Venus Wine and Spirits expansion continues with new Birmingham depot

By James Lawrence

Published: 14 May, 2025

Venus Wine and Spirits Merchants is poised to open a fifth distribution centre one year after the business was acquired by the Booker Group in 2024.

According to the group: “The Birmingham site follows the opening of a Greater Manchester depot in Eccles earlier this year, expanding Venus’ commercial footprint in the North West region.”

The firm also emphasised that the new depot will strengthen Venus’ presence in the Midlands and support Booker’s wider strategy to grow its on-trade drinks offer across key UK regions – part of a concerted push to scale up operations and enhance service to the hospitality and wholesale sectors.

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Meanwhile, Venus has appointed Peter Bridge as head of buying. He joins the senior leadership team with a remit to develop the company’s product portfolio and grow its relationships with global producers in the wine, beer and spirit sectors.

Andrew Yaxley, CEO, Booker Group, commented: “Since acquiring Venus last June, we’ve laid out ambitious growth plans, and it’s encouraging to see early momentum. Our new depots in Birmingham and Greater Manchester not only extend our reach but also enable us to offer premium drinks options to more customers in key hospitality hubs.

“The sector is navigating shifting consumer preferences and volatile pricing, but we’re investing for the long term. With Venus in our portfolio, we now offer a compelling combined proposition for the trade – a one-stop-shop for food and drinks, backed by our in-depot and delivered services, value-led pricing and strong customer partnerships.”

MD Neil Jewsbury added: “This is a pivotal moment for Venus as we scale our operations nationally. The new depots help us serve the dynamic hospitality market in the Midlands and North West, bringing our expertly curated range of wines, spirits and beers to more venues.

“Premiumisation remains a key trend, and we’re responding with agility. Our growing team and expanded portfolio are helping to solidify our position as a leading supplier in the on-trade space.”

Founded in 1975, Venus Wine and Spirits Merchants supplies more than 3,000 premium products to bars, pubs and restaurants across the UK.

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