Top 50 Drinks Wholesalers 2024: The full rundown
Harpers’ round up of the leading UK wine, beer and spirits suppliers has landed once again, featuring the best in the business. Drawn from a dynamic and ever-evolving sector, these are the companies that our judges deemed to have gone the extra mile in terms of quality of service and portfolio, plus much else besides. And their inclusion in this list is a celebration of that professionalism and attention to detail.
Making the Top 50 is no mean feat, with the submissions by our reader-nominated entries closely considered by our judges, who then decide the 50 standouts and where those companies should be placed on the list. It’s a process that takes quite some time, given that such areas as company ethos, service, portfolio, account support, training, social and environmental aspects of sustainability, investment and innovation are all taken into account in the decision-making.
Decide, however, our judges did, and the resulting list highlights the best in the business of drinks supply, with many differing styles, shapes and sizes of business featured. What they do all share in common, though, is the go-ahead drive that helps shape the UK drinks scene today, being one of the most dynamic in the world.
Words of thanks must go to our judges, who spent much time sifting through and absorbing the entries, before joining the judging panel for deliberation as to whom to elevate to each given ranking. And a big thanks, too, to our sponsor, Stoli vodka, for supporting 50 Best Indies 2024 and helping to make it happen.
Finally, a big congratulations from the Harpers team to all who feature in our Top 50 Drinks Wholesalers this year, and also to Liberty Wines, which once again topped the crop in a unanimous decision from our judges.
Top 50 Judges
Matteo Furlan, head of wines, The Dorchester
Sophie O’Neill, director of global procurement excellence, Compass Group
Sam Thackeray, MD, Amber Beverages
Andrew Catchpole, editor, Harpers Wine & Spirit
1. Liberty Wines
Riding high once again in our number-one slot is Liberty Wines, which continues to impress and deliver on its firm commitments to quality and service. London-based, but with more than half its £134m turnover generated by accounts beyond the Big Smoke, this exemplary agent-importer was a unanimous choice among our judges, seen as a business that sets the bar incredibly high. And that oils the wheels for typically seamless customer service, backed by a far-reaching portfolio of 400 quality-focused producers from 26 countries, and which Liberty has continued to grow throughout the past year. Italy, of course, has long been a specialism, with a great selection of Australian producers also prominent in this far-reaching offer.
More generally, only 1% of the wines selected for tasting by the team make it on board, revealing the rigour and professionalism with which this company is run.
Big congratulations to all at Liberty Wines.
2. LWC
With 13,000 accounts nationwide, a turnover of £600m and some 1,500 staff, this Manchester-based wholesaler is a force to be reckoned with in the trade. But as per its motto, ‘Small enough to care, big enough to deliver’, its commitment to great service, backed by some 10,000 SKUs, covering every conceivable base, means this is a business that delivers highly on quality, value and convenience. It’s also an innovative and forward-looking operation, whether that be the recent vinous additions from Greece, Romania and southern France; the new women’s ERG group reaching out across its supply chain network; its recently implemented sustainability forum; or the acquisition of Hills Prospect to expand its London reach. All in all, a very impressive drinks supplier.
3. Alliance Wine
Scotland may be its home, but this insistently independent business has grown a UK-wide footprint for its exciting portfolio, rooted in its ambition to work with ‘innovative, colourful and creative individuals’ who share its values of delivering quality and interest for a fair price. This nimble company is a producer too, having made far-sighted investments in creating its own wine brands and making wine in four countries spread across three continents. Counting Chile, Roussillon, Spain and Australia in its fold, the emphasis lies in identifying overlooked nooks and crannies, where quality vineyards and undersung varieties are often to be found. The Grenaches of Thistledown in Adelaide Hills are an apt taster of the ethos of this company as a whole.
