González Byass sees rapid growth in on-trade

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 05 March, 2014

González Byass is growing rapidly in the UK on-trade since taking on distribution for Champagne Deutz five months ago.

The firm has expanded its on-trade and independent sales team from two to six and finds that its Champagne brand is "opening doors" for the other sherries, ports and wines in its portfolio.

Jeremy Rockett, marketing director, told harpers.co.uk: "We're starting to get into the on-trade in a much more serious way."

Deutz is now the pouring Champagne in the Ritz and pouring rosé in Claridges. "There's been a big change in the past few months. I'm not saying that we're trying to take over the on-trade, we're building slowly and using Champagne as leverage to get more distribution."

Rockett said that Christmas sales were "cracking" for sherry and everything else was "well up". "Our wine brands really had a great time," he added.

The growth of Spanish sherry bars continues apace, Rockett said, adding that there are lots of new products coming on to the market, and hinting at new launches to come from González Byass in the coming months.

deutz

It recently launched a range of library vintage sherries exclusively at the Connaught in London, which Rockett said is a first given that previously it only ever released one at a time.

"There are two markets for sherry - the big brands and mainstream own label in the supermarkets, which is in slow decline as people are ageing - but the new market which is growing is actually higher value. They're interested in more authentic styles of sherry like palo cortados and olorosos."

He said the company's more premium styles had seen "phenomenal growth", albeit off a small base, in recent times. "They aren't in the supermarkets so that means the growth is coming from elsewhere. People are interested in something they can't buy in the mainstream."

Rockett said that González Byass has no plans for expanding its team or portfolio this year, but instead would focus on bedding in Champagne Deutz and Chilean wine Undurraga, which it has had for one year.

The business employs 24 people in total in the UK.