Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

UK’s 50 Best Indies 2021: 11-20

Published: 09 September, 2021

Welcome to the release of our fourth tranche of our 50 Best Indies list, from 11-20, also featuring all of those that have made it into the ranking from 21-50.

Cambridge’s Veni Vidi Bibi charity bash delivers for children

Published: 09 September, 2021

Cambridge Wine Merchants inaugural Veni Vidi Bibi charity dinner managed to raise £5,735 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices in one sitting.

Treasury commits to 100% renewables by 2024

Published: 09 September, 2021

Treasury Wine Estates’ (TWE) brands are joining the RE100 global renewable power initiative, a move which will see the company switch to 100% renewable electricity by 2024 across its global operations.

Online BWS sales buck downward trend

Published: 08 September, 2021

New data has revealed that turnover from UK online retail slumped in the month of August, with three notable exceptions.

Fine wine becoming a ‘regular luxury’ for British consumers

Published: 08 September, 2021

A recent survey commissioned by fine wine merchant Bordeaux Index suggests that the pandemic has led to a surge of interest in fine wine buying – either for immediate consumption or longer term investment.

Majestic unveils national cork recycling scheme

Published: 07 September, 2021

Majestic has unveiled details of a nationwide cork recycling scheme in over 200 of its stores.

Continued plantings spell new growth for English vino at Wine GB

Published: 06 September, 2021

Continued plantings across England and Wales are expected to insulate the growing England and Welsh wine industry against climate issues and smaller-than-usual crop sizes.

Ready-made cocktails take off

Published: 06 September, 2021

Pre-batched cocktails hit the spot when it comes to consistency, reducing waste and prep time, according to their advocates, as Lisa Riley reports.

HGV shortage could lead to a watered-down Christmas, Accolade warns

Published: 06 September, 2021

Accolade Wines has warned that truck driver shortages could have a major impact on Christmas sales, with on-going recruitment issues likely to limit stocks and drive up costs.

UKH: ‘Mandatory vaccine passports unworkable’

Published: 06 September, 2021

UK Hospitality (UKH) has said a mandatory Covid vaccine passports scheme for certain venues and events would be unworkable, cause conflict between staff and customers and would force business to deal with “complex equality rules”.

Billecart-Salmon appoints Crosby UK MD

Published: 02 September, 2021

Billecart-Salmon UK has appointed its current vice president Chris Crosby as its new MD of the UK.

Long read: Are hard seltzers over before they really began?

Published: 02 September, 2021

Richard Horwell, owner of specialist food and drink marketing and branding company Brand Relations, anticipates a hard year ahead for a fledgling drinks trend.

UK remains third biggest destination for Portuguese wine

Published: 01 September, 2021

The UK remained the third biggest destination for Portuguese wine in the first half of 2021 in value terms, according to new export data released by Wines of Portugal.

Encirc expands filling capability by 40%

Published: 01 September, 2021

UK glass manufacturer Encirc is set to expand its filling capacity by 40%, increasing its wine filling capacity by 75 million litres over the next year, to meet growing demand.

No-shows cost sector £17.6bn

Published: 01 September, 2021

Customers not turning up for their bookings are costing the hospitality sector £17.6bn each year, according to a new CGA and Zonal report.

UK helps boost sales recovery at Pernod Ricard

Published: 01 September, 2021

Pernod Ricard, producer of Campo Viejo and Absolut has announced a “dynamic rebound” of sales in Europe following a tough 2020, with the UK, Germany and Eastern Europe offsetting declines in Spain, Ireland and Travel Retail.

Majestic launches new subscription club

Published: 01 September, 2021

Majestic has revealed details of its new subscription model — Wine Club’ by Majestic.

Majestic lists Kosher wines for first time

Published: 31 August, 2021

Majestic Wines has listed four Kosher wines online and in 14 stores across the UK, marking a first for the retailer.

SITT’s Spotlight On to shine on Portugal

Published: 26 August, 2021

Portugal is to take the Spotlight On spot at SITT this autumn, with a dedicated zone featuring 20 leading producers and importers.

Picking up with The Drop

Published: 19 August, 2021

Blending nationwide delivery app, wine bars that retail and ambitious franchisee model, The Drop is taking hybrid to the next level. Andrew Catchpole reports.