The London Wine Fair 2024, held at Olympia from 20-22 May, experienced a decrease in both visitor and exhibitor numbers, but the focus on visitor quality brought a positive response from exhibitors and attendees alike.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a surprise general election on July 4 has stirred significant reactions within the UK drinks trade.
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‘Is the UK a wine hub or a has been?’ This was one of the more interesting questions posed at this week’s London Wine Fair (LWF).
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At the London Wine Fair 2024, Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), delivered a comprehensive ‘State of the Nation’ speech, reflecting on the past four and a half years of the UK wine market under various government administrations and outlining the sector’s needs from the next government.
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Harpers is delighted to present our annual rundown of the top-ranking members of the trade aged under 30 for 2024. The sheer breadth of quality applicants from across the UK, from cities to remote rural corners, truly gets better every year. Now in its third cycle, Harpers 30 Under 30 received over 100 applications (a mixture of self-nominations and via colleagues), with each prospective star deserving recognition.
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The WSTA, The Drinks Trust and the WSET are currently coordinating an industry response to the issues identified around safeguarding and equity for those working in drinks, with the next step on the journey being a seminar at this month’s London Wine Fair (LWF).
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The WSTA has issued a warning to hundreds of businesses ahead of May’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) deadline.
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The Drinks Trust, the WSET and the WSTA, are co-ordinating a drinks industry-wide Equity Diversity & Inclusion programme with the stated aim, ‘to create an inclusive and equitable UK drinks industry where everyone feels welcome, safe and supported’.
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The government is using public health arguments as a “thin veneer to maintain market distortions” Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA, has said in a rebuttal of the claims made by Gareth Davies at the Westminster Hall debate earlier this month.
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Jo Gilbert clears up some of the confusion surrounding importer labels and FBOs, while looking ahead to other labelling changes in the pipeline.
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Andrew Catchpole convened a panel at Wine Paris to discuss the ins and outs of current trade with the UK.
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Taking a glass-half-full approach, much of the right-wing press applauded Jeremy Hunt’s extension of the alcohol duty freeze till February 2025, described as a ‘victory for drinkers’ up and down the country by one tabloid.
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The government dashed hopes of a cut to alcohol duty following the announcement of the Spring Budget today (6 March) by chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
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The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) along with over 100 UK wine and spirit producers, retailers and hospitality businesses have called on the government to cut duty in a ‘last-ditch plea’ ahead of the Budget announcement on 6 March.
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Research shows alcohol duty hikes have negatively affected wine and spirits sales – and contributed to UK inflation rates. James Bayley looks into the figures.
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Faced with falling wine and spirit sales and subsequent diminishing revenues to the Exchequer, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has called upon the Chancellor to reduce duty on the sector in the 6 March Spring budget.
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Tax revenues from so-called ‘sin taxes’ levied on alcohol, tobacco, gambling and sugary drinks have fallen to 3.1% of total UK tax receipts, according to HMRC figures for 2022-2023.
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Last August’s duty hikes for wine and spirits have contributed to December’s unexpected rise in UK inflation, it has been revealed, as the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) announces that the rate for the sector is now three times higher than it was this time last year.
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As of yesterday (1 January 2024), several new wine reforms introduced by the government have taken effect, including the removal of importer addresses from wine labels.
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Following another turbulent year for the drinks trade, Miles Beale, CEO of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), reflects on the highs and lows of 2023, plus the hopes and plans for businesses in the year ahead.
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