S RETA K IL N I I N
R G D 2020
A WA R DS
The Finalists
WITH THANKS TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS
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NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
DIOGENES THE DOG EIGHT STONY STREET GRAPE MINDS INDIE BEER
Texan and Polish wines are among the The people of Frome in Somerset were Ex-Majestic managers Graeme Woodward London isn’t exactly short on decent esoteric choices to be found at Diogenes fortunate enough to be the recipients of a and Michael Jelley took the bold step bottle shops, but beer nuts Owen and the Dog, a new hybrid bar and wine shop stunning new hybrid restaurant/wine shop of going it alone in the shadow of their Clare Daniel were astute enough to fi nd in the upcoming area around Elephant concept after owner Kent Barker’s search former employer. The pair have opened a hitherto untapped high-footfall area of & Castle in south London. Owner Sunny for the perfect venue took him across the Grape Minds in Oxford’s prosperous north London when they decided to turn Hodge has made it his mission to unearth breadth of southern England. The former Summertown area, close enough to mine their own retailing ambitions into reality. under-the-radar gems for customers at the restaurant he chose has two fl oors with the seams of goodwill and customer They’ve also shown a lot of other beer venue, which has been a real labour of love a spectacular glass fascia, behind which rapport they’d built up in their old jobs, but shops how to do things with the Indie for the young entrepreneur. In addition to he and his team have paid high attention far enough off the main drag to keep costs Beer concept, which combines drink-in sourcing the wines he designed the space to detail in creating a luxurious space to down and maximise margins. The wine and take-out sales with a commitment to himself and even constructed his own browse for interesting bottles of wine to range aims to establish diff erence from the educate and inform. Fridges and walls are bespoke racks on which to display the take home or to sip a refreshing beer – or multiples at accessible price points with adorned with gen on styles and fl avours to wines for off -sale purposes. even combine the two. customer service a high priority. get customers tuned into beer’s joys.
DRINKS WHOLESALER OF THE YEAR
CRAFT DRINKS HT DRINKS PIG’S EARS BEER PARFETTS
Craft Drinks was established in 2014, HT is one of the largest specialist drinks In the nine years since it launched, Pig’s Parfetts has a long-held reputation for specifi cally to champion British drinks wholesalers in the UK carrying a list of Ears has quickly earned a reputation excellent product range and service in from a growing army of artisanal over 5,000 products. It aims to ensure it as one of the UK’s foremost specialist beers, wines and spirits. It continues to producers. Its portfolio of 150 brands is more than a box-shifter, engaging with craft beer suppliers, but it has also now develop its drinks off er with promotions includes microbrewers, craft cidermakers, retailers through trade days where brand diversifi ed into independently-made themed around key calendar dates such English vineyards, small-batch distillers and owners set up pop-up experiences within spirits to meet the growing needs of its as bank holidays and major sports events. niche soft drink producers, targeting small depots for customers to get a taste for the customers across the broader drinks Seasonal packages in the past year have independents: c-stores, village shops, wine products they’ll be selling. The HT Drinks market. Pig’s Ears operates around a core included its fi rst ale festival, providing merchants, specialist beer stores, online Retail Plus club provides customers with set of ideals, which reshape the traditional retailers with insight into a fast-changing retailers, farm shops, delis and garden plan-for-profi t schemes, practical guidance relationship between wholesaler and part of the market to help them keep ahead centres. It provides a fl ow of samples to on merchandising, promotions with customer, such as transparent pricing, of the game. Parfetts’ digital platforms have help retailers understand new products supporting POS and investment in branded in-house delivery drivers and no minimum been upgraded recently to keep customers’ and encourages producers to work with fascias. In-depot “knowledge guardians” orders. All employees take Beer Academy drinks packages at the cutting edge, while them to off er training and in-store tasting receive training from suppliers to pass on training each year to ensure their collective its Gold retail club processes online orders support. expertise to retailers. knowledge is second to none. overnight for next day delivery.
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CONVENIENCE DRINKS RETAILER OF THE YEAR
COSTCUTTER BROCKLEY JUST FRESH ST ANNES RAVENS BUDGENS WHITE’S OF CALVER ABRIDGE Peter Patel has seen a massive surge in Sudheesh Pallikulangara bought his fi fth Business is booming a year down the BWS sales at his Costcutter store adjacent c-store in April 2018 and immediately The Raven family have been trading in line from a substantial refurbishment to Brockley Overground station in south set about giving it a new lease of life with various businesses on the same site in at Edward White’s Spar store at a busy London. The success lies in a complete investment in food-to-go. Upscaling the the Essex village of Abridge since 1929, crossroads in the heart of the Peak District. revamp for the shop, which successfully shop’s drinks off ering was a key part with current owner Goran Raven’s father The rebuild incorporates food-to-go and a fi ghts off competition from two nearby of the revamp with a bigger range that turning their petrol station into a full-blown coff ee shop for weary travellers as well as Sainsbury’s Locals with a convenience combines the best of mainstream brands convenience retailer in the 1990s. Under all the everyday shopping needs of locals package that off ers a great product range and premium products, to match the needs its current Budgens guise, things have been from the village of Calver in which the store and achieves exceptional standards of shoppers in the well-heeled Lancashire taken to another level, with BWS forming sits. A separate space for beers, wines and of retail discipline. The drinks section town of St Annes. The refi t included a central part of a recent refurbishment. spirits has been created at the rear, making is immaculately presented in a prime a substantial investment in chillers to The package ticks all the boxes of modern it a feature department, with premium position at the front of the store and has a maximise the potential of the alcohol c-store excellence with added high-value wines sourced through local independent special focus on beers from London. off ering. wines sourced in a deal with Laithwaite’s. John Hattersley Wines.
