Coterie Holdings appoints Andrew Shaw as wine director

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 06 February, 2024

Andrew Shaw, most recently head of trading for drinks at Marks & Spencer, is the latest name to join Coterie Holding’s growing empire as it continues to swell the ranks of its leadership team with a number of strategic appointments from the wine trade.

Joining on 1 March as the group’s wine director, Shaw joins former Bibendum chief Michael Saunders in making the move to Coterie after working at Bibendum as buying director for nine years.

Shaw also counts Waitrose on his resume, having worked at the retailer for five years as head of wine prior to his time at Bibendum.

Read more: Hallgarten acquired by Coterie Holdings

It’s another strong move for Coterie, which emerged onto the scene in 2019 with the purchase of Lay & Wheeler from Naked Wines. Since then, it has scooped up several big names, including Michael Saunders as CEO and most recently Hallgarten & Novum Wines, which was purchased at the end of last year.

“Having Andrew as our wine director gives us a lot of strength on the bench,” Saunders told Harpers.

Coterie Holdings was incorporated last year to act as the holding company for fine wine merchant Lay & Wheeler and specialist wine importer and distributor Hallgarten & Novum Wines, which both sit in the portfolio alongside bonded storage facility Coterie Vaults and wine lending business Jera.

Shaw will oversee defining and implementing a buying and sourcing strategy for Coterie, while working with the group’s team of wine buyers to accelerate ambitious plans to build on the Lay & Wheeler and Hallgarten propositions.

So far, much of Coterie’s strategy has been to pull key wine trade expertise into the fold, as Saunders explains in Harpers’ upcoming profile.

First to the table was former Berry Bros. & Rudd CFO Chris Robinson, who was brought in by Coterie’s owner, businessman Foster Chiang, to become Coterie’s chair. Robinson subsequently brought Saunders on board, thus boosting Coterie’s wine trade credentials.

As the latest name to join Coterie’s ranks, Shaw said: “After three years at M&S spearheading a very successful transformation of the drinks category, I am thrilled to be joining Coterie in the role of wine director at such an exciting time. The opportunity to support the continued growth and success of two of the UK’s most respected wine businesses of Hallgarten & Novum Wines and Lay & Wheeler was massively appealing. I am relishing the opportunity to work with so many great people across the Coterie group, the eclectic customer base, and world-renowned suppliers within such an innovative and forward-thinking model”.

Saunders added: “Having worked with Andrew over a number of years, I know the unique skills and qualities he will bring in collaborating with our teams across Coterie. This is another clear signpost of Coterie’s ambition to become a leading force in the premium wine business”.

For the full story on Coterie and how it came to own Hallgarten & Novum Wines, see Harpers’ February edition out on Friday 9 February, available in print and online via our digital edition.

Printer friendly version