Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Maximising Christmas returns in hospitality

Published: 10 January, 2025

Jo Gilbert set out to discover if December will be haunted by the ghosts of Covid and Brexit past and, if so, what the sector can learn from them.

UK bar sector celebrates ‘welcome boost’ during festive period

Published: 03 January, 2025

A new report from CGA by NIQ, the first of 2025, contains some good news for the UK’s beleaguered hospitality industry, as bar sales surged by 20.5% over the pre-Christmas week.

Liberty report: Indies steal a march on supermarkets

Published: 04 December, 2024

Liberty Wines’ first ever Independent Off-Trade Wine Report paints a cautiously optimistic picture for the future. Jo Gilbert reports

Inflation pilfers December gains for hospitality

Published: 18 January, 2023

Britain’s leading managed pub, bar and restaurant groups enjoyed their best December trading in three years, the latest data from CGA has revealed. However, thanks to double digit inflation, sales remain well below pre-Covid levels in real terms, demonstrating the double pronged impact of the cost-of-living crisis and Covid recovery on UK businesses.

50 Best Indies 2023: The full rundown

Published: 13 January, 2023

Having moved on from the pandemic but now with economic upheaval to contend with, the UK’s independent merchant sector is nonetheless in vibrant health, if this year’s crop of worthy winners are anything to go by. Innovation, backed by enthusiasm, knowledge and great communication, with ever greater emphasis on sustainability, were much in evidence across the readership-nominated long list this year.

One in nine hospitality jobs still vacant despite pay rises

Published: 22 November, 2022

The staffing crisis is very much still underway heading into Christmas, data from CGA has revealed, with one in nine jobs in hospitality still vacant despite improvements in recruitment.

Fine wine policy institute releases global sustainability report

Published: 03 October, 2022

Areni Global, a think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine, has released a ground-breaking report examining the major threats, and opportunities, facing the sector today.

Hospitality insolvencies jump 59%

Published: 20 September, 2022

The latest insolvency figures show just how hard the hospitality industry has been affected by the cost-of-living crisis and soaring energy bills, with pubs, bars and restaurants some of the worst hit among UK businesses.

Long Read: The new language of spirits

Published: 25 August, 2022

As the spirits sector negotiates new drinking habits and different generational needs, there’s been much talk about how brand design has had to change. But what about the words? Jamie Thorp, writer at verbal branding agency Reed Words, looks at how the language of spirits is evolving, too.

Re-elected Cava president pledges to build ‘prestige’

Published: 01 August, 2022

Javier Pagés has been re-elected to the post of president of the Cava DO – a role he has pledged to use to continue to raise Cava’s status to one of “world’s highest quality sparkling wines”.

‘Critical’ staff shortages costs hospitality £21bn in trade

Published: 23 June, 2022

Staff shortages in the hospitality industry are reaching critical levels and causing nearly half (45%) of operators to cut trading hours or capacity in order to cope, a new survey has said.

'Chronic' staff crisis continues as vacancy gap widens

Published: 14 June, 2022

New figures have shown how the hospitality sector’s staffing crisis is worsening under growing stagnancy in the job market, as the gap between new job creation and people willing to enter the workforce is widening.

Hatch Mansfield and Louis Jadot support the on-trade with Bike to Care

Published: 31 March, 2022

In support of the challenging times faced by the on-trade, Hatch Mansfield and Maison Louis Jadot are standing – or cycling – shoulder to shoulder for the inaugural Bike to Care en Bourgogne.

Latest labour market stats underline urgent need for hospitality recruitment

Published: 16 February, 2022

Using the latest ONS labour market statistics published today, UKHospitality has produced data showing that current vacancies in hospitality are more than 100% higher than the corresponding pre-Covid period.

Soapbox: Why sustainability makes perfect business sense

Published: 10 February, 2022

Mariella Menato, strategy director at drinks design specialist Denomination, talks about the rise of sustainability as a key consumer requirement, and why today, more than ever, it is vital for business success, as well as safeguarding our planet.

Hospitality industry braced for soaring inflation

Published: 07 February, 2022

As the cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills continue to affect households across the UK, many in the hospitality sector are predicting double-digit price rises, inevitably to be passed on to consumers.

Guidance offered on new food calorie labelling regulations, which folds in no and low drinks

Published: 31 January, 2022

New legislation is set to be implemented this year, requiring businesses with over 250 employees to display calories information for food products sold to consumers.

UK hospitality sector endures 'devastating' Christmas period, says new data

Published: 13 January, 2022

Newly released data from UKHospitality and CGA Strategy paints a grim picture for on-trade businesses, with sales in UK pubs, restaurants and bars falling 60% on Christmas Day, 31% on Boxing Day and 27% on New Year’s Eve, when compared to 2019.

Hospitality sector urges Scottish government to rescind indoor dining restrictions

Published: 12 January, 2022

Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that the limitations and restrictions on indoor dining would continue until at least 24 January has been widely condemned by interest groups in Scotland.

Tough Christmas prompts new calls for extended relief for hospitality

Published: 04 January, 2022

New figures from UKHospitality show that pubs, bars and restaurants lost £10,335 on average in the week leading up to Christmas, due to fears over the new Covid-19 variant.