News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Novel Wines closes shop amid wholesale expansion

Published: 04 March, 2024

Bath-based wine merchant Novel Wines has announced it will shut its brick-and-mortar shop as it pursues wholesale expansion and online sales.

Mentzendorff adds two new shareholder producers under new MD

Published: 04 March, 2024

Mentzendorff has swelled the ranks of its shareholder brands since new MD Justin Liddle took the top job in November, with two new additions which include the Fladgate Partnership’s first foray into light wine.

C&C unveil new London distribution depot

Published: 04 March, 2024

C&C Group, the UK’s largest drinks distributor, has unveiled its new London distribution depot, Orbital West, in Heathrow. The new flagship facility will increase capacity for its portfolio of branded beer, cider, wine, spirits, and soft drinks.

Record number of English wines at ProWein 2024

Published: 04 March, 2024

The highest-ever number of English wine producers will be exhibiting at ProWein this year, WineGB has confirmed.

Built on Trust: the work of our trade charity

Published: 04 March, 2024

In the first of a new quarterly column supporting The Drinks Trust, CEO Ross Carter outlines the important work the body does in ‘Assisting, Restoring and Developing’ the drinks and hospitality workforce.

Julia Trustram Eve leaves WineGB after 30 years of service

Published: 01 March, 2024

WineGB’s head of marketing, Julia Trustman Eve, is to leave her role after 30 years of service, as part of a wider reshuffle for the trade body.

WSTA makes ‘last-ditch plea’ for duty cut

Published: 01 March, 2024

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) along with over 100 UK wine and spirit producers, retailers and hospitality businesses have called on the government to cut duty in a ‘last-ditch plea’ ahead of the Budget announcement on 6 March.

Friday read: Q&A with UC Davis Library’s Audrey Russek, new custodian of Harpers archive

Published: 01 March, 2024

As the Harpers archive heads for California, Andrew Catchpole speaks to UC Davis Library’s food and wine archivist Audrey Russek about its importance as a resource for research and the timeline for digitizing the collection

Aldi loses gin court battle to M&S

Published: 29 February, 2024

Discounter Aldi has lost its appeal against a High Court ruling which found it had copied the design of Marks & Spencer’s light-up Christmas gin bottles.

Bibendum spring tasting: ‘English sparkling is working really well’

Published: 29 February, 2024

Bibendum’s annual spring tasting returned to a packed-out Battersea Arts Centre on Tuesday (27 February), showcasing 300 wines via various tasting trails, curated and researched by the company’s insights team.

Julian Momen on ‘re-focusing’ Enotria

Published: 28 February, 2024

Enotria & Coe’s new CEO has spent the months since his inauguration working on honing a back-to-basics approach while refocusing parts of the business which “felt a bit unstructured”.

Mangrove and Hawksmoor partner in gender equality initiative

Published: 28 February, 2024

Spirits Distributor Mangrove Global has partnered with Hawksmoor to launch a new series of seminars to promote gender equality in the drinks trade.

No rates relief for Scottish hospitality

Published: 28 February, 2024

The Scottish Budget for 2024-25 was passed unchanged at Holyrood yesterday (27 February), with hospitality businesses north of the border hanging in the balance.

Q4 restaurant closures highest-ever

Published: 28 February, 2024

Restaurant closures surged to the highest-ever quarterly figure in Q4 2023, according to accountancy firm Price Bailey.

Wines from Spain moves to Canary Wharf for annual tasting

Published: 27 February, 2024

Wines from Spain has announced a change of venue for this year’s annual tasting, The Pelligon in Canary Wharf.

The Wine Society appoints Fiona Hayes and Harriet Kininmonth

Published: 27 February, 2024

In the year it celebrates its 150th anniversary, The Wine Society has announced the appointment of two new wine buyers to its team – Fiona Hayes and Harriet Kininmonth.

Santa Rita Estates bolsters European team

Published: 27 February, 2024

Santa Rita Estates (SRE) has announced the appointment of two new members to its European team: Lucy Ward joins as the head of off-trade sales GB, while Maria Ines Pina assumes the role of export manager for continental Europe.

VSPT bolsters UK subsidiary with new role

Published: 26 February, 2024

South American company VSPT Wine Group has announced an appointment to the brand-new role of sales manager as the business looks to grow its UK subsidiary.

Tax cut would generate £1.6bn for Treasury says SWA

Published: 26 February, 2024

A duty cut to Scotch Whisky and other spirits would generate an extra £1.6bn over five years for public services, a new report has found.

Australian brand buys first ‘Frugal Bottle’ machine

Published: 26 February, 2024

British sustainable packaging company Frugalpac will expand to the Southern Hemisphere following an agreement with Australian drinks brand Mother of Pearl Vodka.