Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Healthy Hospo launches crowdfunding campaign

Published: 11 January, 2022

Not-for-profit organisation Healthy Hospo is calling for donations to enable the charity to further support hospitality workers during this turbulent period.

Covid passport scheme rollout begins

Published: 15 December, 2021

The implementation of the government's 'Plan B' passport scheme begins today (December 15), despite a significant revolt among members of the Parliamentary Conservative Party.

Long read: Are hard seltzers over before they really began?

Published: 02 September, 2021

Richard Horwell, owner of specialist food and drink marketing and branding company Brand Relations, anticipates a hard year ahead for a fledgling drinks trend.

The Drinks Trust and The Burnt Chef Project partner to broaden mental health services

Published: 18 August, 2021

The Drinks Trust and The Burnt Chef Project have joined forces to extend their mental health services, with the Drinks Trust making their helpline available to users of The Burnt Chef Project and vice versa.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Why claiming wine is good for health is bad for business

Published: 19 May, 2021

The wine trade can be a wonderful place to work. Yes, we have had our share of stresses and strains since Covid used its airmiles. True, people running wine businesses can spend more time with PnL spreadsheets and cashflow projections than they do with the latest vintage from Chateau Marvellous. But overall, the balance sheet for working with wine is very strong.

Johnson delays definitive end of 1m rule

Published: 18 May, 2021

Boris Johnson has scrapped plans to announce a final deadline for the end of social distancing this month as the number of cases of the Indian Covid-19 variant leaps by 1,000 in just four days.

Champagne: A rollercoaster year

Published: 25 March, 2021

David Kermode takes the measure of Champagne, which managed to add some sparkle to its sales in 2020 despite the loss of celebratory drinking occasions.

Indies survey: Health check 2020

Published: 21 January, 2021

The loss of the on-trade was obviously a huge blow to the UK drinks sector in 2020. In all parts of the UK, the forced shuttering of hospitality has wreaked havoc on both economic and mental wellbeing. For independent businesses, this has often meant the loss of a major chunk of sales in terms of wholesale trade, with an entire source of revenue lost overnight.

Diageo introduces health warnings on labels

Published: 16 December, 2020

Diageo has announced that it will introduce a health warning on Smirnoff, Gordon’s Pink, Baileys and Captain Morgan labels in the UK from early 2021.

Profile: John Timothy, The Portman Group

Published: 14 October, 2020

Health rose to the top of the agenda at the beginning of 2020 in a way we’ve never seen before. Jo Gilbert speaks to the face of alcohol responsibility in the UK about meeting this challenge

Trade squeezed over calories

Published: 24 September, 2020

A new consultation into mandatory calorie labelling on alcohol products is adding fuel to already fiery conversations around health, wellness and indulgence, finds Jo Gilbert.

Portman Group rebuts Royal College of Psychiatrists report

Published: 16 September, 2020

The Portman Group has hit back at a report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists which sparked widespread alarm at the impact of Covid-19 on alcohol consumption.

Portman Group hits back at ‘radical’ report's suggestions, including MUP for England

Published: 14 September, 2020

The Portman Group has hit back at a new report which recommends the introduction of several ‘radical’ new measures for combating alcohol harm in the UK.

Portman Group labels Drinking in the Dark report “utter nonsense”

Published: 26 August, 2020

The Portman Group has issued a strong rebuttal to a new report from the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) which calls alcohol labelling in the UK “inadequate”.

Johnson’s anti-obesity drive triggers ‘hidden calorie’ consultation

Published: 27 July, 2020

A consultation is being launched as to whether the ‘hidden calories’ in alcohol should form part of wider communication across both the on- and off-trades in order to tackle soaring obesity rates.

Soft drinks come of age

Published: 14 July, 2020

As the Coronavirus crisis fuels interest in health and wellness, Lucy Britner examines the future of functional drinks in a post-pandemic world

On-trade ‘test and trace’ guidance published

Published: 03 July, 2020

As pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés re-boot from 4 July, the new NHS Test and Trace guidance will mean that venues should maintain records of staff, customers and visitors, and share these with the health service if requested.

"Hammer blow" to on-trade from Covid-19, report predicts

Published: 03 June, 2020

Drinking occasions have "been dealt a hammer blow” a new report into the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on consumer markets has concluded.

Innovation Report: Boundary-crossing beverages

Published: 01 June, 2020

Drinks companies are stepping out when it comes to the no and low category. Lucy Britner looks at some of the more innovative offers.

The Drinks Trust wellness services

Published: 21 May, 2020

The Drinks Trust has launched a number of new services focusing on improving the mental health of the industry and supporting them through what has been a troubling time for many.