CONVENIENCE CHAIN OF THE YEAR
BUDGENS CO-OP SPAR
The Budgens name has been on the high street since Few multiple retailers’ drinks packages have seen such a Consolidation and collaboration in the convenience 1872 and it’s only relatively recently that the group, under rapid uplift in quality and variety as that of the Co-op in market have made it a more competitive place to do Booker ownership, has been recast as a symbol group for recent times. The retailer is already a UK leader in Fairtrade business in the past couple of years and, in BWS, Spar has independently-owned businesses. The Budgens brands and it has reconfi rmed its commitment by stepping up responded in fi ne style with signifi cant developments in its sits at the top end of the convenience market and stores’ Fairtrade sourcing for South African wine to another approach. It has added a vegan-friendly Vine & Bloom wine drinks off erings usually refl ect this with a more premium level. It has also sought to take convenience customers range and is aiming for all its own-label wines to qualify skew on a branded BWS range. Flexibility in sourcing has on a journey beyond the bog-standard brands by adding for the description by 2021. It has also set up an incentive- allowed several members to source higher-price tiers of contemporary wines, such as a blend of 85% Pinot Blanc driven wine club for retailers to build sales and share best wines from Laithwaite’s as a further signpost of quality for and 15% Grüner Veltliner from Hungary, English sparkling practice, including education, dedicated social media their customers. rosé under the Irresistible label and an own-label PX sherry. groups and invitations to consumer and trade wine shows.
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INDEPENDENT CIDER RETAILER OF THE YEAR
BIER HUIS DIKE & SON PILANGO CIDER VAULTS
David Jones may have originally named his shop with beer This family-owned supermarket in rural Dorset is Few drinks retailers display a more single-minded focus on in mind, but it’s carved a substantial reputation for cider no stranger to the DRAs as a former winner of our their core product than Victor Zasadzki’s shrine to cider too during the time it’s been trading in the centre of Ossett Convenience Drinks Retailer of the Year Award. Part of in a west London railway arch. Naturally there’s a fantastic in West Yorkshire. This is not cider’s natural territory but the reason for its past success is the way it has displayed range of ciders for customers to get enthused about but it’s Bier Huis has championed it continuously, in particular excellence in a number of BWS categories that would more the all-round Pilango retail experience that makes it stand providing a showcase for producers from Yorkshire. It’s than match many specialist drinks stores. Cider is one of out. There’s a tasting station with free samples on entry, also amassed a range from all corners of the UK, with those, with an enormous range of products from smaller, information to help cider novices make choices based county fl ags on shelf edges to highlight their origins. local producers backed by big-name brands and speciality on the taste profi le of their wine-drinking preferences, Country fl ags big-up international ciders, which form a ciders from overseas producers. Floor stacks and chillers food matching suggestions scrawled on blackboards, and substantial part of the Bier Huis cider range. Sales benefi t ensure that cider has prominent visibility within the BWS jars of fruit and other items designed to help customers from a busy events programme, including cider and cheese aisle, hitting the high notes on speciality while satisfying appreciate how apple-growing terrain and weather can tastings that have become the stuff of local legend. everyday needs. impact a cider’s fl avour.
MULTIPLE CIDER RETAILER OF THE YEAR
The Co-op’s renaissance goes on apace, with the Nisa and Morrisons has given extra space to cider in many of Tesco has achieved consistent growth in cider in recent Costcutter tie-ups helping to take its cider, along with other its stores as the category contributes to BWS growth. times by keeping a steady focus on breadth of range and products, to a wider audience than ever before across Secondary promotional siting for key lines and unrivalled visibility for the category in its stores. It was among the fi rst the convenience sector. Its Irresistible Tillington Hills dry product information at the point of sale help to make cider to market with Kopparberg’s new rosé cider last summer, cider is one of the best own-labels on the block, but the shopping a less confusing process for Morrisons customers, but it’s not just about the latest big thing in the category Co-op gets behind the products from brand owners, small who can select from an eclectic mix of mainstream and for the retailer, which off ers multipacks of leading brands, and large, to give the cider industry as a whole valuable premium brands that covers all the key touch-points in quality in own-label, exotic ciders from around the world, support. Local cider ranges are a feature in many of its apple, fruit and fl avoured ciders, including several brands crafty things in cans, organic products in bag-in-box and all stores across the UK. that don’t get a look in on other multiples’ shelves. the latest in on-trend fl avours.
