Business & Finance - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Chapel Down to place Curious Drinks into administration

Published: 09 February, 2021

Chapel Down is to dispose of its Curious Drinks business to a NewCo, established by private equity firm Risk Capital Partners (RCP).

Minister dashes hopes of VAT cut extension

Published: 27 January, 2021

A treasury minister has said there are “no current plans” to further extend the reduction in VAT for hospitality businesses despite estimates that rising rates could directly and permanently impact the sector and lead to the loss of up to 310,000 jobs.

WSTA and SMEs call on Chancellor for further support in budget

Published: 21 January, 2021

Many of the UK’s best known wine and spirit SMEs have written a joint letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to cut duty while extended the hospitality’s VAT cut to provide further relief for those struggling with the pandemic.

IWSR acquires Wine Intelligence

Published: 18 January, 2021

IWSR Drinks Market Analysis has acquired Wine Intelligence for an undisclosed sum.

Hospitality and foodservice revenues forecasted to drop £30bn in 2021

Published: 13 January, 2021

Revenues across the hospitality and foodservice industry have been forecasted to take a £30bn hit this year, with Covid restrictions likely to play out well into 2021.

Parliamentary hospitality debate shows cross-party sector support

Published: 12 January, 2021

The debate on whether to create a minister for hospitality in the UK government showed cross-party support for the struggling sector, with an overwhelmingly positive response from all corners.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Britain 2021 – Fear or opportunity?

Published: 17 December, 2020

As we come to the end of this extraordinary year and look towards the future, are we filled with feelings of fear or opportunity, or a strange mix of both?

One-size-fits-all approach will harm UK recovery

Published: 10 December, 2020

The UK must adopt a regionally tailored recovery strategy if it is to recover fully from the impact of the global pandemic, which has exacerbated London-centric trends.

Crucial final weeks will seal Brexit fate

Published: 03 December, 2020

The WSTA is sticking to its ‘hope for the best, prepare for the worst’ approach to Brexit as we hurtle towards the 1 January deadline with no deal in sight. Jo Gilbert speaks to chief executive Miles Beale about what we can expect at the eleventh hour.

At least 50k sites to be shut or unviable under new tiers

Published: 30 November, 2020

More than 50,000 of England’s licensed premises will be unable to trade under the government’s tough new tiered restrictions coming into place this week, according to research for the latest edition of the Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners.

BBR return to form with highest operating profits since 2010

Published: 26 November, 2020

Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) has posted strong results, showing the family-owned business in growth for FY20 and “solid” half-year results for FY21.

Liv-ex prepares for skyrocketing cost of Brexit transition

Published: 25 November, 2020

Liv-ex is predicting that the number of ‘steps’ involved in transferring wine between the UK and the EU will more than double post-January, with associated costs forecasted to rise exponentially.

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.

James Clay secures EU supply chain ahead of Brexit

Published: 11 November, 2020

Beer importer and distributor James Clay and Sons has has secured its EU supply chain with the acquisition of Rarter Bond Ltd. as part of its “Brexit preparedness” strategy.

Nicholls: 'ONS employment stats reinforce urgent need for targeted support’

Published: 10 November, 2020

UK Hospitality (UKH) has reiterated the need for additional support for the hospitality industry as ONS stats released today revealed that the UK unemployment rate has reached a four-year high.

EU and US renew calls for end to retaliatory wine tariffs

Published: 10 November, 2020

The Brussels-based CEEV (Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins) and Wine Institute of California have renewed calls for a suspension of retaliatory tariffs on wine in response to the trans-Atlantic dispute over Boeing aircraft subsidies.

Furlough extension “wasted investment” without further support

Published: 06 November, 2020

Trade bodies have welcomed the extension of the Job Retention (furlough) Scheme (JRS) but warned that this alone is not enough to keep hospitality alive.

Furlough scheme extended to March

Published: 05 November, 2020

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the government’s Job Retention Scheme, better known as the furlough scheme, will be extended until the end of March 2021, with government once again paying 80% of wages up to £2,500 to see businesses through a second wave of Covid-19 infections.

UKH: ‘Decision to permit takeaway alcohol vital lifeline for businesses’

Published: 04 November, 2020

UK Hospitality (UKH) has welcomed the “pragmatic decision” to allow restaurants, bars and pubs to sell pre-ordered takeaway alcohol sales during lockdown 2.0.