Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Balfour launches craft beer duo

Published: 01 April, 2021

Balfour Winery at Hush Heath Estate in Kent is launching two new craft beers – Jake’s Lager and Jake’s IPA, which will be distributed in the UK by Matthew Clark.

EeBriaTrade adds English wines

Published: 16 June, 2020

Drinks distributor and online marketplace EeBriaTrade has added a raft of English wine producers to its portfolio, marking the first time the online business has featured wine.

Craft breweries take significant lockdown hit

Published: 17 April, 2020

An average 82% drop in beers sales has been recorded by small independent breweries across the UK since the outbreak of Covid-19, according to new Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) research released today

Millennials vital to health of the wine sector over next five years, says new research

Published: 15 October, 2019

A new definitive report into the drinking behaviours of millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) has put to bed concerns that younger drinkers are completely abandoning wine in favour of craft beers or spirits – or even eschewing alcohol completely.

Switching to cans and lower abv can boost sales, says report

Published: 02 April, 2019

Producing low or no alcohol lines and switching from bottles to cans could boost sales for the wine trade, suggest new statistics on the craft beer industry.

The Bottle Shop goes under

Published: 26 March, 2019

The Bottle Shop has called in the administrators and shut the business with immediate effect following a tough few months.

Enotria opens up craft beer following major deals with Compass and Bidfood

Published: 07 February, 2019

Craft beer was one of the star attractions at Enotria’s latest annual portfolio tasting, as the pressure to diversify becomes stronger and stronger at the top level of distribution.

Europe ups its craft game as new leader of NPD

Published: 06 November, 2018

Europe is reclaiming its reputation as the hub of the beer world as it overtakes the US as the biggest driver of NPD in the craft segment. Jo Gilbert looks at the re-emergence of the world’s oldest beer market.

Hanging Ditch founder sets out to challenge ‘normal wine merchant model’ with new venture

Published: 01 November, 2018

Hanging Ditch founder Ben Stephenson has revealed the plans for his latest venture - a wine retail, entertainment and social space that works from morning to night.

Demand for craft spirits in the US shows no sign of slowing

Published: 24 October, 2018

The appetite for craft spirits in the United States - arguably the nation behind the boom in craft drinks worldwide - still packs a major punch new research suggests.

Chapel Down appoints head of brewing for its Curious Brewery arm

Published: 16 October, 2018

Chapel Down has appointed Matthew Anderson of AB InBev to the newly created position of head of brewing & production.

Chapel Down’s brewery arm enters the on-trade with new brew

Published: 28 June, 2018

Curious Brewery, owned by English winemaker Chapel Down, has added a second edition to its Curiouser & Curiouser portfolio – the first of its brews that will be available in the on-trade.

Jerry Lockspieser: Selling equity in your business - great for growth or dancing with the devil?

Published: 26 June, 2018

Much is being written these days about consumers wanting authenticity, honesty and transparency in the products they buy, and the companies they buy them from. The news from across the drinks aisle that craft brewer Beavertown has sold an undisclosed minority stake to corporate giant Heineken for £40m raises interesting questions in this arena.

The indies tapping into craft beer

Published: 29 May, 2018

Talk into an indie merchant in 2018 and while you may be faced with wall upon wall of wine from here, there and everywhere, you’re just as likely to encounter a kaleidoscopic display of beers and ciders in bottles, cans, growlers and kegs.

Morgenrot pushes craft wine agenda

Published: 28 March, 2018

If your image of wine tastings involves white table clothes, red trousers and talk of terroir, then Morgenrot’s latest pop up at Block Bar Brighton broke every preconception going.

BrewDog and Cult Wines on fast-track to success

Published: 07 December, 2017

Scotland’s largest independent brewer, a northern pub and restaurant operator and London based fine wine merchant are the three stand out drinks companies to have made it into this year’s list of the UK’s fastest growing businesses.

Chapel Down appoints ex BrewDog head as ‘beer MD’

Published: 04 October, 2017

Chapel Down has appointed Gareth Bath, previous managing director for craft brewer BrewDog, to the newly created position of ‘managing director of beer’.