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INDEPENDENT BEER RETAILER OF THE YEAR
BATH ROAD BEERS THE BEERHIVE BEER ZOO LITTLE LEEDS BEERHOUSE
Keen attention has been paid to the Beer is the hero category at Peter Sherry’s Dom and Fiona Holt opened their second It may be little but the store owned by customer journey by owners Andrew all-round drinks specialist in Edinburgh’s Beer Zoo store, in Dunbar, towards the Richard and Bryony Brownhill in Leeds city Coates and Will Coates (no relation) in Canonmills district. A range that can back end of 2019. The original shop is in centre is perfectly formed. Situated in the setting up Cheltenham’s newest specialist number more than 700 at any one time Edinburgh’s seaside district of Portobello, city’s Corn Exchange, the Beerhouse is in beer store. The layout guides customers includes an excellent selection from a tiny unit that manages to cram in some a community of independent businesses, through a seating area where they can sip Scottish brewers, some of the best from the of the best beers and brewers from around and the couple work their extensive on a draught beer, past a bank of fridges English craft scene, timeless classics from Scotland, the rest of the UK and overseas, contacts book, built up in past on-trade aimed at impulse purchasers, and into the Belgium and Germany, and an exciting giving beer fans lots of opportunity to careers, to formulate a carefully-chosen shop’s heart where they can explore ranges contribution from smaller Irish producers. experiment and explore. People from range that makes the best use of the space from traditional brewers and the best of the Peter and his team are immersed in the much further afi eld can also enjoy Beer available. The business excels in social new guard. There’s a separate events space beer industry, bringing unrivalled levels Zoo’s range as the Holts have put energy media and is an infl uencer of beer tastes in to the rear and bags of brewing information of knowledge and inspiration to customer and investment into building a credible the city through its participation in major stencilled on to walls. conversations. online business too. local industry events.
MULTIPLE BEER RETAILER OF THE YEAR ISTOCK.COM / TUPUNGATO / ISTOCK.COM
MARKS & SPENCER MORRISONS TESCO
Through its long-standing sourcing partnership with With the proliferation of brewers and fragmentation of Craft and speciality beer has grown out of its niche to former independent beer DRA champion Real Ale, Marks beer styles, the modern beer-shopping experience can become a substantial side-arm of the mainstream beer & Spencer’s exclusive-label beer range has long stood apart be tricky, but Morrisons makes things easy with hard-to- market and no multiple has done more to encourage this from the crowd in multiple beer retailing. The range is miss point-of-sale that gives a breakdown of all the key progression than Tesco. It has brought smaller brewers into subject to consistent review and regeneration to keep up information. It helps shoppers diff erentiate a sour from its range, was quick to embrace small cans as a new – or with the nuances of modern trends, and individual beers an IPA and a stout from a best bitter, down to the correct second time around – packaging format and has widened frequently sweep up competition gongs. The chain was serving temperatures for each. Multibuy off ers encourage the horizons of shoppers by off ering mix-and-match named Retailer of the Year after its own-label off erings exploration, elevating the beer shopping mission above the deals to promote experimentation. It is one of the few scooped a clutch of awards at our own International Beer everyday. Local beer ranges are sure-fi re winners as they’re supermarkets to give gluten-free beer a place in its free- Challenge in 2019. put together with the help of customer feedback. from aisles.
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INDEPENDENT SPIRITS RETAILER OF THE YEAR
FIELD & FAWCETT OXFORD WINE CO THE WHISKY EXCHANGE WRIGHT WINE CO
Field & Fawcett occupies a characterful Spirits have always had an important role After opening its second store in London’s A one-time blacksmith’s workshop in the former farm building just outside York. It to play at Oxford’s famous specialist wine Fitzrovia district in 2018, The Whisky North Yorkshire town of Skipton is the makes for a labyrinthine retail space that merchant, but the past couple of years Exchange is in the processof bringing a unlikely location for one of the most jaw- combines deli and café with one of the best have seen it ramp up its spirits off er, both third to fruition close to London Bridge dropping ranges of spirits anywhere on all-round drinks retailing off ers to be found in product range and events, to make the station. Stores dedicate a whole fl oor to the UK drinks retailing map. The building anywhere in the UK. Spirits are a particular category a feature focus of the business. It celebrating the spirit that gives the business occupies a deceptively large space that focus with hundreds of products across all off ers a strong blend of recognisable names its name, and another to a range that creates separate rooms for particular spirit of the major sub-categories, displayed with and more left-fi eld choices across all of the provides a benchmark for other retailers types and wine regions. It’s the sort of store precision and personality. Sample bottles major spirit types to establish a customer to aspire to in every conceivable corner where it’s easy to lose a couple of hours allow customers to try before they buy, and journey of exploration and discovery. Its of the spirits market. The shops are fi tted browsing through the range, chatting to the shop does a great line in gift packs that own-brand gin provides a point of focus out to a luxurious specifi cation and The the staff about selections or sampling from off er shoppers everything they need to in a local range highlighted in both of its Whisky Exchange’s customer service ethic some of the hundreds of bottles that are make popular classic cocktails. stores in the city. is second to none. always open to off er someone a taste.
