At the start of 2020 Italian drinks distributor Illva Saronno launched its UK subsidiary, Disaronno International UK. DR caught up with managing director Neil Jardine to find out how he – together with marketing director Miranda Osborne – set about hiring 21 new members of staff remotely to build up a business from scratch. Setting up a UK subsidiary is not new for a distributor…

Grape Minds was founded in November 2018 by two ex-Majestic staff , Graeme Woodward and Michael Jelley, when they identified a gap in the market for an independent store in the premium suburb of Summertown, to the north of Oxford. DR caught up with Woodward to find out more: What makes the store unique? It’s a fairly small shop and we have just under 500…

Hervé Deschamps has held the prestigious title of cellar master at Maison Perrier-Jouët for 37 years and is the seventh cellar master in the company’s 209-year history. He is now set to retire and pass on the baton to his successor, Severine Frerson. He talks to DR about his time with Perrier-Jouët, his hobbies outside of work and the projects he has worked on over…

Today’s rum category already seems vast. Couple that with ever-changing consumer trends and assembling a decent rum selection can seem like navigating a labyrinth in a blindfold. Here, DR explores the key trends in rum styles outside of spiced rum. We look at how the industry has reacted to classification attempts and explore what effective measures can be taken to put together a solid rum…

Angostura has launched a summer campaign to highlight the role of aromatic bitters in the Pink Gin Cocktail. The producer, which has created aromatic bitters since 1824, is working alongside a selection of gin brands this summer starting with World Gin Day on June 8. The company said the Pink Gin Cocktail is a “simple, yet potent drink, which is traditionally a mixture of Angostura…

Henkell has completed its acquisition of fellow sparkling wine giant Freixenet after gaining approval from the European Commission’s competition watchdog. It makes the group the world’s largest supplier of bubbly, with Freixenet joining the likes of Mionetto in a wide portfolio of sparklers. The German firm has purchased a 50.67% controlling stake in the business from the Hevia and Bonet families. It…

Swindon and its environs have several claims to fame, from yielding James Bond creator Sir Ian Fleming to creating what is surely the world’s most complex roundabout. The smallish market town has produced Dr Who star Billie Piper, smashed the sack race world record and been immortalised in The Office thanks to Neil and his dreaded Swindon lot. But it has another impressive…