News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Budget: Chancellor freezes all alcohol duty

Published: 03 March, 2021

Duty on wines, spirits and beers is to be frozen, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in today’s Budget.

Grocery BWS sales boom continues

Published: 02 March, 2021

Alcohol sales in the grocery sector continue to grow with sales up 33% in February boosted by the closure of the on-trade sector with the Covid-19 lockdown.

Ferrari Trento named official sparkling Formula 1 wine

Published: 02 March, 2021

Ferrari Trento has been named the official sparkling wine of Formula 1 motor racing.

Bodegas Palacio joins North South Wines

Published: 02 March, 2021

Grupo Bodegas Palacio has appointed North South Wines as its exclusive UK distributor.

Justerini & Brooks signs Napa’s Frog’s Leap

Published: 02 March, 2021

Justerini & Brooks has added Rutherford Frog’s Leap winery to its California portfolio.

New UMVGB president calls for post-Covid preparation

Published: 02 March, 2021

Albéric Bichot, who has been elected president of the Union des Maisons de Vins de Grande Bourgogne (UMVGB) has called for the industry to prepare for the Post-Covid world.

Liberty strengthens senior management team

Published: 02 March, 2021

Liberty Wines has created three new roles to strengthen its senior management team, after a successful year despite the global pandemic.

Kingsland announces six-figure bag-in-box investment

Published: 01 March, 2021

Kingsland Drinks is gearing up to boost its bag-in-box wine capabilities this year with a six-figure investment in additional production line machinery.

Plumpton Wine Division expands online learning

Published: 01 March, 2021

Plumpton College Wine Division has increased the scale of its talks and seminars from producers and industry experts from around the world to cater for online learning with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Flint Wines becomes key partner for Domaine des Lambrays

Published: 01 March, 2021

Wine producer Domaine des Lambrays has appointed Flint Wines as its key partner in the UK.

UKH welcomes government plans for hospitality grant support in Budget

Published: 01 March, 2021

UK Hospitality (UKH) has welcomed news that the hospitality industry will receive a new package of grant support in Wednesday’s Budget.

Hedonism moves online with subscription service

Published: 01 March, 2021

Hedonism, the fine wines and spirit boutique in London’s Mayfair, has launched its first subscription-based service called Case Study by Hedonism.

Average of 30 licensed premises closing a day

Published: 01 March, 2021

Nearly 12,000 licensed premises have closed in Britain since December 2019 — an average of around 30 a day and the highest rate on record, according to the latest Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners.

Discover why Canada is the new cool kid in town

Published: 25 February, 2021

With cooler climate wines and off-piste finds high on the agenda of many quality-focused buyers, Harpers is teaming up with the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom to host a webinar exploring the exciting potential of Canadian wines in the UK market.

Portman Group: ‘Seltzers aren’t understood by consumers’

Published: 25 February, 2021

The Portman Group has launched guidance on the growing hard seltzers category following research which showed that just 7% of consumers had heard of the drinks.

Trade calls Victoria Prentis out over VI-1 statement

Published: 25 February, 2021

An infuriated wine trade has today delivered an ‘unprecedented’ collective letter to Victoria Prentis MP, calling for the scrapping of VI-1 forms when the easement provision ends on 1 July.

Black Chalk and Wine GB recreate social media push

Published: 25 February, 2021

Jacob Leadley, CEO and winemaker of Black Chalk, and Wine GB have announced plans for this year’s Easter weekend initiative to support the English wine industry.

Westminster brings back alfresco scheme

Published: 25 February, 2021

Westminster City Council has announced that it will reintroduce last summer’s alfresco scheme to help the hospitality sector.

Hospitality leaders show long-term optimism

Published: 25 February, 2021

Hospitality leaders are optimistic about the long-term future of the sector and its role in the UK’s economic recovery, with many businesses seeking to grow rather than shrink, the latest CGA Business Leaders' Survey has revealed.

Long Read: Night-time economy is being left behind, say operators

Published: 25 February, 2021

The whole of the on-trade has been gravely impacted by the closures associated with Covid. However, the night-time economy, which looks set to fully reopen in July – two months after other indoor hospitality venues – continues to suffer the worst of the impact, with operators calling for more clarity on their future.