MULTIPLE SPIRITS RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Spirits is one of the buzz categories of BWS at the moment The Preston-based multiple is north west England’s own There’s plenty of action in the Waitrose spirits aisle, and Asda’s stores refl ect the sector’s energy. It has a gem in the upmarket supermarket sector, so it should come with exclusive lines over the past 12 months including multitude of gift packs, secondary siting of spirits on as no surprise that it has tapped into the demand for local an XO brandy in a Christmas jumper, a Famous Grouse multiple gondola ends around its bigger stores and beats spirits that is a dominant theme in the modern UK spirits blended whisky aged in wine casks and VSOP Cognac and many of its competitors to the punch with big-name brand market. Around one in seven of its stores’ ranges are from Armagnac joining its revamped No 1 upper tier of own- exclusives and launches. Asda’s own gin range goes from the county in which they sit and it achieved a coup in 2019 labels. It’s taken the spirits fun outside stores too, with the strength to strength, with its Extra Special Premium Pink when it managed to secure 500 bottles of the fi rst single launch of an in-home whisky tasting experience, following gin named best in its class in a recent Good Housekeeping malt release from the Lakes Distillery, around one in 12 on from the success of its Gin O’Clock experience. It was taste test. bottles of the total output. named best multiple in our own Think Gin awards.
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INDEPENDENT CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING RETAILER
BON VIVANT’S COMPANION CAMBRIDGE WINE LEA & SANDEMAN THE WHISKY EXCHANGE MERCHANTS Champagne and sparkling wine are hero The west London wine merchant has No, that’s not a mistake – The Whisky categories at this boutique specialist drinks Cambridge Wine Merchants is well into its become one of the most respected in the Exchange is on the right page. The business emporium in the centre of Edinburgh. third decade of doing exciting things in all UK in recent years and turned things up a has rightly staked a claim as one of the best The warm, inviting shop also serves as areas of drinks retailing in the city that gives notch in 2019 by opening its fi fth site. The spirits specialists in the market in recent the sourcing hub for a group of the city’s it its name. Its various sites comprise a mix stores strike a perfect balance between years, but buyer Dawn Davies MW has also leading independent restaurants, which of bars and hybrids, with Champagne and high levels of specialism and making been using her wine expertise and passion gives it the buying power to put together fi zz given prominent retail space within wine an accessible shopping experience for the subject to expand its horizons an exciting sparkling range that includes them. A drink-in off er at its hybrid locations for all, and their fi zz range refl ects this into fi zz as well. The range, both in-store major Champagne producers, grower includes premium English sparkling and ethos: Grandes Marques for gifts and big and online, has been vastly expanded wines from the famous French region, posh Prosecco, while the bottled range occasions, grower Champagnes for the to showcase the category’s variety and exceptional crémants, and some of the best includes a burgeoning crémant portfolio, curious, premium Italians for the everyday excitment, and the business has launched that England, Wales and the New World New World excitement and upmarket treat, and excellent English wines for those the Champagne Show, which enjoyed its have to off er. Europeans. for whom localness is a buy-in. second year in 2019.
MULTIPLE CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING RETAILER
MORRISONS WAITROSE
Morrisons’ range in Champagne and sparkling has moved up through the gears in recent Waitrose’s fi zz selection is twice the size of many of its rivals, refl ecting the higher spending times in line with the retailer’s overall reputation for getting things right in wine. Its range power of its core customer base. The Champagne range includes a clutch of high-quality has plenty of crowd-pleasing Proseccos but also off ers bountiful choice, from price- own-labels, which off er credible, aff ordable alternatives within what is already the fi ghting Asti through value-for-money own-labels, fun-loving Californians, artily-packaged biggest choice of big-name brands off ered anywhere in the supermarket sector. Waitrose Spanish brands, gift-boxed Grandes Marques and top-of-the-range Champagnes for has also showed a willingness to look far and wide for alternatives to Prosecco. The those big occasions. Halves and magnums ensure there’s something for a picnic in the ubiquitous Italian fi zz is still an important factor in the Waitrose off er but the chain reports park or a serious dinner party, and the whole package is presented in-store with plenty a resurgence in cava and in sparkling sales for bubbly from Australia, New Zealand and of information to guide shoppers through styles and countries of origin to ensure they South Africa. It’s also been at the forefront of championing English and Welsh sparkling fi nd the right fi zz for them. The attention shown by Morrisons to honing its range and wine over the years, currently listing in excess of 30 SKUs. Producer profi les are a feature of promoting sensibly has resulted in extra sparkling points on the bottom line. the Waitrose Cellar website.
