Former Bidendum CEO Michael Saunders has been appointed CEO of Coterie Holdings. Saunders is set to assume the new role at Coterie, which is the holding company for Lay & Wheeler and Jera Wine, on January 1 2024. Saunders will be working alongside Coterie’s chair, Chris Robinson, the former group CFO of Berry Bros & Rudd. He first joined Bidendum in 1983,…

County Durham-based Lanchester Wines has achieved BRC accreditation for storage and distribution – an accreditation the company said is only held by two other UK wine businesses. Lanchester, which operates around one million sq ft of bonded warehousing across five sites, has received AA rating from the BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standard, formerly the British Retail Consortium). This accreditation “ensures the quality and safety…

Pernod Ricard has reported a single-digit sales increase in the UK, as part of its full-year 2023 results announcement. The company said today that sales in the UK were up 2% in the 12 months to the end of June, with “dynamic double-digit sales from Jameson, Absolut, Malibu and Kahlua”. The company reported share gains in the UK on-trade. Overall, global group net sales rose…

Premium alcohol brands have continued to grow and sell in the face of the global cost of living crisis, according to market research company Euromonitor International.   The firm’s head of alcoholic drinks, Spiros Malandrakis said premiumisation remains “firmly in the spotlight” across Champagne, spirits and alcohol-free alternatives.   “This is premiumisation against all the odds,” he said. “Aspirational momentum is overcoming the cost…

English sparkling wine company Chapel Down has reported a 21% boost in sales for the six months to June 30. In a trading update today, the company said net sales in the period were £8.37 million, up from £6.94 million in H1 2022. Off-trade sales rose 25%, with Chapel Down’s market share at 36% in the six months, up from 31% in H1 2022. Citing…

The former CEO and co-founder of Quintessential Brands has bought the drinks company behind Cactus Jack, Veroni Amaretto and Hawksbill Rum.  Warren Scott, who divested his interest in Quintessential in July 2022, has acquired drinks manufacturer Intercontinental Brands (ICB) through his investment company Kliro Capital.  Scott, founder of Kliro, said the company is looking to position itself as a leading supplier of…

Virgin Wines UK has said performance for the year to June 30 is in line with expectations. The ecommerce wine retailer said in its FY23 trading update today that total sales for the year reached £59 million, with adjusted profit before tax “no less than £0.5 million” for the period. The latest figures represent a dip in performance for the company, with FY22 overall group…