Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Christmas 2021: boom or bust?

Published: 24 January, 2022

James Lawrence finds the festive season was a mixed bag, with reduced sales in many areas but some sectors exceeding expectations.

With supply and delivery issues forcing indies to be nimble and imaginative for the Christmas rush, Andrew Catchpole asked a trio of merchants how they prepared for the festive sales spike in such an unpredictable year.

On-trade faces ongoing cancellation crisis as weekend takings plummet

Published: 21 December, 2021

New figures released by UKHospitality indicate that a normally buoyant – and vital – month is set to be a disaster for the hospitality sector.

Bouncing Back Q&A: Ben Knollys, MD, Hatch Mansfield

Published: 16 December, 2021

Continuing our seasonal Bouncing Back Q&A series, Ben Knollys takes stock of the challenges and lessons of 2021 and considers the path ahead for the trade.

Christmas 2021: An optimistic appraisal

Published: 27 October, 2021

The British tabloids have spoken: Christmas 2021 is unlikely to yield much festive cheer. Unfortunately, this isn’t simply press hyperbole – the UK’s food industry is under enormous pressure, while retail supply chains continue to be stymied by a lack of HGV drivers.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released a set of data in September which confirmed that the on-trade staffing crisis has not abated. “Sourcing staff has been one of our biggest challenges since we reopened,” says Avinash Shashidhara, head chef at Pali Hill restaurant in London.