SITT founder Judy Kendrick has re-joined the fold and will serve as brand ambassador for the tasting after it was purchased by OLN owner Agile Media. Kendrick set up the Specialist Importers Trade Tasting 12 years ago and it has gone on to become the leading event for specialist wine importers to target independent retailers and the on-trade. It has been run by William Reed…

Asda has revealed ambitious plans to become the UK’s leading craft beer retailer after bolstering its range with more than 100 brews from across the world. The retailer has axed a lot of duplication in mainstream lager to make room for the new beers, which include several exclusives. The idea is to broaden customer choice while cutting out drinks that do a similar job, and…

Craft gin brand Caorunn is poised for a bigger off-trade push, following the news that it has secured widespread Tesco listings outside of its Scottish heartland as a result of strong consumer demand. The gin, which was launched in 2009, has seen sales double in the UK each year since 2015, according to Nielsen data. Sales are currently growing well ahead of the growth in…

Waitrose is gearing up to add 27 new craft beers to its range, with the new additions set to go on shelf from 1 May. Sarah Hammond, Waitrose’s beer and cider buyer, told OLN: “It will be a combination of some new brewers and some lovely exclusivity with some existing brewers. “We will be extended our beer range by adding these craft beers but we…

Chapel Down has announced last year was “another fantastic year of growth” with year-on-year sales up by 25% to £6.8m, and wine gross profit up by 30% to £2.8m. Its beer and cider sales from its associate company Curious Drinks rose by 32% to £3.4m, with gross profit from this arm of the business up by 39% to £1.1m. The English wine producer said that last year…

A leading cider producer has challenged the anti-alcohol lobby over the unsubstantiated claims it has been making about white cider in the national media. The Alcohol Health Alliance decided to target cider above 7.5% abv for a Budget clobbering and launched a media blitz that earned it headlines across the national media in March. The press releases made unsubstantiated and alarmist claims…

The off-trade spirits market is in a good position for growth, with signs it is picking up traction from the on-trade, according to a leading bartender. Tristan Stephenson has been appointed Lidl UK’s new spirits consultant and will work closely with the spirits buying team to advise on NPD and provide tasting notes and cocktail recipes for existing products. The retailer already…