Gillian Murray: ‘Looking Back, Forging Ahead’

By Harpers Editorial team

Published: 01 September, 2025

With one of the final installments of our Summer Q&A series, Gillian Murray, director of commercial procurement wholesale at C&C Group, reflects on the Irish business' performance so far this year as well as anticipating a busy Christmas period for the company.

How has business been for you in the first half of 2025 and how do things compare to where you were last year?

It’s been a quick and very busy year so far. This time last year I was six months into the newly formed role of commercial procurement director across C&C group, looking after beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks in Great Britain and Ireland for Matthew Clark, Bibendum, Tennent’s TNI, Bulmers and Walker Wodehouse.

Having returned to procurement after being the sales director for Tennent’s for two years, my main priority was to ensure the customer was considered at every step of the procurement process. When I now reflect on our ranging (including new product development), promotional planning and educational priorities, that’s exactly what we’re delivering. It’s also only possible because we have the best team within the industry – they are incredibly knowledgeable within their areas of expertise and relentless in driving us forward.

From a business perspective we are continuing to grow and evolve across our propositions. This year we have also announced new distribution agreements in Scotland and in Ireland that further demonstrate our strength in service and delivery.

What have been the biggest challenges and headaches so far this year and how have you sought to mitigate those?

I think the pace at which legislation is changing and the impact it is having across the industry – both directly and indirectly – has been challenging. However, our industry is no stranger to navigating complexity, and we do come together and rise to the challenges. Operators and retailers continue to pivot quickly, adapting and optimising in response to changes.

Duty reform was one change we invested resources into to overhaul our end-to-end processes. This ensured full compliance ahead of go-live and helped everyone understand what was required to deliver a smoother experience for both our suppliers and customers. We now know that 40% of our wines will change abv in a year and we are now well-positioned to manage that effectively.

What are you most proud of achieving this year in terms of driving the business forward?

I am very proud to have been appointed to the WSTA executive board this year. The WSTA is a critical voice in our industry and plays and important role in highlighting areas the whole industry should align on. I felt by joining the board I could add an additional dimension to the discussions by representing hospitality and wholesale to support the campaigns.

We’ve made significant headway with our sustainability goals as well. We’ve installed impressive solar technology on the roofs of Orbital West depot and 90% of C&C’s fleet are now low-emission Euro VI vehicles.

In addition, we’ve invested in a new CRM system, training for our sales team, and welcomed several brilliant new producers and brands to the Bibendum, Matthew Clark and Tennent’s Direct ranges. Our award-winning insights capability also means that these portfolio decisions are underpinned by the latest trends and forecasts which is exciting for me and the team.

What single thing could the Government do to best improve trading conditions and the success of the drinks sector?

The autumn statement gives the government an opportunity to demonstrate that they have listened to our industry.

What trends are you seeing in the drinks world at the moment, and how do you expect that to change going into the autumn?

I find it fascinating to track trends across different geographies and channels, especially observing which ones gain traction universally and which remain more localised, and understanding why. Having visibility across both Great Britain and Ireland, as well as a diverse customer base, gives us a powerful vantage point. It helps us build a rich dataset that allows us to model and project where to engage and what categories to prioritise.

Our recent analysis shows that some drinking habits are changing, with people preferring to visit bars and restaurants in the afternoon and early evening. This shift towards earlier drinking occasions is also having an interesting impact on the types of drinks being consumed: within the wine category, sparkling wine is capturing volume. We’re also seeing trends emerging for on-trade listings of affordable alternatives to Champagne, or from lesser-known sub-regions.

Similarly, consumers might have tighter budgets overall, but they spend more deliberately. When it comes to special occasions they go all out, with sparkling wine and cocktails over-indexing for special occasions. The data also suggests that RTDs and canned cocktails are also seeing shift into a more premium serve.

Any other predictions for the second half of the year? 

I think Christmas and peak season is going to be fantastic for the trade this year, I can feel it. Getting ahead and making sure bars, cellars and fridges are stocking the key products and ranges will mean we’re all well prepared, from order to glass.

Quick fire questions…

France, Italy or Spain? 

Italy

Georgia, Greece or UK? 

‘Normal’ or ‘natural’ wine? 

Either (or both)

Cocktails or straight sippin’ spirits? 

Cocktails, especially a Margarita

Mixologist or mix it at home? 

Mixologist

Aperitif preference? 

Champagne