4. BWH Drinks
This family-owned and run specialist offers a fantastic range of beers. It also backs this up with a global portfolio that ranges from top whiskies and gins to niche, bar-friendly spirits, with a mostly directly imported wine portfolio packed with gems that could also stand on its own. It’s all about a bespoke offer for the customer here, with accounts also able to draw on specialist knowledge, coupled with wine menu design, bar hire for events, cellar services and training for wines and spirits. Sustainability and community partnerships are big tickets too, completing a compelling all-round package.
5. Speciality Drinks
A family-owned and operated business, this 25-year-old wholesaler carries more than 5,000 spirits, Champagnes and vermouths, with a medley of Cognacs, rums, tequilas and gins sitting cheek-by-jowl with an incredible selection of whiskies – including the biggest ranges of Japanese, American, Irish and world whiskies in the UK. Bespoke training sessions are very much embedded in this company’s DNA, as is a consultancy service to bars and restaurants on creating the perfect spirits and cocktail lists, with dedicated account managers ensuring the overall service is top level.
6. Berkmann Wine Cellars
As a significant agent-importer, turning over some £106m, this second-generation family-owned and run business still stays true to its founding vision of ‘connecting the world through the medium of taste’. In practice this lofty ambition means focusing on excellence in all it lists and trading on the stories behind the labels, providing a far more holistic context than just the liquid in the bottle. However, this is a portfolio that folds in 170 grape varieties from some 21 countries, with classics and big producers sitting alongside the esoteric and artisan sized. Burgundy and Italy are two great strengths, with all of this backed by an online app, Veraison, which provides training for hospitality professionals.
7. Enotria & Coe
This influential supplier’s retired founder, Remo Nardone, sadly passed away recently, but the legacy he left is clear, with more than 3,000 accounts trading with the company during the past year. Some 6,000 SKUs, representing 64 countries, show just how far this national wholesaler has grown from its Italian specialist roots, with a plethora of quality spirits matching the breadth of the wine offer. Sustainability is core to the modern business’ ethos, as is customer service, rooted in extensive data-based understanding of customer needs and complete ownership of its supply capabilities. And all of this is backed by state-of-the-art logistics tech in its west London bonded warehouse, ensuring a highly customer-focused operation. A true stalwart of drinks supply.
8. Hallgarten
Billing themselves as ‘industry leaders, not industry followers’, the team behind this well-honed wholesaling business approach wine with a pioneering spirit, best illustrated by the early championing of Greece, which has broadened out to make this list a go-to source for more esoteric finds from Armenia to Japan. The classics are well represented too, as is the New World, all backed by a strong customer focus, with wine training, data and insights, design support and communications all firmly to the fore. And the recent purchase by Coterie Holdings has simply turbo-charged all of the above.
9. Jascots Wine Merchant
Describing itself as ‘small enough to be attentive, flexible and responsive’, yet of a size that can fulfil all of a customer’s varied needs, this London-based supplier continues to see strong growth on the back of its account-centric approach. Fine wine and ‘regional heroes’ provide pillars in a portfolio that insists on typicity and sense of origin, while also featuring the indigenous, sometimes quirky, and mostly sustainably made. All of this is backed by an exemplary record of on-time deliveries, with the full gamut of customer service support, from product and list training to funding of WSET courses, very much part of this attractive package. And this is a business that has ambitious plans for further growth too.
10. Bibendum and Matthew Clark (C&C Group)
Bibendum and Matthew Clark, which are both under the C&C Group umbrella, were awarded a joint top 10 spot this year by our judges, with the combined might of these companies having a far-reaching influence on the UK quality drinkscape. The latter is the larger of these stablemates. It services 12,000 accounts and offers a 4,000-strong fully composite drinks range, which all makes for a compelling one-stop shop for on-trade operators nationwide. This is complemented by Bibendum’s contrasting offer, which is rooted in premium wines, from classics to the more esoteric finds, with the company’s 2,200 accounts also spanning the wine-literate on-trade, but with an off-trade arm additionally supplying multiple grocers, and indies served by Walker & Wodehouse. Both, however, share and deliver on the belief that a great wholesaler experience is about so much more than just product range.
bibendum-wine.co.uk/matthewclark.co.uk
11. Les Caves de Pyrene
The seminal natural wine merchant, this singular and focused business has over time made a huge impact on the UK wine scene, with its low-intervention appeal informing the wine lists of fine-dining establishments and hipster hangouts alike. As with its global portfolio, the company is a multi-faceted affair too, from its groundbreaking original wine bar Terroirs, followed by Brawn, by way of organising the annual Real Wine Fair and The Real Wine Month, to its off-shoot company in Melbourne. Few have done more to put the ‘normal’ in ‘natural’.