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INDEPENDENT WINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
CHRISTOPHER PIPER DUNELL’S HOULTS WINE JAMES NICHOLSON WINE WINES MERCHANTS The Pinel family operate three top-notch James Nicholson started out selling wines It’s doubtful there are too many places wine shops in Jersey. They all have a The family business run by Rob and Bridget to private clients from the boot of his car in selling wine in the UK with more authority common visual thread while retaining Hoult is into its fourth decade of selling 1977. Since then the business has become and expertise as this traditional merchant distinct personalities that suit diverse wine to the people of Huddersfi eld. In that Northern Ireland’s pre-eminent specialist in the Devon town of Ottery St Mary. The locations. The fl agship Beaumont time, it’s gone through several evolutionary wine retailer and one of the most respected eponymous Chris Piper and business store has recently been given a major stages, always willing to change to adapt across the UK. These days it operates partner John Earle notched up 40 years refurbishment, expanding the footprint to modern trends. The latest of these from a purpose-built unit in the town of of trading in 2019 and – although Piper’s to include luxurious in-store and private has seen its modern premises in the Crossgar, a light and spacious unit that other life as a Beaujolais winemaker means tasting areas. Sampling machines off er try- town centre transformed into a hybrid makes shopping for wine a pleasure. The French classics are highlights – they have before-you-buy, while the range as a whole operation, creating distinct on and off -trade wine selection benefi ts from Nicholson’s always been open to modern trends and benefi ts from precision in merchandising experiences that combine under the industry contacts and his buying team’s styles to keep the shop moving forwards. It that includes tasting notes, staff picks, banner of being a “purveyor of drinking expertise, hitting the right notes in interest lists around 1,800 wines in all, and uses its bestsellers and new-in features, and better”. The reconfi guration of space has and quality from the very bottom to the top expertise to ship many of them directly. highlights vegan and biodynamic wines. allowed it to step up its events activity. of the price ladder.
MULTIPLE WINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR ISTOCK.COM / KRBLOKHIN / ISTOCK.COM
MARKS & SPENCER MORRISONS WAITROSE
Marks & Spencer has long had trade admirers for its Morrisons goes a little further than most to guide shoppers Waitrose is always looked to as a leader of the pack in wine-sourcing programme, in which buyers work closely through their wine-buying journey, with information multiple wine buying and several developments last year with producers to make high-quality wines to spec for at the point of sale on styles and regions, and wines confi rmed this reputation. It became the fi rst supermarket the retailer’s customer base. M&S made headlines in 2019 merchandised next to fresh food to encourage food to list an English orange wine and launched the W range with the announcement of plans to make all its own-label matches and upsells. During 2019, it teamed up with the of lesser-known gems from around the wine world, wines vegan-friendly by 2022. Many of its most popular Lyme Bay winery in Devon to make its fi rst own-label including Pais from Chile, Cannonau from Sardinia and wines – including M&S Prosecco, Chablis, Vinalta Malbec English still white wine, carried an exclusive on Campo Mencia from Spain. It also revamped the top tier of its and Delacourt Champagne NV – already qualify to be part Viejo’s fi rst pink Rioja and added a low-calorie Prosecco own-label under the No 1 name, adding new wines such as of its vegan-friendly range. The chain has had notable gains in the La Gioiosa range. Its The Best premium own-label Cederberg Private Cellar Syrah, Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc, in sparkling wine, with French crémant sales going through range continues to win admirers for combining quality an Argentinian Malbec, a Bordeaux, a red and a white the roof. with good value. Burgundy, and a crusted port.
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DRINKS BUYING TEAM OF THE YEAR
ASDA CO-OP WAITROSE
Under the stewardship of BWS senior category director Recent expansion of the Co-op brand into Nisa and Few retailers can match the armoury of expertise and Andrew Tiffi n, Asda has come out fi ghting in drinks, Costcutter stores means BWS boss Simon Cairns and his experience that sources beers, wines and spirits for shrugging off the challenge from discounters and the team now eff ectively buy for more than 7,500 outlets Waitrose, under the direction of Pierpaolo Petrassi MW. fallout from the group’s non-merger with Sainsbury’s. across the UK. Fairtrade, vegan and more obscure Specialist buyers in spirits and beer ensure its range is Tiffi n and his team have shown they have a capacity for countries have been features in wine buying in recent always ahead of the game by anticipating when niche negotiating exclusives and product launches that rivals months and the Co-op’s also gone the extra mile in meeting trends are about to cross over into being mainstream would love to get their hands on, and a willingness to go diff erent convenience shopper needs by adding more 50cl market hits. The chain has more MWs than any other off the beaten BWS track to source interesting products bottles, cans and mini-bottles. Ranges are increasingly supermarket, and the head offi ce skill in range selection to push customers into new, high-quality drinking being tailored to suit individual store locations, with a and inside-out knowledge of producers cascades down to experiences. Asda’s drinks merchandising and availability particular focus on adapting to younger adult populations more than 300 in-store wine specialists who pass on advice are consistently high scorers in the sector. around its urban shops. to customers.
