Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

New CEO for Portman Group

Published: 02 December, 2020

The Portman Group has appointed Matt Lambert as its new CEO.

GBK follows Carluccio’s to Boparan following Covid squeeze

Published: 14 October, 2020

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), owner of Carluccio’s, has acquired burger brand Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), saving 35 trading sites national-wide.

New complaints panel chair joins The Portman Group

Published: 14 October, 2020

The Portman Group has revealed the new chair of its Independent Complaints Panel (ICP), continuing to set out a new era of leadership for the UK’s regulatory body.

Profile: John Timothy, The Portman Group

Published: 14 October, 2020

Health rose to the top of the agenda at the beginning of 2020 in a way we’ve never seen before. Jo Gilbert speaks to the face of alcohol responsibility in the UK about meeting this challenge

Pernod Ricard recognised for environmental efforts

Published: 06 October, 2020

Drinks giant Pernod Ricard has been awarded ‘Lead’ status by the United Nations Global Compact for the third consecutive year for its work on sustainability.

Portman Group rebuts Royal College of Psychiatrists report

Published: 16 September, 2020

The Portman Group has hit back at a report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists which sparked widespread alarm at the impact of Covid-19 on alcohol consumption.

Portman Group hits back at ‘radical’ report's suggestions, including MUP for England

Published: 14 September, 2020

The Portman Group has hit back at a new report which recommends the introduction of several ‘radical’ new measures for combating alcohol harm in the UK.

Portman Group launches pandemic blog series

Published: 07 September, 2020

The Portman Group is launching a new bi-weekly blog to examine how the drinks sector is confronting the responsibilities and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Portman Group labels Drinking in the Dark report “utter nonsense”

Published: 26 August, 2020

The Portman Group has issued a strong rebuttal to a new report from the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) which calls alcohol labelling in the UK “inadequate”.

Jason Atherton, Social Group: Back to Business Q&A

Published: 20 August, 2020

As the trade measures up to extraordinary times and swings into the height of summer, leading businesses and operators take stock of trading conditions in the new normal.

Owen Morgan, 44 Group: Back to Business Q&A

Published: 13 August, 2020

As the trade measures up to extraordinary times and swings into the height of summer, leading businesses and operators take stock of trading conditions in the new normal.

Mud House pushes outdoors lifestyles in new global campaign

Published: 11 August, 2020

Leading NZ wine brand Mud House has launched a new global campaign titled ‘Taste the Adventure’.

On-trade versus schools debate rumbles on

Published: 05 August, 2020

Schools must “come before pubs and restaurants in future” England’s children’s commissioner has said, re-igniting a burgeoning stand-off between the education and hospitality sectors.

Casual Dining Group remerges from administration as The Big Table

Published: 03 August, 2020

Casual Dining Group (CDG), the failed restaurant group that owned the Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge chains, has been rescued by private equity firm, saving 4,000 jobs across the UK and over 150 outlets.

Pernod Ricard issues more upbeat guidance for 2020

Published: 23 July, 2020

Pernod Ricard is predicting a softer impact on its business as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, according to its latest guidance for its 2020 results.

Green shoots of recovery in food-service

Published: 22 July, 2020

Britain’s food-service sector is showing signs of post lockdown recovery, according to new research from information business The NPD Group.

Casual Dining Group to close 91 restaurants

Published: 03 July, 2020

Casual Dining Group (CDG), the company that owns Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Las Iguanas and Belgo, has announced 91 of its 250 sites will remain closed permanently, resulting in the loss of 1,900 jobs to the on-trade sector.

Carluccio's bailout saves under half of its restaurants

Published: 22 May, 2020

Italian restaurant chain Carluccio’s has completed its bailout deal with Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), saving 30 of its 71 restaurants and costing 1,000 furloughed workers their jobs.