SHARPAK Yate, the pioneer behind the revolutionary Litepak Technology applied to poultry packaging, has been honoured with the 2026 King’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation. This prestigious Royal accolade—the highest official honour for British businesses—marks the ultimate validation for a technology that has redefined sustainability standards in the food industry.
Developed through a rigorous "laboratory-first" strategy, Litepak achieved a landmark 27% reduction in packaging weight and plastic usage without compromising the strict shelf-life and safety requirements of the poultry sector. The innovation has been a consistent high performer in the industry, previously being named Resource Efficient Pack of the Year at the 2022 UK Packaging Awards.
The "Double Crown" of industry and Royal awards cements the Yate site’s position as a centre of excellence for sustainable food packaging. Unlike traditional lightweighting, the Yate-based team used advanced reverse engineering to identify and reinforce structural stresses, ensuring the packaging remains rigid and leak-proof on high-speed production lines despite the significant material reduction.
Fabia Terranova, Managing Director of the Yate site, commented:
“Receiving the King’s Award for Innovation is a defining moment for the Yate site and a profound tribute to the ingenuity of our people. This honour belongs to our dedicated team, whose 'laboratory-first' mindset and relentless commitment to reverse-engineering traditional packaging allowed us to achieve the 27% plastic reduction that defines Litepak today.
“We are also incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our parent company, Groupe GUILLIN. Their investment in our vision and their belief in sustainable British manufacturing has been instrumental in allowing us to push the boundaries of what is possible in rigid plastics. Together, we are not just reducing waste; we are setting a new global benchmark for the future of food packaging.”
Leading the Sustainability Agenda The award arrives at a pivotal time for the industry. SHARPAK Yate is proud to be a founding signatory of the UK Packaging Pact, launched on the 21st April 2026. It’s a collaborative initiative aimed at creating a circular economy for packaging. The success of Litepak serves as a tangible example of how SHARPAK is delivering against Goal 1 of Pact’s ambition, to optimise packaging.
A Legacy of British Innovation Recipients of the King’s Award are permitted to fly the King’s Award flag at their headquarters and use the official emblem on their products for the next five years. The award recognizes SHARPAK Yate for its technical excellence and its role in helping the UK’s leading food producers meet urgent plastic reduction and carbon targets.
The company plans to celebrate this milestone with a formal presentation ceremony later this year, to be hosted at the Yate facility by the Lord-Lieutenant, the King’s personal representative.