Hammond's white cider clamp-down could unfairly hit artisanal producers

CAMRA, the body which represents the interests of the UK beer and cider industry, has expressed concerns that artisanal cider producers who producer higher ABV products could be tarred by the same brush which is intended to increase duty on high-alcohol, cheaply made ciders.

Naked Wines boosts Majestic half year performance

Majestic Wine said it is ready to “put our foot on the gas and accelerate growth” on unveiling its half year results today.

Supreme Court clears path for 50p-per-unit minimum pricing in Scotland

Scotland is set to become the first country to introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP) on alcohol after the UK Supreme Court rejected a challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

EU and UK wines and spirits chiefs launch joint Brexit proposition paper

European and UK bodies responsible for the wider wine and spirit industry have joined together to publish a joint position paper to outline their stance on Brexit.

Price-savvy Brits look to eastern Europe as Majestic sales soar 400%

Eastern European wine sales are up 400% at Majestic as Brits look to avoid price hikes due to the impact of Brexit.

TWE's Tom King joins the WSTA board

Dan Townsend’s successor at Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has joined the board of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Investors “lose confidence” in M&S following food and drink decline

A disappointing drop in food and drink sales at Marks & Spencer has put a dampener on CEO Steven Rowe’s recovery plan for the retailer. 

Majestic Wine ‘past tipping point’ as £1.5m loss offset by rising footfall and sales

Majestic Wine’s full-year reported profit before tax has revealed a loss of £1.5 million, set against a 15.8% rise in sales and 12% growth in the company’s customer base to 825,000 active customers.

D&D Wines: Angove’s five year battle to get paid

Many readers will recall the collapse of D&D Wines in 2012, leaving numerous wine suppliers from around the world owed large amounts of money for wine supplied. In such cases there is not usually much left for unsecured creditors once the liquidators have taken their fees. However, Australian producer Angove Family Winemakers was in an unusual position, which gave it a prospect of being paid in full. But Angove had to battle with D&D’s liquidators for nearly five years, and all the way to the UK Supreme Court, to obtain payment.

BrewDog UK sales jump 97%

Craft beer darling BrewDog has revealed turnover of £72 million in 2016.

Sales almost double at Conviviality

Mixers see highest growth of soft drinks driven by health trend and premiumisation

The Fever Tree effect is responsible for the rapid growth of mixers over the past 12 months.

"Worrying" times for Sainsbury's as supermarket points to unstable climate for sales set-back

Sainsbury's has warned of "very competitive" trading conditions in the wake of the post-Brexit sterling slump as the supermarket suffered a slight sales decline in the fourth quarter of the financial year.

Snapshot of gin as it's crowned the king of Christmas spirits' growth

The gin renaissance has been in full swing for some time now, but new data has confirmed its position as the major cause of excitement - and growth - in the spirits category.

Sales of bourbon predicted to explode in the UK over next five years

Sales of bourbon could rival those of Scotch in the UK over the next five to ten years new data has shown.  

Halewood makes its first foray into beer

Halewood Wine & Spirit has acquired a majority stake in Lake District brewery Hawkshead marking its first foray into beer.

South African bulk wine takes a tumble as exporters play up premium

New data shows that bulk wine diminishing in volume and value dogged the success of South African wine in the UK in 2016.

Asda shows some recovery after troublesome 2016

Asda bosses said there is still a "lot of work to do" after the most recent sales figures showed some recovery for the ailing supermarket.

Christmas came early for Malbec at Concha y Toro

The nation's thirst for Argentinian wine has showed no signs of being quenched with Concha y Toro reporting sparkling Christmas sales for Bodega Trivento.

Rising demand in the US following sterling slump drives Scotch exports to three-year high

In the wake of the Brexit vote and the subsequent slump of the pound, the only upside was that the UK's exports seemed poised to become more attractive to oversees buyers.