For this issue, Lucy Britner sat down with the entrepreneurial force that is Amanda Thomson, the CEO and founder of B Corp-certified Thomson & Scott, maker of Noughty alcohol-free wine Amanda Thomson did one of the first interviews with Oasis. It was 1994, the year they released debut album Definitely Maybe, and they were playing at Sheffield’s famous Leadmill. Before a career in…

In February, Marks & Spencer took home three Drinks Retailing Awards, including Supermarket of the Year. Head of BWS transformation Andrew Shaw talks Lucy Britner through his work Andrew Shaw started life in the drinks industry at the tender age of 14, pressing grapes at Wootton Vineyard in Somerset, under the watchful eye of English wine pioneer Major Colin Gillespie. His parents also…

Nigel Huddleston talks to Gerry’s manager Allen Daly about what makes this year’s Drinks Retailing Awards indie spirits winner so special  With its slightly shabby, almost Dickensian ambience, and an insistence on old-fashioned counter service, London indie Gerry’s feels like something from the old Soho – the one of black-and-white photos of smog-strewn streets, of peep shows and illicit drinking dens, of the rag…

Last July, Treasury Wine Estates’ Tony Watson switched from commercial director for UK & Ireland to be the EMEA general manager at the new Premium Brands division. Almost a year into the job, Watson tells Lucy Britner about taking 19 Crimes beyond wine, a non-alcoholic Wolf Blass and TWE’s financial commitments to sustainability. First, some housekeeping: The Premium Brands business unit was…

Last week, M&S held its spring/summer press tasting. Drinks Retailing caught up with Andrew Shaw, head of trading for drinks, to talk about the customer experience, new product development and the department’s approach to sustainability How does M&S differ from other retailers when it comes to drinks? Andrew Shaw: Other retailers sell more promotable lines because a lot of brand owners have the investment…

As costs rise for consumers and suppliers, what will this mean for the wine industry? Energy bills are expected to increase “at least 14 times faster” than wages this year, according to the Trades Union Congress. TUC analysis suggests that, while gas and electricity bills are set to rise by 54% when Ofgem’s price cap is increased next month, average weekly wages are expected to…

Joanne Moore, master distiller at G&J Distillers and Quintessential Brands, is celebrating 25 years in distilling. She tells Drinks Retailing what’s changed, what’s around the corner – and what she likes to drink. What are the biggest changes you’ve witnessed over the past 25 years? When I think back to 1996 when I joined G&J Distillers, it feels like a completely different world in…