12. Jeroboams Trade
At once neighbourly and highly professional, this shop-anchored London-based group also spans wholesale and private clients, with a strong and growing agency side to its credit too. Serving several of the swisher ‘London villages’, along with a trade reach through London and the South East, this company offers more than 2,000 wines. These include its well-honed ‘fine wine range’, plus long-standing strengths in Italy and France, but with many of its trademark smaller, artisanal family wines and innovative producers also drawn from around the rest of the world. If Jeroboams is your neighbourhood grog shop, you know you’ve arrived.
13. EWGA
This North West-based importer and distributor offers some 600 wines to its account base, mixing up individual finds from producers around the world, with quality bulk imports for some volume labels to help on the sustainability front, all with its ‘grape-to-glass ethos’ informing its portfolio. Import and supply, though, is only part of the story, with a comprehensive wine-management service, including sales analysis, marketing support, staff training and more, ensuring that clients can optimise their wine offerings. Moreover, a big push on sustainability, including solar panels and electric vans, have rendered their HQ and warehouse as carbon neutral.
14. Inverarity Morton
As a dominant supplier to the Scottish on-trade, with 3,050 SKUs in its portfolio, this wholesaler nonetheless remains nimble with some nice specialisms in its range, including more than 120 tequilas and a focus on emerging wine regions, with Greece and Uruguay being notable recent growth areas. On the nuts-and-bolts side, £7m was recently invested in operational systems, rendering the now state-of-the art warehouse picking seamlessly efficient and also paperless, with a new Trade Portal recently launched too. Local community support, B-Corp-backed sustainability assessment and a bonus scheme for all staff are other feathers in this company’s hat.
15. St Austell
With 170 years of trading behind it and the family still firmly at the helm, this Cornish-based supplier has successfully extended its reach throughout the West Country and beyond, now with six depots across this bucolic corner of England, selling well over 3 million bottles of wine a year. Always with a focus on quality, the spirits, ciders and beers that complete the portfolio include the wonderfully-named ‘Proper Job’ IPA, which is as good a description as any of the ethos that has lifted this wholesaler to pole position in its region.
16. Amathus
Still owned and run by its original founders, this London-based retailer and wholesaler has shown itself as an irrepressible force, with its ever-expanding wholesale reach in the South East now complemented by 14 retail sites and a new wine warehouse, which opened in August in south-west London. Since the Georgiou family established their first retail outlet in 1978, the portfolio has grown to more than 5,000 products, with many specialisms and more off-piste lines alongside the more mainstream names, with tequila and Greek wines recent big focuses. On top of this, the standalone Amathus Brands will be launching in September, initially offering around 10-15 agency spirits.
17. Cave Direct
For 45 years this importer and distributor has been honing its offer as a leading supplier of craft and speciality beers from around the globe, currently with 300 permanent beers available, plus an ever-refreshing (as it were) weekly rotating line-up of 150 additional finds, which ensures the offer is always on its toes. London is its base, but with further depots in Kent, Bristol and Manchester, and its own fleet, allowing fast delivery across Britain. There is also a bar and bottleshop, the Beer Merchants Tap in Hackney Wick, where staff are offered training through an in-house beer school.
