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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.

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Kate Nicholls, CEO, UK Hospitality

Published:  14 September, 2020

With hospitality one of the hardest hit sectors in the wake of the pandemic, the head of the leading trade organisation has no end of crucial issues to deal with. Kate Nicholls talks strategy to Lisa Riley

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50 Best Indies 2020

Published:  11 September, 2020

Padstow’s Bin Two has romped home for a second year running with top placing in our 50 Best Indies 2020 list.

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31 Days of German Riesling winners bring ingenuity to the fore

Published:  09 September, 2020

This year’s winners of the annual 31 Days of German Riesling competition has put a spotlight on just how much businesses have adapted during the pandemic, using often imaginative ways to bring German Riesling to a wider audience.

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English wine exports double

Published:  08 September, 2020

Exports of English wine more than doubled in 2019 while sales overall rocketed 70%, according to the latest data from Wine GB released today.

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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.

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Consumers positive about Eat Out to Help Out scheme

Published:  07 September, 2020

Consumers were very happy with the levels of hygiene and cleanliness they encountered during the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, according to an extensive survey conducted by CGA, UK Hospitality and Yumpingo.

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Low and no sales on the rise

Published:  07 September, 2020

Sales of low- and no-alcohol drinks are up 30% year-on-year in the off-trade, with consumer spend on alcohol-free spirits hitting £5.4m, according to data from Nielsen.

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Bar Douro launches Portuguese wine club

Published:  03 September, 2020

London-based Portuguese restaurant and wine bar, Bar Douro, has unveiled a new nationwide subscription wine service.

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Long Read: Moonshine and fruit wine – a postcard from post-Covid Latvia

Published:  03 September, 2020

Pernod Ricard, Mentzendorff and Lucky Saint alum Hugh Jones upped sticks recently and headed to Baltic capital Riga where he found an emerging drinks industry with parallels to the UK's own. 

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Chivas chief slams Scots govt for whisky sector lockdown failure

Published:  03 September, 2020

The Scottish government failed to support the Scottish whisky industry at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jean-Christophe Coutures, the chairman and chief executive of Chivas Brothers, has said.

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2020 NZ harvest "exceptional"

Published:  03 September, 2020

Despite the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, New Zealand’s 2020 vintage is “exceptional” in terms of both quality and quantity, according to the 2020 New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Report.

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Sales at Pernod Ricard slump post-Covid

Published:  02 September, 2020

Organic sales at Pernod Ricard fell 9.5% as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the company has reported, with revenues for the year to 30 June reaching €8.5bn.

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FMV loses two more from portfolio

Published:  02 September, 2020

Champagne Jacquesson and Roussillon vineyard Le Soula are the latest producers to move its UK distribution from Fields, Morris & Verdin (FMV), the wholesale arm of Berry Bros & Rudd.

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End of Eat Out to Help Out signals new phase for restaurants

Published:  01 September, 2020

Food sales went through the roof in the first three weeks of the government’s The Eat Out to Help Out (EOHO) scheme, helping to normalise going out for Brits and jumpstarting the UK hospitality industry back towards health and prosperity.

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In the spirit of change

Published:  01 September, 2020

Ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants are the next step in the accelerating on-trade evolution, which completely strips out the dine-in part of the restaurant experience. So where does alcohol fit into this increasingly food-focused, delivery-only mix? Jo Gilbert reports.

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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”.

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Mark Roberts, Lanchester Wines: Back to Business Q&A

Published:  26 August, 2020

As the trade measures up to extraordinary times and looks ahead beyond summer, leading operators take stock of doing business in the new normal.

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Jerry Lockspeiser: What happens next?

Published:  26 August, 2020

One of the many reasons people like working in the wine trade is the sense of common bond. Trade outsiders may doubt how friendly people who are direct competitors can really be. But they often are. People can’t help liking and respecting each other. The bonhomie that wine engenders helps, as does admiration for the labour, love, and sheer dedication of those who make the stuff. From producers to distributors, retailers, and communicators, an unstated feeling of shared mission is in the air. Now, too, the trenches spirit that comes with having backs against the wall.

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Back to the bar: the reality of reopening

Published:  25 August, 2020

Lisa Riley catches up with a trio of bar professionals after the reopening of the on-trade to get a feel for the ‘new world’ to which they have returned. 

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