Buyer’s Spotlight: R&D meets P&L

As winemakers shift to heritage varieties to tackle the challenges of a changing climate, what does this mean for P&L? asks Jason Millar.

Jerry Lockspeiser: What’s better spread around than piled up?

You know those times when something comes along that hits you on the head like a sledgehammer? An experience that wakes us up to seeing things from a wider perspective. The jolt we get ripples beyond the issue itself to how we see our lives, both personal and professional.

Diageo profit warning knocks European drinks markets

Diageo has issued an unexpected trading statement to warn that this year’s revenue and profit will be significantly lower than the group previously expected – a blow which has had a serious knock-on effect for the European drinks sector.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Can business be a force for good?

I was thrilled to read of a recent initiative by The Wine Society, not just because I am a member, but because it speaks volumes about how they approach their business.

UK's leading restaurants nudge back into the black

Research unveiled by accountancy group UHY Hacker Young shows that the UK's top 100 restaurants returned to profitability in 2022, after four years of consecutive losses.

Jerry Lockspeiser: On Jeremy Clarkson, margins and the ‘middleman’ dog whistle

In case anyone missed it, Jeremy Clarkson has recently launched his own beer brand, Hawkstone. The lager is made with barley grown on his Cotswolds farm. Exposed to the workings of the supply chain, Clarkson was reportedly aghast at the difference between the £205 per tonne he received for his barley and the £580 paid by the brewers to the middleman.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Can we trade our way out of this mess?

Sitting in reception at one of the UK’s biggest supermarkets waiting for the wine buyer to appear for our appointment, I flicked through my newspaper. When he arrived, I hurriedly stuffed the paper into my briefcase, but not before the buyer had caught sight of it. “Ah, you are one of those are you?” he said, having identified my copy of The Guardian.

Living with lockdown – Enotria & Coe

Troy Christensen, CEO at Enotria & Coe, talks frankly with Andrew Catchpole about the impact of the current crisis on on-trade suppliers and the daunting challenges ahead for the hospitality sector.

Rémy Cointreau loses top boss

Valérie Chapoulaud-Floquet, chief executive at Rémy Cointreau, has announced she will be leaving the company at the end of the year, citing personal reasons.

Rigging the game

Less is often more when it comes to turning a profit says consultant Sean Finter, a master at optimising returns from on-trade businesses. Harpers tuned in to his message at Bar Convent in Berlin. 

Berry Bros & Rudd sees sales rise

Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR) has seen sales rise by £16M, for the year ending 31 March 2018.

Bibendum and Matthew Clark owner C&C Group reports drop in profit

C&C Group has reported a drop in full-year net revenue and profit with sales hit by severe weather in the second half.

Not too big to fail: Where it all went wrong for Conviviality

With annual sales of £1.6bn and shares flying high at 425p each on the stock market at the end of 2017, Conviviality seemed to be more than keeping its head above water in the choppy seas of today’s difficult trading environment.

Cold weather turns into pressure cooker for high street stores

Sales almost double at Conviviality