18. HT Drinks Group/Champers
As one of the largest independent specialist drinks wholesalers in the UK, this well-oiled juggernaut has built an impressive 5,000-strong portfolio around its core offer of reassuring big brands. Backed by state-of-the-art tech, along with a recently launched app, this far-reaching range is matched by 24/7 buying access and similarly efficient country-wide deliveries. Some 10,000 clients across myriad channels clearly agree, with many taking advantage of the ‘business counselling’ offered, while the in-house staff culture is topped by ‘knowledge guardians’ that have had additional training at the hands of other brand owners.
19. Top Selection
Founded in 2000 by husband-and-wife team Ákos and Michelle Forczek, this youthful wholesaler now has a reach well beyond its traditional London and South East heartlands, offering up some 500-odd brands – of which it represents over 100 – primarily to premium on-trade and independent merchants. There’s very much a global flavour to the portfolio of wines and spirits, but premium New World wines have been a growth area, with California, in particular, shining as a strength. Significant recent investments in sales staff, marketing (especially aimed at the independent retail sector), a new website, warehouse management and a new COO all add up to a further dynamic package for future growth.
20. Fells
A true industry stalwart in the best possible sense, with the up-scale names in this company’s stable typically blending family ethos, impeccable quality and brand reach. This is underwritten by majority ownership by Symington, plus minority stakes held by Torres and Hill Smith Family Estates, setting out a stall that also runs from Guigal to Hugel by way of Bouchard, Tedeshi and Fevre, to name but a few. And this impressive fine wine collection is backed by both a passion and a quiet professionalism throughout the team, which is why the portfolio gets a look in on so many lists across the UK.
21. Lea & Sandeman
Priding itself on its independence, which is reflected in the typically smaller production, quality-driven exclusive wines that form the backbone of the 4,000-strong drinks portfolio here, this five-shop-strong retailer-into-wholesaler is a smart operation. London-based, its list had long championed great finds from Italy, but as the breadth of its offer suggests, the likes of Bordeaux, Burgundy and other classic regions around the world are very well represented too. On the wholesale side, a well-trained team, plus its own fleet of vans, meaning highly knowledgeable and efficient service has built up a loyal following in the capital and beyond.
22. Raymond Reynolds
This Stockport-born business is synonymous with the best of Portugal, having championed both the well-known names and more esoteric finds from this diverse Iberian country since 1990. Growth since then has been steady and organic, but alongside the full range of support offered to wholesale accounts there is also a strong emphasis on sustainability, with some wines even shipped by sail to the UK to help cut the carbon footprint. More latterly, Spain and Germany have boosted the portfolio, always with the same emphasis on quality-driven, community-rooted producers.
23. Indigo Wine
Created as an importer of the exciting new wave of Spanish wines, this Brixton-based merchant has long since branched out, now with half of its portfolio populated by similarly distinct and exciting wines from around the globe. Innovation informs this wholesaler too, having developed its own selection of wines, made in partnership with some of the company’s favourite producers, offering exclusive labels that are also often strikingly designed. A lead founder of specialist Spanish tasting Viñateros, this dynamic importer has understandably grown way beyond its early London base, now with accounts across the UK.
24. Tolchards
A leading drinks wholesaler covering the south of England, this wholesaler has in the decade and a half since its foundation built a highly respected reputation for the efficiency and professionalism of its service. And with some 2,000 spirits, wines, beers, ciders and softs on offer, the portfolio covers all bases for the 2,000 customers it serves, including a good range of exclusive wines sourced from around the world.
25. Boutinot
Descriptors ‘personality’ and ‘drinkability’ top the bill when it comes to this Manchester-based distributor’s range, which can now be found in more than 60 countries. Today, this company makes and distributes an eye-watering array of labels and employs 180 globally. In recent years, it has also dug deeper into the production side by establishing partnerships or ‘homes’ with a small number of estates. These include New Zealand’s Heaphy and Wildeberg in Franschhoek, wholly owned by this importer.
