Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Wholesale worries

Published: 06 April, 2026

In the fight to stay in business in an increasingly competitive world, independents are focusing on the ‘local factor’. Oliver Catchpole reports.

Oxford Wine Company splits operations

Published: 12 March, 2026

Independent merchant The Oxford Wine Company has announced that it is splitting the retail and wholesale sides of its business into separate companies.

Two quite quirky facts about LWC come as a bit of a surprise, not least given the scale and success of what has grown over 45 years to become the UK’s largest independent drinks wholesaler. The first is that the company was born in – or at least because of – a pub in Edale, Derbyshire, initially being set up to self-supply drinks to the satisfaction of The Old Nag’s Head’s new owner and others like him. The second is that LWC simply stands for Licensed Wholesale Company, with founder (and pub owner) Robin Gray clearly not overly concerned about creating a market-slick name. This, though, is a company that clearly ‘does what it says on the tin’, and from those modest origins still continues to grow.

Wholesalers: Exploring the ownership of the trade’s top suppliers

Published: 08 August, 2025

From family to sovereign wealth fund-owned, the shape of wholesale ownership in the UK is diverse. An examination of the top 10 of the Harpers Top 50 Drinks Wholesalers 2024 highlights this ever-changing picture, showing how ownership has evolved in recent years.

Davy’s announces new automated technical sheet system

Published: 16 July, 2025

Davy’s Wine Merchants has announced a new system allowing for the automated production of technical sheets for wines across its entire trade portfolio.

Venus Wine and Spirits expansion continues with new Birmingham depot

Published: 14 May, 2025

Venus Wine and Spirits Merchants is poised to open a fifth distribution centre one year after the business was acquired by the Booker Group in 2024.

Majestic completes acquisition of Enotria&Coe

Published: 15 April, 2025

Majestic has confirmed the completion of its acquisition of wine and spirit distributor Enotria&Coe as part of its drive to become the pre-eminent supplier of wines and spirits across the UK.

Hennings pulls record attendance at 65th anniversary tasting

Published: 10 March, 2025

West Sussex independent Hennings Wine Merchants has bucked the generally subdued mood enveloping the on-trade by delivering its busiest annual trade tasting to date.

Talking innovation and opening doors with LWC

Published: 21 February, 2025

Wine on tap, pet nat, low intervention Torrontes, Picpoul Noir, £100+ Cooperative Champagne, naturally lower alcohol and artily labelled wines, plus a Russian-born oenologist out of Attica in Greece were among the many highlights and innovations on show at a recent tasting in Brighton.

Jeroboams Group acquires Davy’s storage

Published: 07 November, 2024

The Jeroboams Group has announced the acquisition of another in-bond storage facility, bolstering its leadership in the fine wine and private client market.

Nick Gillett: Wholesale at a crossroads – which way now?

Published: 10 February, 2023

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.

St Austell hails expansion to Wales

Published: 18 January, 2023

St Austell Brewery is expanding its reach into South Wales, taking the reach of its wholesale business beyond its West Country stronghold.

Mounting food prices hits hospitality, while softs recover

Published: 08 July, 2021

Wholesale food prices heading to the hospitality sector reached their highest ever level in May 2021, while soft drinks saw the complete opposite trend.

Scottish Wholesale Association’s Achievers Awards open for entries

Published: 29 June, 2021

Entries are now open for the Achievers Awards 2022, the industry programme that rewards outstanding performance across the wholesale trade in Scotland.

Walker & Wodehouse unveils virtual tastings

Published: 16 March, 2021

Bibendum’s Walker & Wodehouse has unveiled a series of virtual tastings for customers.

Scottish food and drink wholesalers to receive £5m resilience fund

Published: 07 December, 2020

A new Scottish Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund has been established by the Scottish government to help wholesalers affected by Covid-19 restrictions to cover fixed costs for a six-month period from October 2020.

Hospitality biggest casualty as record UK recession confirmed

Published: 12 August, 2020

Britain’s economy shrank by 20.4% in the three months to June 2020, marking the deepest contraction currently of any major economy, with the Accommodation & Food sectors among the hardest hit, slumping by 86.7%.

Matthew Clark pitches on-trade with account-free ‘guest checkout’ on ecommerce platform

Published: 17 June, 2020

Matthew Clark has opened out its ecommerce platform to enable new on-trade customers to order up to £1,500 without opening an account or requiring a minimum order.