Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Last call for 50 Best Indies 2021 nominations

Published: 13 May, 2021

The chance to nominate your choices for the best in the business of indie drinks retailing remains open until midnight on Friday 14 May.

Wales’ restrictions relaxed further than England and Scotland with indoor reopening

Published: 12 May, 2021

Wales is the latest member of the UK to announce that hospitality businesses can open indoors from 17 May, following in the footsteps of England and Scotland, but with up to six people from different households able to meet.

Hospitality in Wales and Scotland reopen with 8pm indoor curfew for Scotland

Published: 26 April, 2021

Hospitality businesses can now open in Wales and Scotland for the first time since December, with Scotland’s ‘indoors but without alcohol’ policy putting it ahead of England’s outdoor-only phase of its current roadmap.

Indies: Shaken, not stirred

Published: 26 April, 2021

The pandemic has been a “wake-up call” for the industry, a panel of leading merchants told audience members told Jo Gilbert at our Think Insights retailing sector briefing, as businesses face stock and other challenges to meet soaring spirits sales.

Bringing it All Together at SME business advice summit

Published: 22 April, 2021

Many SMEs have had it particularly tough during the pandemic, with small and medium-sized businesses less likely than their larger rivals to have access to the resources to help guide them through.

Year of shuttered restaurants and bars has left hospitality ‘shattered’

Published: 22 March, 2021

In the year since the first hospitality shutdown, the sector has taken a battering with more than eight months of closure delivering a heavy blow.

Rebooting the on-trade

Published: 22 March, 2021

With reopening now in sight, Andrew Catchpole joined leading operators to discover what learnings from the past 12 months could help the recovery of their businesses.

Industry-supported 'blueprint' to support hospitality reopening

Published: 17 March, 2021

Members of the trade are being invited to have their say as part of a UK Hospitality (UKH) backed inquiry which aims to shore up long-term support for the on-trade once bars and restaurants reopen.

“Bitter disappointment” over Scotland’s recovery roadmap

Published: 24 February, 2021

The plan for a tentative reopening of Scotland’s economy including shops, bars and restaurants has been met with criticism by hospitality businesses who say an end of April start date will be too late for many.

Independent alcohol sales enjoy January boom

Published: 15 February, 2021

Newly released data shows that January 2021 saw an increase in demand for alcohol from independent businesses, along with an increase in the price tag compared to 2020.

Extension to rent moratorium considered as momentum for UK re-opening builds

Published: 15 February, 2021

Ministers are reportedly drawing up plans to extend the rent moratorium for commercial properties until past the March end date, further curbing landlords’ ability to evict businesses over unpaid rent.

Game on 2021: Hospitality needs to come out fighting fit

Published: 14 January, 2021

The new edition of Harpers, out today, will reach readers hot on the heels of a parliamentary debate on the need for the creation of a minister for hospitality role in UK government. Resulting from the success of the Seat at the Table petition launched by hotelier Robin Hutson, of The Pig group and (formerly) Hotel du Vin fame, the proposal gained “an overwhelmingly positive response from all corners”, as reported by Harpers.

Nicholls: ‘Continuing to batter hospitality is not the answer’

Published: 15 December, 2020

UK Hospitality has branded London’s, and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, move to Tier 3 as illogical, warning that businesses will be pushed towards failure and more jobs put at risk as a result.

WSTA membership climbs as it releases Brexit checklist

Published: 10 December, 2020

A record number of wine and spirit businesses have joined the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) this year following a recruitment drive bolstered by concerns over Covid and Brexit.

Tim Atkin MW: Adapting to survive

Published: 08 December, 2020

The numbers are terrifying. With the imminent closure of 124 Debenhams stores and the loss of 12,000 jobs, the high street has arguably suffered its highest-profile casualty since Woolworths back in 2009. Stir in the 13,000 Arcadia employees who are likely to swell the unemployment statistics before long – and the probable disappearance of Sir Philip Green’s Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins brands – and we are contemplating a toxic brew.

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.

Trade reels from Welsh trading restrictions

Published: 01 December, 2020

The drinks trade has reacted angrily to the Welsh government’s new restrictions on pubs and restaurants, announced yesterday.

PM promises u-turn on support for hospitality trade

Published: 30 November, 2020

Boris Johnson is set to offer more support to pubs and restaurants, the Daily Telegraph is reporting.

Calls for government to set out budgetary plans and provide businesses with certainty

Published: 24 November, 2020

The lack of certainty on key budgetary announcements is creating untenable instability for businesses, leading tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg has said, adding calls for the government to announce full budgetary plans sooner rather than later.

Supply chains a priority post-Covid, research finds

Published: 24 November, 2020

Reconfiguring supply chains will be a key objective for businesses as they emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, a new study from the Capgemini Research Institute has revealed.