Budget: Chancellor announces freeze on all alcohol duty

Duty on wines, spirits and beers is to be frozen, new Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in today’s budget, allaying trade fears of another rise in line with inflation.

Wine Drinkers UK urges Chancellor not to discriminate against working class and women

Wine Drinkers UK has called on the new Chancellor not to discriminate against the working class and women ahead of the next Budget on 11 March.

New UK commercial director for William Grant

Leading UK spirits producer William Grant & Sons has made Joanna Austin its commercial director for the UK and Ireland.

WSTA calls on Chancellor to support wine and spirit SMEs

Several UK wine and spirit SMEs have united to urge the new Chancellor, Rishi Sunak MP, to cut wine and spirit duty by 2% to help boost British business.

SWA reiterates urgency of resolving transatlantic trade dispute as US tariff remains

The Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) has called on the EU, US and UK to "redouble their efforts" to resolve transatlantic trade disputes quickly to enable Scotch and American whiskies to revert to tariff-free trading.

On-trade kickstarts 2020 on a positive note

The on-trade sector has started 2020 on a positive note with like-for-like sales up 1.9% in January compared to the same month last year, according to the latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Quintessential adds two to senior team

International spirits producer Quintessential Brands has strengthened its management team with two senior hires.

Council gives green light for Moffat’s first legal Scotch whisky distillery

Dumfries & Galloway Council has approved plans for a single malt whisky distillery to be built in Moffat, marking the town’s first legal Scotch distillery.

Looking back on a decade - Part one

2010-2020 delivered incredible change on both a domestic and an international level. The Harpers team peers back at some of the key stories that continue to shape today’s trade

WSTA reiterates call for duty cut

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has reiterated its call for a cut in duty.    

Christmas trading: glass half full?

Retailers had to fight hard for their share of mistletoe and wine (and gin) sales this Christmas. Jo Gilbert sorts through the highs and lows.

Former Blue Peter presenter jumps ship to head up Mangrove marketing

Vinexpo and Comexposium join forces

Leading global wine event organisations Vinexpo and Comexposium are to join forces in a new body.

Wine’s darker materials: glass vs the alternatives

A rising clamour over packaging and sustainability is leading many parts of the industry to go back to the drawing board on glass and look at alternative materials. Does plastic deserve its bad reputation?

Mangrove appoints on-trade sales director

Mangrove UK has promoted its current South sales manager Chris Pollard to on-trade sales director.

Brockmans appoints former Jägermeister executive as MD

English gin producer Brockmans has appointed former Mast-Jägermeister and Russian Standard Vodka executive Guy Lawrence to the newly created role of MD as part of its ambitious plans to double sale in five years.

Hillebrand acquires US warehouse and transportation business

Hillebrand has acquired US warehouse and transportation business Royal Logistics and Royal Service Transport (Royal) for an undisclosed sum.

Spotlight on 2020: Hugh Sturges, Jeroboams

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers will be taking the month of December to look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Spotlight on 2020: Alex Hunt MW, Berkmann Wine Cellars

As we enter a new decade, Harpers look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

The winners: Harpers Design Awards 2019

The big reveal from this year’s Harpers Design Awards is that for the first time ever wine edged ahead of spirits, both in terms of the overall winners and collectively across the competition.