INDEPENDENT DRINKS RETAILER OF THE YEAR
AMATHUS DRINKS CHEERS WINE MERCHANTS HOUSE OF TOWNEND SOUTH DOWNS CELLARS
Amathus has been going through a period Family-run Cheers is now deep into its A famous name in the wine world, House The strength of South Downs Cellars lies of growth in its retail operation with new fourth decade of supplying the fortunate of Townend has been putting a lot of eff ort in owner Lucy Driver’s openness to new stores in Bath and Brighton coming into the folk of Swansea with one of the best into spirits and beer of late to evolve the trends and her drive to get the most out of fold. With a variety of sizes and locations, all-round drinks retailers anywhere in business into a serious drinks all-rounder. events, marketing and participation in the the Amathus range is tailored to suit each the UK. The style is accessible old-school Its plush, purpose-built retail space just local community to help build the business. site but the underlying thrust is the same: off -licence, but that’s a description which outside Hull aff ords it plenty of space to It operates out of two high street locations high-quality wines and beers, with an extra can hardly do justice to the range that grow the range and stage tasting events, in Sussex villages, to which it brings a touch of specialism in spirits that helps delves deep into premium products and with the emphasis in those additional areas comprehensive traditional wine merchant make it a fi rst port of call for geeks and gift specialism in all areas of its BWS off ering. of the business – as in wine – on aff ordable package, supplemented by extensive buyers. Both the head offi ce buying and With an abundance of family members luxury: great, high-quality products backed ranges of craft beer and boutique spirits. retail teams are packed with expertise that fronting its two shops, it’s also great at by interesting and esoteric selections that Local producers are central to the South amplifi es an all-round premium drinks customer service, combining a friendly help expand customers’ expectations of Downs Cellars ethos, whether that’s in beer, shopping experience. approach with great product knowledge. what the world of BWS has to off er. spirits, sparkling wine or cider.
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RETAILER PROMOTION OF THE YEAR
ALDI SPIRITS FESTIVAL ASDA FESTIVE GIN PROMOTION NISA GIN FESTIVAL
Aldi launched 11 spirits as part of its fi rst Spirits Festival last While most multiples drill down on prices to get customers It’s sometimes hard for independents to keep up when the August. The activity included the inevitable Instagram- excited about big drinks categories at Christmas, Asda big supermarkets promote the proverbial out of the biggest friendly fruit gins, nods to the latest trends in rum, cocktails decided to let the drinks themselves do the talking last drinks trends of the day. Nisa aimed to help its members in cans and an off beat cream liqueur, but also pushed to year, specifi cally in gin. Its spirits team created a range of cash in on the gin craze with a summer Gin Festival to drive the outer limits of the spirits world with a drive behind three festive gins, which gained widespread column inches footfall and sales. The event featured competitive pricing sales of tequila and mezcal. The additions married quality to drive footfall to branches’ doors. The trio comprised and off ers on a wide range of some of the UK’s favourite with best prices, as we’ve come to expect in BWS from Aldi, an Extra Special Winter Spiced gin with cranberry and gins and mixers, supported with themed marketing but were also publicised with background information and clementine, a Mince Pie gin to serve with its Extra Special material and POS, including shelf-talkers, hanging signs, interesting serve suggestions to help shoppers make the Clementine & Cinnamon tonic and a Toasted Marshmallow posters and gondola ends, to help create in-store theatre most of them. gin liqueur, recommended with a Prosecco pairing. and draw attention to the category.
ONLINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
31 DOVER BOTTLE CLUB VIRGIN WINES THE WHISKY EXCHANGE
31 Dover off ers an engaging online The company formerly known as Wine Mill The UK’s largest independent online wine The London spirits shop’s website experience for anyone shopping across had a rebrand in 2018 and set out on retailer prides itself on the individual provides consumers with one of the the BWS category as a whole. Its wide a mission to revolutionise alcohol shopping service it gives to customers with a choice most comprehensive selections available range encompasses classic brands, trend by helping adventurous drinkers on a between subscription services, a monthly anywhere, featuring 13,000 products. drivers and niche artisanal bottles. It excels journey to discover new fl avours and ideas. pay-in Wine Bank account or a simple In a constantly-evolving range, there are in spirits but also off ers Champagnes and The new-look Bottle Club has brought pay-as-you-go model. Product delivery whiskies from 22 countries while rums, gins table wines, a growing selection of beers wines, spirits, beer and cider under a single is backed up by free advice and tailored and Cognacs and Armagnacs all number and ciders and has embraced the booming umbrella and the business has expanded recommendations from a dedicated wine upwards of 500 products. In the past 12 low and no-alcohol drinks opportunity. its product range by 75% with a focus advisor via email, online chat or over the months it has carried 35 exclusive bottlings Social media is a key part in the customer on trendy, hard-to-fi nd and exclusive or phone. Virgin also likes to get face-to-face and given online exclusive launches to communication process and anyone fi rst-to-market items. A service to supply with its customers through live events 30 branded products. Personalisation signing up for its newsletters will be among wedding, party and offi ce drinks sets it that allow them to sample a selection of has played a major role in the site’s the fi rst to hear about off ers and new apart from much of the competition and it products, with more than 20 tastings each development, with 80 options including products, in addition to tailored stories runs mix and match multibuy incentives year showcasing anything between 100 fi ve of the Whisky Exchange’s own single about producers and cocktail recipes. across wine and beers. and 300 wines each. cask Scotches.
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R G D 2020 FINALISTS
A WA R DS
REGIONAL CHAIN OF THE YEAR
CAMBRIDGE WINE HENNINGS WINE JEROBOAMS OXFORD WINE CO MERCHANTS MERCHANTS Under the direction of boss Hugh Sturges, The secret of longevity in drinks retailing Hal Wilson and Brett Turner have been With four shops in high street locations the Jeroboams chain in west and north often comes down to how you manage to setting standards for the rest of the across West Sussex, Hennings has slowly London has transformed from old-school adapt to the fast-moving pace of change specialist drinks retailing world to follow become one of the UK’s most successful merchant to modern wine store in double in the industry. In recent times Oxford for more than a quarter of a century. Their and respected specialist wine merchant quick time. Existing stores have all been Wine Co has retrained its focus on to the group of shops in Cambridge are built businesses. Matthew Hennings and his subject to substantial investment to create city from which it takes its name, and on a simple formula of fantastic choice, team at the family-run company have light, airy and welcoming spaces to buy top subsequently discovered a new passion great quality and good service, but always invested in stores to keep them on-trend, quality wines, boutique spirits and craft for good, old-fashioned wine retailing, executed to the highest standards. It’s a introducing hybrid elements where beer, while a new acquisition in Muswell including the opening of a third, boutique business that never stands still, whether suitable and tweaking ranges to suit Hill has brought the estate up to a total store, in the city centre. This has proved embracing trends in local products, seizing locations and contemporary tastes. A free of eight stores. Shops have variations in to be a fertile destination for spirits sales, the hybrid retail opportunity or massaging wine magazine, in-store tastings, events format and range to suit individual London including a range of local gins, which its beer and spirits ranges to meet modern and free credit on Enomatic Fridays get “village” locations, with some incorporating earned it a walk-on part in the “buying” market demands. local shoppers beating a path to its doors. events spaces. episode of the last series of The Apprentice.
LUXURY DRINKS RETAILER OF THE YEAR
HARVEY NICHOLS HEDONISM WINES SELFRIDGES
Specialist wine and spirit buyers ensure that Harvey Hedonism has raised the bar for drinks retailing in the UK The famous London store has made wines, beers and Nichols achieves aff ordable luxury across the board in its with its sumptuous specialist store spread across two fl oors spirits a hero category, with smaller versions of its vast stores. The retailer particularly excels at sourcing high- in the heart of London’s Mayfair district. Its range scales Oxford Street department also incorporated into its quality own-label across a range of drinks categories, from the dizzy heights of ultra-rare historic bottlings of leading satellite stores in Birmingham and Manchester. The buying Champagne to ready-to-drink cocktails, and buyers are Bordeaux houses and the everyday aff ordability of well- team have created a selection that manages to balance the always on the lookout for exclusive bottlings and packs of known spirits brands, touching all points between. There traditional expectations of many top-end wine drinkers well-known brands. Drinks events are held in stores and is a feature chilled room for rare whites and fi zz, break-out with the thirst for newness and exploration that the have included producer tastings, a whisky fair and food areas for iconic producers and vertical fl ights of wines from modern world of drinks retailing demands. Exclusives, and wine matching dinners. A Harvey Nichols innovation some of the world’s most prestigious estates. It’s all done in launches, own-labels and one-off s are all key to the allows smartphone online shoppers to be put in touch a way that makes alcoholic drinks of all types aspirational Selfridges BWS character, while tie-ups with luxury brands with a personal helper who can send live photos, product but with a playful touch that doesn’t forget this is also a for personalised products mean shoppers can always take information and video streams from the shop fl oor. world that’s fun. home something they won’t fi nd anywhere else.
