Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Portman celebrates high compliance on 25th anniversary

Published: 26 January, 2021

A new report out today from The Portman Group reveals an all time high in compliance with its Code of Practice for the UK drinks industry.

WSTA launches low & no alcohol labelling guide

Published: 13 January, 2021

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has produced new guidance around the labelling of low & no alcohol drinks as a record number of Brits explore the category.

Drinking in the new sustainability

Published: 11 January, 2021

A critical mass of smaller, sustainability-focused players is helping the wine and spirits industries reach new levels of innovation and accountability, writes Jo Gilbert

Takeaway alcohol banned in latest lockdown

Published: 05 January, 2021

Bars, pubs and restaurants have been banned from selling takeaway alcohol under England’s latest lockdown rules announced by Boris Johnson last night.

Diageo introduces health warnings on labels

Published: 16 December, 2020

Diageo has announced that it will introduce a health warning on Smirnoff, Gordon’s Pink, Baileys and Captain Morgan labels in the UK from early 2021.

New CEO for Portman Group

Published: 02 December, 2020

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

Trade bodies call for revamp of alcohol duty system

Published: 01 December, 2020

UK Hospitality (UKH) and the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) have called on the government to “revamp and simplify” the system of alcohol duty in order to boost businesses and deliver on the government’s public health initiatives.

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.

Ecommerce alcohol sales soar

Published: 30 November, 2020

Sales of alcohol through ecommerce are set to increase by 42% this year to reach US$24bn across 10 core markets, according to new research from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

Relaxed takeaway regulations extended until March 2022

Published: 09 November, 2020

Relaxed regulations that allow bars, pubs and restaurants to sell takeaway food and alcohol have been extended until 2022, communities secretary Robert Jenrick has announced.

Govt U-turn on pub lockdown sales

Published: 04 November, 2020

In a U-turn, the government has agreed to allow England’s pubs to sell takeaway alcohol during the national lockdown that begins on Thursday.

Trade slams new lockdown ban on takeaway drink sales

Published: 02 November, 2020

In a new blow for England’s on-trade, the government has banned the sale of takeaway alcohol for the duration of the second national lockdown, which begins at midnight on Wednesday 4 November.

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

Aldi to open 100 new stores as part of £1.3bn investment

Published: 28 September, 2020

Aldi has pledged to invest a record £1.3bn over the next two years with new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and “further innovations” planned across the business.

Trade squeezed over calories

Published: 24 September, 2020

A new consultation into mandatory calorie labelling on alcohol products is adding fuel to already fiery conversations around health, wellness and indulgence, finds Jo Gilbert.

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.

WSTA Summit: ‘Once in a lifetime’ opportunity for excise duty review

Published: 15 September, 2020

Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has highlighted the potential of an upcoming government review into excise duty, which could have a major impact on the robustness of the industry to face challenging times.

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.

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.

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”.