Izzy is a twenty-year-old student at York University. Many decades ago I was one there too. In my time students received grants for living costs and tuition fees were paid by the Government. Today those are dealt with by repayable loans. But the loans may not be enough to allow access to all. Like Izzy, for example.
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We’re now at a crossroads in the UK. I don’t mean economically or politically. I will leave others to comment on that. Having worked previously for a wholesaler and now as a distributor, it’s the changing wholesale drinks market I want to discuss.
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Jascots Wine Merchants has recorded strong results for 2022, laying growth at the door of new business and an ongoing focus on range premiumisation.
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With his relaxed style and ample enthusiasm, Jay Wright certainly doesn’t fit the old stereotype of a wine trade CEO. As the boss of one of the more successful online retailers, though, he is clear about the vision and values that underpin the popularity of Virgin Wines. And much of that comes down to what he believes the company – and, by extension, the wider drinks trade – actually sells.
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Businesses are facing a brutal decision this winter: charge customers to keep the lights on, or risk going bust under eye-watering energy bills.
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Jo Gilbert catches up with Alex Brogan about his collective winemaking venture, where customers can vote on every step of the winemaking process.
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International spirits business Quintessential Brands has launched a first-of-its-kind Spirit Centre, designed to “take customer collaboration to new heights to drive better, insight-driven innovation within spirits”.
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Leading on-trade distributor Bibendum has unveiled its inaugural e-commerce channel, allowing customers to place all their wine and spirit orders quickly and conveniently online.
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In case anyone missed it, Jeremy Clarkson has recently launched his own beer brand, Hawkstone. The lager is made with barley grown on his Cotswolds farm. Exposed to the workings of the supply chain, Clarkson was reportedly aghast at the difference between the £205 per tonne he received for his barley and the £580 paid by the brewers to the middleman.
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With supply and delivery issues forcing indies to be nimble and imaginative for the Christmas rush, Andrew Catchpole asked a trio of merchants how they prepared for the festive sales spike in such an unpredictable year.
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Independent hybrid retailer Vagabond has embraced the digital revolution with the unveiling of a new consumer-facing interface, driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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Majestic, the specialist wine retailer, is to hit TV screens this Christmas with a new national campaign.
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The traditional wine club has gone online and re-emerged as a strong subscription proposition for businesses of all shapes and sizes, as Jo Gilbert reports from Harpers’ SITT panel discussion.
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All businesses were hit hard by the pandemic, though arguably none more so than the hospitality industry. Having worked with hundreds of bars, cafes, wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries across the world, Erik Wolf, executive director of the World Food Travel Association, takes us through his top tips on how beverage business managers and owners can super-charge their post-pandemic recovery.
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A perfect storm of rising transport costs, a shortage of freight capacity and a severe lack of HGV drivers is putting increasing pressure on the UK’s drink distribution network.
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With our UK’s 50 Best Indies 2021 list unveiled, we’re revealing (anonymously) some of the insights gleaned from our entrants’ survey responses as to how businesses adapted their portfolios and subsequently thrived during the pandemic. Andrew Catchpole picks the persistent trends.
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Customers not turning up for their bookings are costing the hospitality sector £17.6bn each year, according to a new CGA and Zonal report.
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The latest extension of Covid-19 rules could see the industry lose a further 300,000 jobs. Lisa Riley reports on the likely outcome of the measures
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The Association of Wine Educators (AWE) has announced Mandy Stevens as its new chair.
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In a piece written before the government warned of a one-month delay to Covid restrictions lifting, Jacopo Mazzeo takes the temperature of the UK on-trade as staff shortages and restrictions continue to eat into venues’ ability to turn a profit.
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