Having joined Rémy Cointreau over 25 years ago, Cécile Roudaut is the master blender behind St-Rémy brandy. She discusses sustainability, new product launches and her aspirations for the brand HOW DID YOU BEGIN YOUR CAREER IN THE DRINKS INDUSTRY?  Originally, I wanted to be an archaeologist. I studied biology and did an internship in cosmetics. This journey then led me into a…

Gabe Cook explores the international brands that are making waves on their own shores – and in the UK Is there anything more quintessentially British, more evocative of the Shire and all things bucolic, than cider? Nestled along meandering lanes with tall hedges lie villages with names like Nempnett Thrubwell and Much Marcle – both very real places – home to farms where…

NIQ senior analytics executive Derya Calis takes a closer look at the category’s off -trade performance In the 52 weeks to February 10, the cider and perry category witnessed a modest increase in sales value, to total £1.1 billion, representing 1.4% growth on the previous year. This was primarily driven by higher prices, as volume sales saw a decline of 7.4% in the…

The talk on the sidelines at this year’s Prowein was about two things: is Wine Paris catching up and why is Düsseldorf so eye-wateringly expensive? While there’s no doubt there were key players missing from this February’s Wine Paris, there is also no doubt the fair is growing and attracting more attention. Walking the halls of Wine Paris, there were definitely scouts from…

For years the long-term trend in supermarkets was for own-label to increase share as shoppers came to realise that the quality had improved and it was an easy way to save money versus a branded equivalent.  When the first lockdown hit in March 2020, the pendulum swung back the other way. This can be attributed to people wanting comforting and familiar things in…

With myriad cider types available, International Cider Challenge chair Adam Wells says consumers need to be better educated to understand the market Let’s cut right to the chase. Cider styles – particularly in the UK – are a tangle of thorns tied in a Gordian knot.  Those of us who have the thankless task of stitching their thicket of loose threads into…

Last February UK spirits distributor Mangrove was acquired by Martinique-based conglomerate GBH. The deal saw Mangrove join Spiribam, which coordinates all of the spirits activities at GBH. Mangrove co-founder Nick Gillett (pictured left) tells Lucy Britner about the first year under new ownership Drinks Retailing: How has the first year been? Nick Gillett:…