Ahead of his new book, Henry Jeffreys heralds the energy that’s reinventing English sparkling wine Before I started researching my book, Vines in a Cold Climate, I had a view that English sparkling wines were usually well made but rarely thrilling. Now, having come to the end of a year immersed in the subject, I am pleased to say that I could not have been…

From August 1, the alcohol duty regime is scheduled to change to a simplified system, with products from different categories taxed at the same rate if the alcohol content is the same, rather than the current system of different rates for different categories. A 3.5% abv cut-off between two duty rates will be significant for beer, with products having an incentive to…

The then Black Sheep Brewery chairman Andy Slee wrote last August, in an introduction to the company’s 2021/22 accounts: “When future generations look back at this period in British history, the resilience and versatility of Britain’s pubs and brewers will shine through”. Any post-pandemic residual optimism within the British brewing industry has since ebbed away at an alarming rate. Black Sheep is…

As Drinks Retailing unveils the Top 100 influential people in the industry in its latest issue, we ask four experts from the worlds of brands, marketing and consumer insight what elements most easily persuade consumers to part with their hard-earned cash Tom Harvey, co-founder, YesMore marketing agency  The word “influencer” evokes images of a Gen Z social media star creating…

As North South Wines secures its B Corp status, founder and managing director Kim Wilson and sustainability manager Rebecca Murphy talk exclusively to Lucy Britner about their ongoing journey “In the future, you won’t have a sustainability manager, because being sustainable will be a part of everything you do,” believes Rebecca Murphy, who currently has that job at North South Wines and has…

As the Coronation weekend approaches, BWS sales are on the rise in UK supermarkets according to the latest data from NIQ (formerly NielsenIQ).  During the four weeks ending April 22 2023, nearly all categories saw an increase in promotional spend, with 51% of branded beer, wines and spirit sales being made while these products were on offer. Overall, consumer spending on promotional items…

Coca-Cola is arguably the most recognisable soft drink in the world. And now, in a first, its brand owners are tapping into the rapidly expanding RTD category with the release of Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola in pre-mixed cans. Launched across both the on- and off-trade earlier this month, the collaboration is a testimony to the ever-growing popularity of RTDs among both retailers and…