Drinks distributor Drinks 21 Group has purchased retailer and wholesaler The General Wine Company.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, includes two wine shops in Hampshire, an online shop and a trade business with around 500 on-trade customers.

Drinks 21 co-founder and CEO Stephen Brogan told Drinks Retailing his core business distributes into duty free for big brands including the likes of Heineken and Penfolds.

“We were looking for something more local, in the UK,” he said. “The time was right for the former owners of The General Wine Company to exit, and we now have a new string to our bow in supplying the on-trade in the UK.”

Brogan said he would look to open more shops in the Hampshire locale “where new sites also offered greater reach to supply trade accounts”.

He also said he wouldn’t rule out other locations, “as long as we can combine the trade element”.

“We have built our specialism in importing and distribution,” he said of Drinks 21, which has been going since 2011. “Our strengths are in that but we have long standing careers in UK on-trade wholesale and we are very excited to add this back into our business.”