Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

M Restaurants adopt social distancing plan

Published: 19 March, 2020

In response to falling footfall and social distancing, London’s M Restaurants has introduced a series of measures to help mitigate the downturn.

Argentina report: Darling of  the on-trade

Published: 19 March, 2020

Argentinian wine continues to be a UK success story, fighting through currency woes and falling wine consumption,  as James  Lawrence reports

Coronavirus: On-trade operators urged to maintain licensing compliance

Published: 19 March, 2020

Law firm John Gaunt & Partners has urged on-trade operators not to ignore licensing compliances following the government’s coronavirus-led policy to allow pubs and restaurants to operate in the home delivery market.

Coronavirus: Supplier responses to the Chancellor’s support measures

Published: 18 March, 2020

As the extraordinary complexity of the current situation fully sinks in, Andrew Catchpole discovers how those supplying the on-trade have reacted to the Chancellor’s support measures for businesses.

Chancellor announces additional £20bn support for retail, hospitality and leisure sectors

Published: 17 March, 2020

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has increased promised government support for the hospitality sector, with a mix of tax cuts and grants, amounting to a £20bn support package, in addition to an overall support package of government backed and guaranteed loans available to business of £330bn.

Coronaviris: Harpers to assist business with exchange of ideas, advice and information

Published: 16 March, 2020

In response to the advancing coronavirus crisis, the Harpers team is asking off and on-trade business, large and small, to share strategies and initiatives designed to help drive commercial activity and sales through a period of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty.

Mid-week on-trade spend in major Northern cities booms

Published: 12 March, 2020

Northern cities have started to shed their ‘weekend party image’ with ‘seven day socialising’ taking hold, according to new research.

Floods and coronavirus take their toll on on-trade

Published: 12 March, 2020

Trading in Britain's pub, restaurant and bar sector fell 3.3% in February as the developing coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis and the severe floods took their toll on eating and drinking out.

Wine Intelligence predicts 15% ‘Covid-19' hole in on-trade sales

Published: 11 March, 2020

Wine Intelligence has predicted that UK on-trade premises are likely to see a hole in revenues to the tune of around 15% as a result of Covid-19.

UK on-trade closures fall to lowest rate since 2018

Published: 09 March, 2020

Britain’s supply of restaurants, pubs, bars and other licensed premises fell by 1.8% in the 12 months to December 2019 - the lowest rate of year-on-year decline for nearly two years, according to the latest Growth Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners

Staffing crisis: Low skilled judgement

Published: 02 March, 2020

The government’s damaging immigration policy will further exacerbate the staffing crisis in an already beleagured on-trade. Chris Losh takes aim...

On-trade kickstarts 2020 on a positive note

Published: 12 February, 2020

The on-trade sector has started 2020 on a positive note with like-for-like sales up 1.9% in January compared to the same month last year, according to the latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Master of Malt turns focus on trade sales

Published: 04 February, 2020

Online spirits retailer Master of Malt is looking to increase trade sales as a primary area of growth for the business in 2020.

Henry Boyes to leave Mitchells & Butlers

Published: 23 January, 2020

Mitchells & Butlers’ group wine buyer and inaugural Harpers Hot 100 on-trade list topper Henry Boyes is moving on from his buying role.

Mangrove appoints on-trade sales director

Published: 20 December, 2019

Mangrove UK has promoted its current South sales manager Chris Pollard to on-trade sales director.

An ever lengthening festive period bodes well for on-trade

Published: 17 December, 2019

A bumper Christmas could be on the on-trade horizon driven by the festive period now extending across three weeks compared to the ‘historic’ two, according to CGA.

On-trade optimism flies in face of uncertainties

Published: 16 December, 2019

Optimism among leaders in the on-trade has risen to its highest point for 18 months despite political and economic uncertainty. But senior executives remain wary of squeezed spending and rising costs, according to the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth.

Indian bulk first to meet on-trade thirst

Published: 06 December, 2019

Kingsland Drinks and Soul Tree wine brand have entered a joint venture to bring the first ever shipments of bulk from India to the UK, Harpers can reveal.