New British Champagne house claims to offer Champagne for the digital age

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 10 October, 2016

A British-based holding company is claiming to be the first major prospective champagne house to open since Nicholas Feuillatte in 1972.

Champagne PIAFF will be produced by the Mansard family - fifth generation champagne makers - which also produces Champagne under their own label.

But apart from claiming to be the first Champagne house to launch in nearly half a century, Champagne PIAFF says its USP is the unique way in which it plans to sell directly to the customer using new technology.

British COO Victoria Bennet is currently driving a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the company's app, which will allow customers to order directly.

"Champagne houses didn't have the benefit of modern e-commerce when they were starting out. They have big contracts with wholesalers, distributers and retailers. It's impossible to unwind that. They can't just suddenly turn around and say 'we're going to sell directly to the consumer'," said founder Laurie Kempster, a South African forensic accountant and winemaker.

Via a crowdfunding equity campaign, Kempster, Bennet and the team are currently offering investors in the UK the chance to buy structured bonds in the company.

The first bottles under the new label are due to be released to UK investors in February.

There are also plans to ship to the US, although this will be more difficult and costly compared to trade within the EU - for now at least.

"It's easier to ship to the UK straight from France while we're still in the EU," Kempster explained. "Who knows how that will change. Nobody believed Brexit would happen.

"The crowdfunding will be good for our UK investors because they will be buying in pounds, but as a business, we will be earning in dollars and Euros."

Despite the US having four times the population of the UK, the US is the largest export market for Champagne by value and the UK by volume.

This discrepancy is of course, down to the differing levels of premiumisation.

Kempster added: "The US is one of the markets which has the lowest per capita consumption of Champagne, but Champagne sells for 30/40% more, hence the anomaly.

"The US has the right idea. Champagne is a premium product; it belongs in the premium category. If you go to a UK supermarket you see the kinds of prices they're selling Champagne for - it doesn't do the category any favours. The US is a real opportunity for us. It's low-hanging fruit."

Brits can invest a minimum of £1,000 in PIAFF Group Holdings Ltd until October 31.

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