26. Graft
Created in 2019 from the merger of Red Squirrel and The Knotted Vine, this dynamic business has established itself as a powerhouse over the past five years, acting as the driving force behind the Deep Down Under tasting, while still maintaining its independent approach to portfolio management and overall ethos. A roster of vibrant, producer-led wines is at the heart of the offer, with the range often offering esoteric gems from the road less travelled. More recently it has also built an exceptional range of wines from classic regions including Champagne, Burgundy, Jura, Rioja and Tuscany.
27. Small Beer
New to our list for 2024 is this proud cask- and craft-beer-led composite drinks wholesaler, servicing the East of England. This specialist majors on the ‘different’, with a portfolio that spans interesting, local, organic, gluten-free, premium, quality beer, and everything in between. The range doesn’t just stop at beer, however. By working with producers large and small, the portfolio encompasses a fully realised range of artisan wines and spirits, which are all well worth discovering.
28. Venus Wine & Spirit Merchants
Family-run since 1975, this sizeable wholesaler has one of the broadest drinks ranges in the UK, spanning wine, spirits, Champagne, beer, ciders and ales, plus liqueurs and mixers. The business prides itself on competitive pricing, while also offering a bumper selection of more than 2,000 spirits, with gin, rum and tequila continuing to be among the company’s largest growth categories. Overall, a great one-stop shop for quality drinks.
29. Drinks Club
There’s a clue in the name as to the ethos that informs this London-based supplier, which began life as recently as 2013, originally operating from a shipping container on a back lawn. Dedication to great service, coupled with ever-competitive prices, has seen the company grow into its current state-of-the art warehouse in west London, where it now offers more than 3,000 lines of wines, spirits and beers, selling its premium portfolio into restaurants, bars and hotels. A 24/7 online portal allows for ordering at any time, with deliveries also dropped promptly by zero-emissions vehicles, all of which has proved a winning formula.
30. Wanderlust Wine
With ‘a strong desire to travel’ as a foundational part of its ethos, this dynamic addition to the scene has a keen eye when it comes to rooting out original wines that push both boundaries and organoleptic buttons. This ethos extends to the UK market too. Thanks to its founder’s vision, namely that exclusive agency wines should be available across the country, this London-quartered business has a national sales team, which helps to ensure its esoteric-leaning list finds a deservedly broad audience.
31. Element Wines
As the only hospitality focused importer working solely with organic, biodynamic and low-intervention wines in Scotland, this business brings a wealth of experience and expertise in range curation which belies its small size. Just two people stand at the helm of this small but punchy operator, which currently offers 500 SKUs to restaurants and bars in Scotland and the North of England, many of them on allocation. Top examples of wine from France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and Austria are all represented, with value for the on-trade acting as a key tenet, without compromising on sustainable values.
32. Flint
Set up and often celebrated as a top Burgundy specialist, this compact but high-end-focused importer has since branched out globally to fold in the rest of France, Germany, Austria and Italy to its portfolio, with California becoming a notable second specialism. The team behind all of this are highly knowledgeable and personable, with their task made somewhat easier because of the quality of the wines they sell, appealing to wine-savvy restaurant buyers and sommeliers at top London restaurants and beyond.
33. Old Chapel Cellars
This firmly independent wine merchant services some of Cornwall’s top hotels, bars and restaurants with its strong list, while also maintaining an online and retail presence, and running a wine school. Spanish wines are an enduring specialism and the business premises were formerly occupied by Laymont & Shaw – a renowned Spanish and Portuguese Importer in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. The current incumbent co-owner Jamie Tonkin is also fluent in Spanish, and continues to build strong relationships with producers in the country. Overall, a professional, competitive outfit which has clinched a much-deserved place on this list.
34. Armit Wines
Following a remarkable turnaround in fortunes under MD Brett Fleming during the pandemic, this well-heeled business has re-established itself as an assured multichannel supplier with some of the top names in fine wine leading the portfolio. With a long-held focus on Italy, this merchant continues to offer a steady stream of iconic producers to its accounts (led by the premium London on-trade), with new names being added all the time, and sitting alongside labels such as Tenuta San Guido, Querciabella, Tua Rita and Bruno Giacosa, to name a few. It also continues to offer top exclusives from further afield, including the newly added Beaux Frères from Oregon.
