Master of Malt has said it will postpone the introduction of duty hikes across its trade unit.   The Master of Malt Trade division, which serves both the on- and off-trade, will not introduce the 10.1% duty rise during August. The increase came into effect at the start of the month, alongside duty reform measures.   Master of Malt Trade flagged that inflation…

Chile’s VSPT Wine Group has announced the launch of a UK subsidiary. VSPT UK will “strengthen distribution and service to the market and retailers”, the company said.  VSPT, which also has holdings in Argentina, counts San Pedro, Graffigna, Viña Leyda, Tarapacá, Sideral and Altair among its brands. The opening of a UK arm follows subsidiaries in both the US and China. VSPT global sales director German…

The Federation of Independent Retailers (Fed) has shown support for introducing a minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Northern Ireland.  Stormont opened consultation on the introduction of a minimum unit pricing (MUP) earlier this year, with the Fed confirming it was in favour of the move. A MUP was already brought into the Republic of Ireland in January.  However, a recent report published by…

Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) has come into force in Wales. As of today, retailers and any outlets serving alcohol must charge at least 50p per unit. As a result of this, a bottle of wine cannot be priced at less than £4.69.   A similar system was introduced in Scotland in May 2018 and the results of this are still being assessed. Under the Public…

A campaign is being launched to remind shoppers and retailers about the start of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Wales. MUP will start in Wales on March 2, after which retailers will have to charge at least 50p per unit. The Welsh Government will be launching advertising via social media, radio and online from next week to remind retailers of the March start…