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Food and drink industry gives cautious welcome to Tory victory

Published:  13 December, 2019

The food and drink industry has given a cautious welcome to the Conservative party’s general election win last night, which saw the Tories claim 364 seats, securing a majority parliament compared to rival Labour’s 203.  

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Mixing politics and wine

Published:  22 November, 2019

What attracted me to wine journalism nine years ago was that the stories were about the wine and the people, not cocaine-fuelled celebrity mishaps or sexual exploits involving a reverse osmosis machine. The beauty of wine was that, by and large, there was no 'news.'

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Jerry Lockspeiser: How should the wine trade vote on 12 December?

Published:  22 November, 2019

Running west along London’s Southbank on the section after the London Eye, with the Houses of Parliament to the right across the River Thames and just before Lambeth bridge, I came across a red van selling hot drinks. The side of the van was emblazoned with the words SINGLE ORIGIN HOT CHOCOLATE.

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At the 11th hour, how will a no-deal Brexit affect the wine trade?

Published:  16 October, 2019

As the UK fruit and vegetable harvest gets into full swing in the looming shadow of Brexit, headlines such as The Guardian’s ‘Tonnes of crops left to rot as farms struggle to recruit EU workers’ are becoming commonplace.

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Berkmann hedges against Brexit Christmas chaos

Published:  14 October, 2019

UK distributor Berkmann Wine Cellars has invested £5m in increased stocks and storage capacity at bond in the run-up to Christmas.

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On-trade shrugs off Brexit gloom

Published:  14 October, 2019

Like-for-like sales in the on-trade rose 1.2% in September, according to the latest data from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

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WSTA Brexit Seminar books out in a week

Published:  11 October, 2019

Demand has massively outstripped supply for the WSTA’s Brexit Preparedness Seminar, with the 250 places for the event booked out inside a week and dozens of names already on the waiting list.

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Accommodation and food services industry among most disrupted by Brexit

Published:  04 October, 2019

The UK’s accommodation and food services industry has been pinpointed as likely to be one of the most disrupted sectors as a result of Brexit, according to a new study by law firm Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics & Business Research (CEBR).

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Jerry Lockspeiser: What can the wine trade learn from Dominic Cummings?

Published:  26 September, 2019

This piece is about how to sell wine. It starts from the premise that to be successful we should get out of our wine focused ghetto and look at other sectors for learnings and inspiration. That doesn’t just mean craft gin and beer. It can be a myriad of places. Even politics.

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Rising to the occasion

Published:  23 September, 2019

Global challenges remain but malts and modern brands have given whisky producers a new spirit of quiet confidence, says Tom Bruce-Gardyne

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On-trade sector confidence dips to two-year low

Published:  23 September, 2019

Business confidence among the leaders of Britain’s pub and restaurant groups has taken a hit amid fears about the long-term impact of Brexit, pushing market optimism to its lowest ebb for two years, according to the latest quarterly Business Confidence Survey from CGA.

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WSTA urges government to act on concerns of industry

Published:  19 September, 2019

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) used its 2019 Industry Summit as a platform to urge the government to act on the concerns of the industry, also highlighting the “lack of political leadership replaced by heavy handed political manoeuvring”.

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Wine trade faces £70m ‘paperwork’ bill in no-deal Brexit scenario

Published:  12 September, 2019

A hard Brexit is poised to land the wine trade with a £70m bill following the government pulling the cork on plans to suspend costly paperwork in the case of a no-deal scenario, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

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Working in harmony

Published:  10 September, 2019

English and Welsh vineyards are joining forces to promote their wines and are on track to meet an export value of £350m in 20 years’ time. Lisa Riley reports

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WSTA announces full line up for 2019 Industry Summit

Published:  06 September, 2019

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has announced its full line up of experts poised to take the stage at the 2019 Industry Summit.

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SWA calls for end to trade uncertainty as exports grow

Published:  30 August, 2019

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has called on the UK government to ensure certainty in future trading conditions as Parliament returns from summer recess.

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Looking Ahead: James Hocking, founder, James Hocking Wine

Published:  29 August, 2019

As the first half of 2019 draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the current challenges, ongoing trends and opportunities.

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Looking Ahead: Matt Tipping, commercial director, Jeroboams

Published:  28 August, 2019

As the first half of 2019 draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the current challenges, ongoing trends and opportunities.

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Looking ahead: Nicky Forrest from Wines of Germany

Published:  16 August, 2019

As the first half of 2019 draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the current challenges, ongoing trends and opportunities

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Looking ahead: Julia Jenkins, owner and MD, Flagship Wines

Published:  14 August, 2019

As the first half of 2019 draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the current challenges, ongoing trends and opportunities

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