Homecoming for The Good Wine Shop’s fifth opening

The Good Wine Shop has expanded to a fifth site, taking over a former Oddbins site in St Margarets, Twickenham.

LWC and Hills Prospect aim for ‘best-in-class’ partnership

LWC Drinks and Hills Prospect, both regulars on Harpers 50 Best Wholesalers list, have described how their new partnership will strengthen their overall customer proposition and leverage their individual skills, as LWC looks to increase its foothold in the crucial area of London and the South East.

Jascots strengthens its fine wine arm with new appointment

Leading wine distributor Jascots has appointed Omar Raafat as its new head of fine wine.

Soho Street Cocktails signs exclusive distribution deal with Vindependents

Soho Street Cocktails, the ready-to-drink premium cocktail brand, has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Vindependents, the independent merchant buying group.

Dine-in occasions bounce back with a vengeance

Dine-in occasions are on the rise as consumers return in-person to restaurants – a shift in consumption patterns which has resulted in greater buy-in for drinks.

Selling independence

With on-trade reopening still disrupted, Andrew Catchpole assesses the impact and opportunities for indies’ wholesale operations.

Famille Helfrich recruits to grow business in London and the South

Famille Helfrich, the on-trade and independent merchant arm of French winemaker Les Grands Chais de France, has recruited Julien Dillmann as national account manager to spearhead its quest to grow and support its customer base in London and the South.

Q&A: Cassie Gould, AKA ‘The Boss’, Butlers Wine Cellar

Rioja extends reach to restaurants for October celebration

Spain’s flagship region is launching Rioja Wine Month this October, inviting restaurants to join with independent merchants in a UK-wide promotion ahead of the Christmas trading period.

Lay & Wheeler records ‘best year’ in a decade

Lay & Wheeler has announced its best year in over a decade, reporting a 57% value sales increase for the year ending 29 March 2021. 

Brewers welcome “scrapped” Covid passports

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has responded to growing speculation that Covid “passports for the pub” have been shelved, calling pubs and taprooms across the country “safe” for reopening without additional red tape.

UK craft brewery openings hit record levels

Flying in the face of on-trade closures during the pandemic, the number of craft breweries operating in the UK has reached levels not seen since 1930s.

Gin Masterclass for Independent Retailers

Does quality gin float your boat? And what difference does it make to the distilling process when the Master Distiller is also a Master of Wine (MW)? To find out more, read on and register for our exciting Gin Masterclass for Independent Retailers…

Independent alcohol sales enjoy January boom

Newly released data shows that January 2021 saw an increase in demand for alcohol from independent businesses, along with an increase in the price tag compared to 2020.

Jerry Lockspeiser: The wine and book markets are eerily similar

What can wine learn from other sectors of the economy? How do they add value to their products, communicate with consumers, achieve profitability?

Drinks writer Bert Blaize opens wine shop

Wine writer Bert Blaize has teamed up with specialist car showroom Hexagon Classics to launch a wine and deli shop in London’s Highgate.

Berkmann launches web portal for independent merchants

Berkmann Wine Cellars has launched an online resource for independent merchants featuring a tailored range of 300 wines.

Jancis Robinson publishes major list of indie wine retailers delivering to self-isolators

Jancis Robinson MW has published a major list of independent wine retailers that are keeping lines of sales and delivery open amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

NZ targets indie retailers with Pinot promotion

New Zealand Winegrowers is to run a promotion for the UK and Ireland’s independent retailers offering three winners the chance to win a trip to Pinot Noir 2021.

Q&A: Harpers 50 Best Indies Winner BinTwo

Fresh from topping the table at the annual Harpers 50 Best Indies awards we catch up with Mike Boyne from Padstow’s BinTwo to discover the secrets to his success, how he and the team celebrated and what he has up his sleeve next (spoiler alert: plenty).