Subscriber login Close [x]
remember me
You are not logged in.

Corks Out and Le Vignoble are Top Merchants of the Year in Harpers Awards

Published:  03 June, 2014

Corks Out in the North West and Le Vignoble in Plymouth have been named best large and small Top Merchants of the Year in the Harpers Awards 2014 announced last night at London's Hurlingham Club.

Ruth YatesRuth YatesRuth Yates of Corks Out wins Top Merchant of the Year for over three stores in Harpers Awards 2014

Corks Out in the North West and Le Vignoble in Plymouth have been named best large and small Top Merchants of the Year in the Harpers Awards 2014 announced last night at London's Hurlingham Club.

The awards, which celebrate achievements across all channels of the drinks industry, include specific categories to recognise the best independent wine merchants in the country.

Corks Out, founded and run by Ruth Yates, beat off stiff competition to be named Best Top Merchant of the Year for retailers with over three stores. Cambridge Wine Merchants, last year's winner, received a Highly Commended award for its performance this year, whilst Vino Wines in Edinburgh was the other finalist.

The judges congratulated "Yates and all her team for what is such a highly professional, standard bearing all round independent retail business, which is rightly envied across the country".

They added: "Corks Out continues to grow and evolve with new innovations and ideas that have both her customers and vitally her own staff at the heart of the business. Corks Out continues to set the standard for both high street and online retailing within the independent sector."

Le Vignoble stood out in the Best Top Merchant of the Year for up to three stores, in what was a particularly hard category to win, considering the competition across the country. The judges said they were "bowled over by the sheer passion, and enthusiasm for retailing and their customers that came through in the Le Vignoble entry".

They added: "This is a truly dynamic business that has listened to its consumers' needs, and changed its offer and strategy based on what they want."

London's Bottle Apostle was Highly Commended and Taurus Wines and Loki Wine finalists in the up to three stores category.

Other key winners in the Top Merchant categories saw the Oxford Wine Company win the Best Top Merchant Wholesaler of the Year category for the fourth year running. It was pushed all the way, however, by Roberson Wine which picked up a Highly Commended award and Fine Wines Direct UK.

Roberson Wine went one step further to win the inaugural Best Top Merchant Online Drinks Retailer of the Year award, just pipping Corks Out to the title, which received a Highly Commended award with Vini Italiani a finalist.

The judges said: "Roberson Wine is setting the highest standards with its online wine retail operation. The judges were particularly impressed by how Roberson has identified a clear, long term business strategy for online with a highly focused customer approach, which already appears to be working to near maximum capacity. Roberson has made such strides with its online offer that it is now driving the rest of its business." 

The Top Merchant awards also included a Best Distributor/Supplier to Independents category which was won by Codorniu UK.

The finalists in this category were Bancroft Wines, Hatch Mansfield, PLB Group, and World Wine Agencies (Hayward Brothers).

* Go to related stories for a full list of Harpers awards winners.

Keywords: