Virgin Wines: Revenue flat as it looks to weather bottleneck in market Business Online wine seller Virgin Wines has reported flat year-on-year revenue as it searches for ways to acquire loyal customers and increase efficiency in a tough trading environment. Total revenue remained at £59m in the year ended 28 June, while profit before tax increased by £2.4m to £1.7m, from a loss of £0.7m in 2023. Adjusted [...]
Wine sellers in ‘bleak’ alcohol duty tax burden warning Business Four of the UK’s biggest wine sellers have said that upcoming changes to alcohol duty will lead to price rises in a “bleak” warning to their customers. Majestic, Laithwaites, The Wine Society and Cambridge Wine Merchants are amongst the wine businesses who together launched a poster campaign against changes to the excise duty. Excise Duty [...]
The ultimate weekend in Sussex, with wild swimming, wine and Monet’s lilies Life&Style Sussex’s latest opening has wild swimming – and warm hot tubs, finds Justine Gosling THE WEEKEND: One of the UK’s most diverse counties and easily reached by car or train in under an hour from London, West Sussex spans the coast and the South Downs National Park, encompassing hills, the city of Brighton, harbours, farmland [...]
Chapel Down: Half-year profit almost wiped out as wine maker blames ‘one-off factors’ September 4, 2024 English wine producer Chapel Down has blamed ‘one-off factors’ for its pre-tax profit almost being wiped out during the first half of its financial year. The Kent-headquartered company, which is listed on AIM, said the fall from £2.4m to £40,000 in the in the six months ended 30 June was due to a ‘difficult macroeconomic environment’, [...]
Hallgarten and Novum Wines gearing up for hiring spree following buyout September 3, 2024 Hallgarten and Novum Wines is gearing up for a hiring spree after the family that owned the business for more than 50 years sold up to the fine wine trader Coterie. The Luton-headquartered wine importer, which had been owned by the Pieroth family since 1972, said it would launch a recruitment drive later this year [...]
Naked Wines boss ‘excited about the future’ as the company goes ‘back to basics’ August 30, 2024 Over the last year, Naked Wines has undergone a painful restructuring process, with measures to reduce costs, stock, and advertising spending in what it called a “pivot to profit.” In December 2023, the company warned that it might not be able to pay its debts if it didn’t manage to make a turnaround work. Now, [...]
From Wimbledon to Glastonbury and Glyndebourne, the wine to drink to celebrate summer August 28, 2024 Summer, and all its events, is coming to a close, but what does your favourite celebration say about you and what you should be drinking, from Wimbledon to Glastonbury and Glyndebourne? WIMBLEDON: There is something so quintessentially English about Wimbledon with its green tennis courts, crisp white outfits and bowls of strawberries and cream. Champagne [...]
Square Mile and Me: Berry Bros CEO Emma Fox on retail, her career and wine July 25, 2024 Each week we ask a City figure to take a trip down memory lane. Today, Berry Bros CEO Emma Fox, who is also executive director at The City Pub Group and formerly held senior roles at Halfords and Walmart Canada, takes us through her sparkling career What was your first job? Potato picker over the [...]
Sir Tim Martin: Wetherspoon boss on Brexit, his successor and how he lost £100m July 16, 2024 Wetherspoon boss Sir Tim Martin reveals the toll being a prominent Brexit campaigner had on him, succession plans and how he once lost £100m.
Chapel Down brings in Rothschild & Co to conduct strategic review as firm considers sale June 25, 2024 In an announcement to the markets this morning, Britain's biggest winemaker said it was the right time to review long-term funding options to support its growth strategy.