responsiveness and creativity – giving them a clear competitive advantage and a production process built for modern market expectations.

Alongside the hardware, the software ecosystem has been instrumental in supporting the company’s growing focus on customisation.

As part of a new website launch in November, the business is introducing an online tool that allows customers to personalise corkscrews directly – typing in names or text that feeds automatically into Print AutoMate workflow.

‘Print AutoMate will take customer submitted text and process it all the way through to the jigs on our machines,’ Alistair explained. ‘This is where Roland’s support has been invaluable. Its aftercare has been excellent – quick, knowledgeable, and reassuring – especially during the set up of this new service.’

The team also uses Roland DG Connect for monitoring and cost control. ‘We probably don’t use it to its fullest yet, but it is essential. I don’t know how you could operate without it,’ Alistair said.

As the technology becomes more integrated into daily operations, the company is standardising workflows, centralising print stations, and becoming more professionalised in its approach to print production.

According to Alistair, the wine trade has traditionally lagged behind other sectors in adopting digital customisation. But expectations are changing quickly.

‘Even two years ago, most customers thought they were limited to a single colour print,’ he said. ‘That mindset came from pad printing. Today, multicolour is increasingly seen as standard.’

Digital printing has opened creative and commercial possibilities that were previously cost prohibitive – such as printing a single logo alongside hundreds of unique names without additional set up fees.

‘We are now pushing boundaries that the wider industry hasn’t caught up with yet,’ Alistair said. ‘Staying ahead of the curve is vital in our sector.’

As customisation becomes an ever larger driver of revenue, the company expects to expand its digital capability further. ‘The growth is in customisation – especially hyper customisation,’ Alistair said. ‘That likely means additional machines dedicated to direct to consumer work.’

The team is also exploring engraving for higher end metal corkscrew lines as demand for premium personalised items continues to rise. Strategically, the company is evolving from a product led supplier into a branding focused business, supported by new technologies and elevated marketing efforts.

Throughout this evolution, Roland DG has remained a trusted partner. ‘The support has been excellent. When you invest in a significant piece of equipment, that reassurance matters,’ Alistair said. ‘The machines, the software, and the people at Roland DG all help us deliver the level of service our customers expect.’

With its customisation offering expanding rapidly, The Waiter’s Friend Company views the DG MO-240 as a cornerstone of its future – enabling greater creativity, faster fulfilment, and a stronger competitive edge in a changing market.