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R G D 2020 FINALISTS
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INNOVATIVE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
ASDA CO-OP WAITROSE
Asda’s Extra Special Gingerbread gin liqueur sent social The Co-op has met the challenges of the cluttered high Waitrose’s Unpacked trial of bulk, loose and refi llable media into meltdown at Christmas 2018 and it repeated the street head on. Its rebrand to its blue logo of yesteryear groceries at a store in Oxford was one of 2019’s most festive promotion with a new range for 2019, with similar has gone down a storm with shoppers, and its targeting talked-about developments in supermarket retailing. The results. It was just one example of how product innovation of retail packages to specifi c locations has shown the experiment involved the sale of four refi ll wines under the has helped the chain raise its profi le in BWS, which it has benefi t of paying careful attention to detail. In drinks, it has When In Rome brand and a quartet of beers with Toast, backed up by making great use of feature promotional championed local ranges and experimented with a whole the brewer that uses waste bread as a core ingredient. space in stores. No and low-alcohol was one particular area host of packaging formats across the major BWS categories Early impressions were good. The wine and beer fi xture where Asda shone in 2019, creating an attractive bay to tap as it seeks to give shoppers more reasons to choose the is a striking addition to the BWS department and it sold 10 into mindful drinking trends. Co-op over its rivals. weeks worth of beer in the fi rst four days.
HYBRID RETAILER OF THE YEAR
CONNOLLY’S @ ARCH 13 HOP HIDEOUT MR & MRS FINE WINE SALUT WINES
The Connolly family’s involvement in Jules Grey’s former store in Sheffi eld’s The sleepy market town of Southwell in Jon and Sara Saunby’s bar-cum-wine shop Birmingham’s wine trade goes back several suburbia was a past winner of the DRA’s Nottinghamshire is fortunate to have one in Manchester city centre has rightly generations. Current owner Chris brought Independent Beer Retailer of the Year of the leading hybrid wine shops in the earned a reputation as one of the UK’s in the skills of daughter and sommelier award and a move to new location in the UK in its midst. Housed in a former bank, fi nest exponents of the hybrid format Abigail to overhaul the shop in the city’s city centre has helped the business evolve. owners Chris and Gosia Bailey have used since opening in 2014. The shop takes Jewellery Quarter with a 21st-century feel. The new Hop Hideout is in Kommune, an sampling machines to provide an element advantage of a corner site to create an The traditional Connolly’s Wine Merchants open space in the city’s one-time Co-op of novelty for on-premise customers, with interesting L-shaped layout that allows now sits as a standalone department within department store, comprising a bar, street every bottle in the wine shop’s extensive customers to browse the take-out range of a modern, friendly wine bar, sited in a food outlets, independent bookshop, art range also available to drink in. The store 500-plus wines while enjoying a glass from railway arch close to Snow Hill station and gallery, performance spaces and hot-desk has an inviting modern feel with wine cues the on-trade list or a taste from the bank rebranded as Arch 13. The site manages to working areas. The extra footfall and user- throughout its interior design, refl ecting of sampling machines. The range excels integrate on and off -premise wine retailing profi le of the location has brought Hop the owners’ passion for the products at the in classic regions and styles while also while giving each a distinct personality. Hideout closer to its growing army of fans. heart of their business. highlighting more esoteric wines.
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R G D 2020 FINALISTS
A WA R DS
SUPERMARKET OF THE YEAR
ASDA MORRISONS WAITROSE
Asda has found itself part of the squeezed middle in recent Morrisons has punched above its weight in prestigious Waitrose has long been a trend-leader among its years, with the polarisation of grocery between the top end wine competitions in recent years and stepped up to the supermarket peers, championing local gin before it was a and the discounters. It’s come out fi ghting in BWS, working plate in buying for beer and spirits, catering for bang-on thing, listing English sparkling wines when everyone else gondola ends and secondary siting like no other retailer trends in craft and local products while ensuring that it was ramping up Prosecco and bringing in craft beer while and doubling down on eff orts to secure one-off s, new remains strong in the mainstream must-stocks. It goes others were still hunkering down over slabs of landfi ll lager. products, exclusives and top-quality own-labels. It turned the extra mile in merchandising with prominent bus-stop Its trial of draught beer and wine off erings could eventually orange wine into an entry-level product and made gin a signage throughout the department making the shopper prove to be another industry game-changer, and in-home seasonal aff air with bespoke products for Christmas and journey a relaxing trip. Copious product information helps wine tastings and in-store G&T lists show that it is still Valentine’s Day. Party drinks are grouped in store for ease the more adventurous traveller make the best choices prepared to boldly go where other multiple retailers fear of shopping and a wine taste guide helps range navigation. about which roads to take. to tread.
S RETA K IL N I I N SEE YOU NEXT YEAR... R G D 2021 REWARDING QUALITY, CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE A WA DS Th Drinks Rtilin wrds im to rwrd xcptionl R chivmnt cross ll rs of th off -trd. Ths wrds r rrdd s th most prstiious in th industr. Evron bnfi ts, from th sponsors to th rtilrs, rcivin th wrds.
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