Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Roux folds under Covid pressure

Published: 07 December, 2020

Plummeting footfall in central London has done for Roux at Parliament Square, with Michel Roux Jr announcing the permanent closure of the well-loved Westminster site.

Hatch Mansfield and 31Dover enter on-trade partnership

Published: 02 December, 2020

Hatch Mansfield and 31Dover has entered into a partnership to distribute premium family owned wine producers from around the world.

Barrel of Burgundy sells for £136,400

Published: 17 November, 2020

Zachys has revealed the results of its London II auction, which included what the business claims to be the world’s first barrel of Burgundy to be sold at auction.

Soapbox: Southern bias leaves a bitter taste

Published: 17 November, 2020

After enduring three months of local restrictions with little help, Sara Saunby, owner of Manchester hybrid Salut, says Whitehall’s belated decision to help the North is too little, too late

Popular trade figure Terry Threlfall passes away

Published: 19 October, 2020

It was with surprise and a heavy heart that the wine trade community – in the UK and beyond – received the news of Terry Threlfall’s untimely death. Terry passed away last Friday from a heart attack, aged just 43.

Tier 2 restrictions for London on-trade, with North West facing Tier 3

Published: 15 October, 2020

In a further escalation of the rolling partial lockdowns across the UK, the government is introducing Tier 2 restrictions on Londoners from midnight tomorrow (Friday 16 October), Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, announced in the Commons today.

Long Read: London Cocktail Week – Let’s have a bar crawl while we still can

Published: 01 October, 2020

Hugh Jones lost his job this year after shortly after arriving at a new company right at the start of the pandemic. Feeling less than enthused about the situation and his looming annual Stoptober attempt, he was about to throw in the towel of sobriety for London Cocktail Week, which starts today. But after speaking with organisers, he discovered they are pulling out all the stops to this year to make sure as many people can get involved as possible – to blow off steam while also supporting London’s embattled on-trade.

Bibendum becomes official wine partner of London Restaurant Festival

Published: 28 September, 2020

Bibendum Wine has been unveiled as the official wine partner of this year’s London Restaurant Festival (LRF), which will be running an amended schedule of in-restaurant and at-home events when it returns this Thursday 1 October.

Curfew looms for London’s pubs and restaurants

Published: 17 September, 2020

Curfews could see pubs and restaurants close by 10pm, London’s public health chief has warned, as the government aims to curb an escalating spike in infections.

Bar Douro launches Portuguese wine club

Published: 03 September, 2020

London-based Portuguese restaurant and wine bar, Bar Douro, has unveiled a new nationwide subscription wine service.

Q&A: Emily Roux, co-owner, Caractère

Published: 18 August, 2020

The youngest scion of the Roux clan talks to Jo Gilbert about family expectations, restaurant no-shows and how to avoid divorce when working (and living) with your significant other during a pandemic

London Cocktail Week readies for 2020

Published: 22 July, 2020

London Cocktail Week, the world’s biggest city-wide cocktail festival, will go ahead this year, its organisers have announced.

Wines from Spain London tasting postponed again

Published: 09 July, 2020

London’s annual Wines from Spain trade tasting has been pushed back once again, with its revised September date now pulled in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.