35. Wines Under the Bonnet
Jumping up the ranks from number 50 last year is this London-based natural wine importer. The business started out as a ‘time-consuming hobby’ in 2015, focused on importing natural wines from historic European regions. Almost a decade in, it has continued to evolve its offer having turned its eye to English wine. Over the past few years, the business has folded in several small-scale winemakers at the forefront of UK viticulture, cementing itself as a champion of homegrown wine.
36. Bancroft Wines
Having cannily folded in many of FMV’s agency wines during the pandemic, this smart company expanded the depth and reach of its portfolio of family-run wineries, while maintaining a quality-focused, tailored approach to servicing its customer base. Today, the range is very well-formed, spanning fine wines and classic textbook examples from regions such as Spain, South Africa, Burgundy and Greece. It also boasts a host of wild and wonderful curios, with organic and biodynamic wines to the fore. A shining example of those mid-sized importers that keep the UK market so dynamic and exciting.
37. Clark Foyster Wines
Unabashedly eclectic in its offering, this independent family business adds large doses of passion to the mix by promising to only source wines in which they truly believe (and that are made by people they like). This comes through in the portfolio, which includes wines from Austria, France, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Madeira and Australia, with growers generally mirroring the business’ own DNA by being small and family run themselves. Low-intervention, organic and biodynamic wines take the lead, making up a large percentage of a portfolio that is tightly focused on sustainability for its new additions.
38. New Generation Wines
Modest in size this wholesaler may be, but it works across all channels and corners of the UK, while remaining true to its founding ethos in 2006 of wanting to ‘do business with integrity’, while growing organically. People are central in achieving this aim, whether that be the highly knowledgeable in-house team or the typically provenance-led suppliers that feed into the enticing portfolio. With a turnover of around £12m, New Generation Wines combines smaller, family-run and organic or biodynamic wines with some much bigger names in the mix, eschewing a one-size-fits-all approach, with South Africa and New Zealand of special note.
39. Hammonds of Knutsford
A trusted name in drinks wholesaling, this Northern-based stalwart excels in supplying premium spirits, wines and Champagnes to the on-trade across the UK. Known for its extensive range of hard-to-find whiskies and innovative products like Bullion Rum and Hands Off canned wine, the business stays ahead by adopting new brands early. With a focus on sustainability, alternative packaging from cans to refillable glass bottles are also very much part of the mix. As is quick, reactive service, with pride taken on close customer and supplier relationships, ensuring efficient, tailored experiences for clients.
40. The Oxford Wine Company
This Oxford-based drinks purveyor has been a trusted family-run wholesaler for more than three decades, offering a wide selection of wines to the on-trade across the UK. Its extensive portfolio covers over 2,100 SKUs from 57 countries, specialising in exclusive family-owned producers and hard-to-find labels. With dedicated trade and retail arms too, it also excels at personalised service, staff training and unique wine list curation. Recent investments in small-batch beers and bespoke digital platforms reflect an ongoing commitment to quality and efficiency, with a growing presence in hospitality, wine tourism and education all being part of the mix.
oxfordwine.co.uk/owc/wholesale
41. Ellis Wines
Established in 1822, this Surrey-based merchant has earned its reputation for impeccable service and a well-curated portfolio focused on sustainability. With deep-rooted supplier relationships and a growing emphasis on organic and sustainable production, the company has broadened its offering to cater to the increasing demand for eco-conscious products. Whether providing WSET training or bespoke wine lists, this wholesaler supports its clients with personal service and a flexible, customer-first approach, making it a reliable partner for the on-trade across London and the South West.
42. Drinks Warehouse UK
This independent composite drinks wholesaler is a firm favourite with pubs, bars and restaurants across the South East, backing up its extensive portfolio with an array of support services and an efficient, seven-days-a-week delivery capability. Bespoke wine solutions are also part of the package, with an extensive portfolio offered through its Sheridan Coopers Wine arm, while the beers, spirits, softs and bar essentials complete a clearly popular one-stop shop for drinks needs.
