Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Jack Daniel's unveils Scottish bartender competition

Published: 25 October, 2016

Iconic Tennessee whisky brand Jack Daniel's has launched a nationwide bartending competition across Scotland.

Men no longer out-drink women, major study shows

Published: 25 October, 2016

Women are now drinking as much as men and may even be out-drinking them, according to a major new study published in the BMJ Open journal today.

Work to build £9m UK sake brewery gets underway

Published: 25 October, 2016

Building is now underway at what is believed to be the UK's first sake brewery having appointed a local contractor to carry out construction work.

First wine, now spirits set to take a hit with rise in inflation and duty to slap a further £60m on consumers

Published: 25 October, 2016

The price of a bottle of wine and spirits is facing a major hike if duty rises in line with inflation, industry experts have warned.

The Epicurean launches in London this weekend

Published: 24 October, 2016

The team behind the London Wine Fair is gearing up to launch its first consumer event.

Bath craft brewery pushes into the mainstream with national listing

Published: 24 October, 2016

Electric Bear Brewery has secured a listing with a nationwide hamburger joint, marking further penetration of craft beer into the on-trade.

FSA reveals plans to let retailers "police themselves" on food standards

Published: 24 October, 2016

The Food Standards Agency has put forward proposals for a radical change to the way it ensures retailers keep up with food and drink hygiene standards, by allowing firms with top ratings to hire private firms to carry out the checks instead.

Hallgarten creates new regional sales director role

Published: 24 October, 2016

Luton-based suppliers Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines has boosted its senior management team with the creation of a new director of regional sales role.

Alsace sales up in the UK following three successive years of low yields

Published: 21 October, 2016

Sales of Alsace wines to the UK have jumped according to the latest figures released by the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace (CIVA) - an encouraging sign for the region which has suffered a string of small harvests in recent years.

The week that was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

Published: 21 October, 2016

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have put together a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Spanish wine industry celebrates inaugural IWC Spanish Merchant Awards

Published: 21 October, 2016

The cream of the Spanish wine industry turned out in force on Monday for the International Wine Challenge's (IWC) inaugural Spanish Wine Merchant awards, with over 200 guests attending the awards dinner in the surrounds of one of Madrid's most famous buildings, Casino de Madrid.

On-trade update: Premium driving growth

Published: 21 October, 2016

The figures all indicate that the total on-trade Great Britain wine market is continuing to shrink, albeit at a slower pace. The total GB on-trade is made up of over 124,000 outlets, with volume sales down 2.5% and value sales down 0.5%.

Why finding and retaining talent has never been more important - or tough

Published: 21 October, 2016

According to new research from North Highland, a global management consultancy firm, 55% of executives believe their businesses lack "the talent needed to meet growth targets".

Acquisitions and partnerships: Alhambra, Calabria Wines and AdVini

Published: 20 October, 2016

A leading Spanish brewery, a French wine company and New South Wales winemakers have announced new partnerships and takeovers this week in the hope of extending their reach to key international markets.

Pernod Ricard beats expectations as Jameson drives growth in the UK and US

Published: 20 October, 2016

The world's number two wines and spirits producer has performed better than expected since April, with sales of Jameson emerging as the main growth driver.

Distell breaks contracts as it moves to direct distribution

Published: 20 October, 2016

South African alcohol producer Distell has unveiled plans to bring the distribution of all its brands in-house so that it can directly manage the sales and marketing of its UK portfolio.

Coravin becomes corporate patron of the WSET

Published: 20 October, 2016

Wine preservation company Coravin has been inducted into the WSET's Corporate Patrons programme.

Brexit: Prices hikes and freezes abound as stalwarts review prices

Published: 19 October, 2016

With the price of consumer favourites such as Marmite, chocolate and cheese set to rise, the drinks trade is having to make tough choices on how to cope with the devaluation of the pound.

UK exports on the rise in H1 and H2 2016

Published: 19 October, 2016

Emphasis has been put on importers over the past week or so, as experts warn that the 'cushioning' of forward foreign currency buying ahead of the Brexit vote is about to run out.