News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Big Fortified Tasting latest coronavirus casualty

Published: 17 March, 2020

The Big Fortified Tasting is the latest trade tasting to be cancelled in the wake of the deepening coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.

Industry petitions government not to wash its hands of responsibility on venue closures

Published: 17 March, 2020

The trade can now sign a petition that is urging the government to take urgent to action to provide financial and practical advice for the UK’s pubs, bars and restaurants.

Majestic reassures over stock after big spike in demand for EU wines

Published: 17 March, 2020

Majestic Wine has realised a statement saying “shelves will stay stacked with wine” after customer stockpiling drove dramatic increases in demand for wines over the weekend.

Coronavirus: Don’t leave pubs and bars in “limbo”

Published: 17 March, 2020

The industry is galvanising its voices to urge the Prime Minister to take decisive action at this afternoon’s coronavirus briefing after pubs, bars and restaurants are left in “limbo” just as the outbreak looks set to take hold in the UK.

France lockdown presenting challenge for some UK importers

Published: 17 March, 2020

President Macron’s announcement on Monday (16 March) that France is to close its borders to all but essential movement and trade, coupled with a ban on non-essential movement of people domestically, is also seeing some warehouses and businesses shut up shop as the coronavirus situation worsens.

PM urges public to avoid pubs, clubs and social venues

Published: 16 March, 2020

Socialising in groups and travelling for non-essential reasons is no officially a no-no the government has said as it introduces stricter measures for dealing with the spread of coronavirus (Covid–19).

LWF update now expected Wednesday

Published: 16 March, 2020

Harpers has learned that the board of Hemming Group, owner of the London Wine Fair (LWF), has delayed a meeting to assess the viability of all upcoming events until Wednesday (18 March), with a statement to be made "later in the week".

Desperate times for bars and restaurants facing “short-term cashflow catastrophe” as footfall plummets 50%

Published: 16 March, 2020

Pressure is being piled on chancellor Rishi Sunak to introduce emergency measures to stem the knock on effect of coronavirus (Covid-19) as footfall to UK businesses fell by almost 50% over the weekend.

Coronaviris: Harpers to assist business with exchange of ideas, advice and information

Published: 16 March, 2020

In response to the advancing coronavirus crisis, the Harpers team is asking off and on-trade business, large and small, to share strategies and initiatives designed to help drive commercial activity and sales through a period of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty.

Campari donates 1 million euros to tackle coronavirus outbreak

Published: 16 March, 2020

Campari Group has announced it is making a major donation to a public healthcare institution on the front line of battling the coronavirus (Covid-19) in Italy.

Coronavirus: Drinks trade disruption deepens as more events cancelled or postponed

Published: 16 March, 2020

As central banks around the world coordinate to fight the economic impact of coronavirus (Covid-19), the drinks trade is already feeling the impact of the crisis, with the postponement of events being the most visible effect.

Wines from Spain annual tasting postponed

Published: 13 March, 2020

Wines from Spain has announced that it will postpone its annual tasting. The event, planned to take place at Sky Garden on March 31 will be moved to a later date.

Big changes as The Benevolent becomes The Drinks Trust

Published: 13 March, 2020

Drinks trade charity The Benevolent has rebranded as The Drinks Trust, it was announced at its annual fundraising ball at the Natural History Museum in London last night.

Plumpton scholarship launched at Hazel Murphy celebration

Published: 13 March, 2020

At a moving tribute to Hazel Murphy at Australia House on Thursday, Wine Australia’s Laura Jewell MW announced a new scholarship in memory of the former “dynamo” behind Australian wine.

WSTA in pan UK-EU talks to ensure GIs protected post Brexit

Published: 13 March, 2020

By January 2021, when Brexit comes into force, WSTA, the UK’s drinks lobby group, will no longer be a member of the pan-European wine trade body, CEEV. But ahead of further UK-EU trade talks, the two bodies are uniting once more to lobby for the continued smooth trade of wine across the English Channel.

Aldi strips out Prosecco duplicates for Cava

Published: 13 March, 2020

Aldi is aiming to bring more variety to its customers via rationalisation of its latest seasonal range which will see greater inclusion of more experimental styles and varietals.

Austria wine exports hit record high

Published: 13 March, 2020

Austria’s wine industry posted record export growth figures in 2019 by both value and volume.

Michel Roux Snr passes away

Published: 13 March, 2020

Legendary chef Michel Roux Sr OBE, who set a new bar for British gastronomy through his restaurants Le Gavroche and the Waterside Inn and inspired a generation of chefs, has passed away.

Subscriber offer: 40% off Classic Wine Library books

Published: 13 March, 2020

Until the end of March, Harpers subscribers can get 40% off all books in The Classic Wine Library by visiting http://bit.ly/BuyClassics and using the code CWLHARP40 at checkout (postage is free within the UK, other postage rates vary). Customers in the US and Canada can use the same code at http://bit.ly/BuyClassicsUS.