Following yesterday’s Autumn Budget the drinks industry has been mulling over what it means for the trade. Rates relief for small business is welcome but a duty rise of 4.55% in line with RPI will be a headache for many.
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The Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) has opened to entries for its 2027 round of judging.
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The Irish Whiskey, Scotch Whisky and Welsh Whisky Associations have released a joint statement detailing concerns and “inconsistencies” surrounding the English Whisky GI.
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The Specialist Importer’s Trade Tasting (SITT) has announced its autumn programme of masterclasses exploring the key trends, regions and topics shaping the independent trade.
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In addition to the outstanding selection of trophy, gold, silver and bronze medal wines at this year’s Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA), our winning producers and distributors are also now revealed.
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The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has announced the appointment of former UK ambassador Ian Duddy (pictured) as its next international director.
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New figures from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) have detailed the impact of US tariffs on Scotch sales across the pond. According to research, export volume sales to the States since April have fallen 15%, with value taking a 7% knock.
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New research from financial advisory firm BTG can reveal that 69 distillers in Scotland – almost 20% of the total – are facing financial distress.
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There is now only two weeks left to enter wines to be judged at the Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) 2026.
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The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has announced Rita Greenwood as the new chair of the SWA council. The appointee, who will be in the role for two years, is the first female chair in the SWA’s 114-year history.
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With the on-trade now in full swing over the lead up to what we hope is a fruitful Christmas, a reminder that the Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) 2026 is open for entries.
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In an entirely predictable move, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that alcohol duty will rise with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) in 2026, provoking near-universal concern across the drinks trade.
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The Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) is open for entries to its 2026 round of judging.
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New research from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has found that in the year to August 2025 alcoholic beverages contributed £3 in every £100 of inflation rises.
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The Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) is more than just a blind wine tasting with medals. The very nature of the competition – on-trade-exclusive wines, judged solely by people who buy wine for hospitality venues – means that it’s also a great chance to get a somms’-eye view of what is happening in the on-trade supply chain.
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UKHospitality, the trade body for hospitality which represents over 750 companies in the UK, has backed the Scotch Whisky Association’s (SWA) call for the UK Government to freeze alcohol duty in the Autumn Budget.
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The Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) 2025 Trophy winners will be available for tasting at both SITT London and SITT Manchester next week, on 15 and 17 September respectively.
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Establishing a lay of the land for our new tariff world order is an unenviable task. For much of the planet the final tariff landscape is yet to take a solid form. For UK wine and spirits producers, however, there appears for now to be a clearer picture of how their drinks will be levied entering the United States.
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The delayed details of the official cost per tonne of glass as part of the government’s EPR scheme have been announced by DEFRA.
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The results are in for this year’s Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) competition with 2025’s crop of entries throwing up a healthy tally of medals, pointing to both the quality and diversity of wines available to the UK on-trade. And once again, in terms of overall wines entered and medals won, the major European producing countries lead the pack. Notable standouts too, though, are Australia, noted for its strong medal haul, and sparkling wines, including the English contingent, which also did very well.
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