43. Master of Malt Trade
This specialist wholesaler is well known for its expansive range of more than 15,500 spirits, with a near-unrivalled selection of whiskies including unique, rare gems and household favourites. Backed by an innovative digital platform, next-day delivery service and no minimum order policy, this enables trade customers to react swiftly to market demands. Moreover, a popular round table series and other trade-focused initiatives demonstrate a strong commitment to modernising hospitality through flexible and customer-centric solutions.
44. Corney & Barrow
Revelling in 240 years of history, this independent wine merchant nonetheless is bang up to date in terms of both the breadth and depth of its portfolio, along with the wholesale delivery service it offers. In addition to serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and bars, this multifaceted business also folds in much else besides, including a brokerage service, en primeur offers, a catering side, plus two retail outlets in Ayr and Newmarket. And all of this is backed by a hugely knowledgeable team that delivers a refreshingly modern proposition, yet one backed by the confidence born of almost two and a half centuries of trading wine.
45. Museum Wines
This smart operation is a South African specialist, representing 18 boutique, family-run Cape wineries in the UK. With a passion for high-quality, handcrafted wines, it focuses on importing only the most exciting and unique bottles, nurturing a close relationship with the next generation of winemakers from South Africa, while bolstering this offer with selective agencies from other regions, such as Bordeaux. A very hands-on wholesaler that delivers a personal service and boutique wines that will stand out on any list.
46. Majestic Commercial
This impressive wholesaler has risen to become a leading UK national on-trade drinks supplier, offering a vast portfolio of wines, spirits and beers from both local producers and exclusive global brands. Its close retail and on-trade partnership allows hospitality venues access to stock from 208 stores nationwide, backed by WSET-trained staff for expert advice. The company’s comprehensive sustainability initiatives, such as introducing a fully electric van fleet and partnering with eco-conscious producers, highlights a forward-thinking approach. From local pubs to fine dining restaurants, a tailored, high-quality service is the upshot, with nationwide reach.
47. Maisons Marques et Domaines
Established in 1986 by independent family-owned Louis Roederer, this agent-importer has grown to embrace many top estates from around the world. And these, in turn, have joined a portfolio also grown by the acquisition of estates in California, Portugal, Provence and Bordeaux by the Champagne house itself. Now with a depth to the offer from both New and Old World, the emphasis here is on prestige on-trade and independent retail, where it finds a ready home for its premium family-owned producers.
48. Cambridge Wine Merchants
Founded in 1993, this merchant provides exceptional service and a diverse portfolio to customers across the county and beyond. With over 2,000 SKUs, including 450 core wines, it excels at curating affordable, sustainable wines from family-run producers. It prioritises personal service, ensuring that every account receives tailor-made support, including wine list design, in-house tastings and rapid delivery. Consistent growth in both client numbers and turnover is testament to a firm commitment to meeting the evolving needs of on-trade accounts.
49. The Wright Wine Company
With more than four decades of experience, this Skipton star prides itself on providing excellent customer service and one of the largest selections of mature stock, including rare and unique spirits. Its 5,000-strong portfolio includes a remarkable collection of vintage Champagnes, Burgundy, dessert wines and mature Loire Valley bottles. Known for its reliability and personal touch, the business serves many Michelin-starred restaurants and offers a dedicated commitment to customer needs, ensuring rapid and tailored deliveries even in challenging circumstances.
50. Spiegel & Peach
This Bristol-based business is a small, independent importer specialising in sustainable, low-intervention wines from lesser-known European regions. With a hands-on approach, the husband-and-wife team personally delivers to customers, ensuring a close relationship with each account. Their focus on affordable, unique wines and a flexible service allows them to provide clients with exciting, off-the-beaten-path offerings. Moreover, collaborative work with local importers and businesses further solidifies their commitment to fostering community-driven wine trade in the South West.
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