On-Trade - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Burnham grants pubs, clubs and music venues 20% rates cut

Published: 23 July, 2026

The government has announced that pubs, clubs and live music venues across England are set to receive a 20% business rates cut from April 2027.

UK Sommelier of the Year 2026 awarded to Emma Denney

Published: 15 July, 2026

Claridge’s director of wine Emma Denney has been awarded the UK Sommelier of the Year 2026 title, after two days of high-level competition.

On-trade cost-saving: Efficiency without the compromise

Published: 14 July, 2026

Times are tough for the UK hospitality industry at the moment, with operators facing considerable challenges from what seems like every quarter. Yet there are operators who are, in spite of everything, making it work. Among these is Adam Handling MBE, chef and owner of the eponymous Adam Handling Collection. “Hospitality has never been an easy industry, but margins are now so tight that even well-run businesses are having to work harder than ever just to stay afloat,” he says.

Tayēr + Elementary launches pop-up series with residency at Cato

Published: 13 July, 2026

Monica Berg and Alex Kraterna – the founders of cocktail bar Tayēr + Elementary – have announced the launch of a new pop-up series called ‘What if?’.

Winners of Wine Australia trip ‘down under’ announced

Published: 07 July, 2026

Wine Australia has announced the six sommeliers and on-trade buyers that will be joining it on their first-ever trip to the country’s wine regions in November 2026.

Hospitality insolvencies down 9% in May

Published: 22 June, 2026

The most recent company insolvency statistics can reveal that in May month on month hospitality insolvencies were down 9%, following a difficult start to the year for the sector.

Pub bookings up 300% ahead of England’s first World Cup match

Published: 17 June, 2026

In a well needed boost for the hospitality industry, data from hospitality technology firm Zonal can reveal that pub bookings are up 293% year-on-year when comparing today (17 June) with the same day last year.

Zareh Mesrobyan wins Ruinart Sommelier Challenge

Published: 09 June, 2026

Estelle Manor’s head of wine Zareh Mesrobyan won the 2026 UK Ruinart Sommelier Challenge yesterday (8 June), following a hard-fought contest at London’s Dorchester hotel.

VAT cut campaign passes significant milestone

Published: 05 June, 2026

A campaign to cut VAT for the hospitality sector to 10% has already garnered massive support, with more than 10,000 people signing the #VATsTheProblem petition within 72 hours of its launch.

Campaign to cut hospitality VAT to 10% spearheaded by Tom Kerridge

Published: 02 June, 2026

Chef and publican Tom Kerridge is urging the hospitality industry to sign a new petition backing VATsTheProblem – a campaign to cut VAT for the sector to 10%.

Call out for Top 50 Sommeliers nominations

Published: 01 June, 2026

Nominations are open for Harpers Top 50 Sommeliers 2026 listing, with all in the UK drinks world invited to propose candidates for consideration.

UKH decries increasing costs after youth inactivity report

Published: 29 May, 2026

UK Hospitality (UKH) has responded to the recent Milburn review interim report on youth unemployment, saying that it demonstrates “the damaging impact of increasing costs on job opportunities”.

Applications open for New Zealand Winegrowers Sommelier Scholarship

Published: 29 May, 2026

New Zealand Winegrowers has announced applications for the 2027 edition of its Sommelier Scholarship are now open.

Chains drive ‘eating-out’ market with smaller operators falling behind

Published: 20 May, 2026

Food and drinks insights company Lumina Intelligence has detailed that the ‘eating-out’ market is set to reach a value of £102.8bn this year, an increase of +1.8% year-on-year.

British bar shows in good spirits following strong attendance

Published: 14 May, 2026

Attendance figures revealed from this week’s BCB London (11-12 May) and April’s Edinburgh Bar Show (13-15 April) reveal that thousands of bar trade professionals passed through the events in the capital cities.

Harpers Top 50 Sommeliers 2026 listing is open for nominations

Published: 11 May, 2026

Our annual Harpers Top 50 Sommeliers feature celebrates the best in the somm world, focusing in on the professionalism and talent shown by those behind many of the great wine and drinks offers we are lucky enough to have in restaurants and hotels across the UK.

Coravin highlights research indicating by-the-glass growth

Published: 11 May, 2026

At a recent industry lunch, Coravin highlighted the results of three surveys conducted in 2025, which suggest that consumers are ordering more wine by-the-glass (BTG) than they were two years ago. The company is also expanding its guide to BTG lists.

UK Hospitality urges government to provide energy support for sector

Published: 08 May, 2026

In a letter to the chancellor, UK Hospitality has proposed six measures that the government could implement to help hospitality businesses through increasing energy costs.

Diageo confirms finalists for World Class GB 2026

Published: 06 May, 2026

Diageo has revealed the ten bartenders who will take part in this year’s World Class GB final, with contestants hailing from around the UK.

STA calls on incoming MSPs to ensure support for hospitality

Published: 05 May, 2026

The Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) has released an open letter addressed to Scotland’s next MSPs just days before the Scottish Parliamentary election, due to take place this Thursday (7 May).