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VAT rises to 20% in the UK for the hospitality trade this week.
The VAT rate has been used by the UK government as a way to help the hospitality sector. During the darkest days of the Covid pandemic it was lowered to 5% in July 2020. In October 2021 it rose to 12.5% and on the 24th March 2022 it returned to the pre-pandemic rate of 20%.
We talk to James Ellis of Ellis of Richmond, supplier of wine to the independent restaurant trade, and pick up tips on what to look out for on wine lists.
This week is the second in a three part series looking behind the scenes at restaurant wines. Matthew Cooper, wine buyer at Ellis of Richmond, reveals some of the differences between restaurant and supermarket wines.
Richard Halstead of Wine Intelligence provides an insight into how UK consumers approach wine, revealing our attitudes and behaviour when it comes to buying and drinking the stuff.
Stephen Skelton MW is an expert on English wine and author of the UK Vineyards Guide 2008. We find out about the book and what's changed on the UK wine scene since the last edition was published in 2001.
Ian Edwards of the United Kingdom Vintners Association talks to us about the EU wine reforms and how the changes will affect UK vineyards.
Jamie Hutchinson owns the award winning wine shop The Sampler in Islington, London. We find out about his concept for sampling and selling wine and his plans for expansion.
In this second interview with archaeologist Ian Meadows we find out about the excavation of the first proven Roman vineyard in the Nene Valley, Northampton.
Berry Bros & Rudd is finding cases of Bordeaux 2005 that it sold ‘en primeur’ have increased in value more than any other vintage between harvest and being shipped to the UK
English Wine Week, the countrywide campaign to promote English wines and vineyards, kicks off on Saturday 24th May.
CO2 emissions have been cut by over 28,000 tonnes a year as a result of WRAP’s GlassRite Wine initiative.
UK drinkers are predicted to become the biggest European spenders on wine within the next three years.
New Zealand’s grape harvest has come in 39% bigger than last year.
French wine is back in fashion with consumers at Asda
The UK government is to help fund research into the carbon footprint of the South African wine and fruit industry.
Another of this year’s handful of books on English wine has just been published.
Prices of top Champagnes are shooting up despite the economy heading the other way.
Wetherspoon has broken the record for the world’s largest wine tasting.
Wetherspoon has broken the record for the world’s largest wine tasting.
UK tasting company ThirtyFifty is launching down under.
Fatalities resulting from drink-drive accidents fall by 18% as survey could prompt random breath testing
Oz Clarke and James May will be back on our screens in January with a new BBC TV series 'Oz and James Drink to Britain'.
American wine sales have overtaken French wine sales in the UK for the first time ever.
A recommendation by UK chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson to impose a minimum price on alcoholic drinks of 50p per unit in England and Wales has been rejected by prime minister Gordon Brown.
English Wine Week will begin on 23rd May, a countrywide campaign to promote English wines.
London's first commercial vineyard has been planted at Forty Hall Organic Farm in the London Borough of Enfiel
English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber has appointed a new sales manager Francis Brackley.
British consumers will soon be able to purchase a low alcohol wine 2 years after it was banned by the French government.
The still light wine market may be showing the first signs of recovery with volumes up 2%.
The harvest is well underway in English vineyards with producers reporting healthy yields, high sugars and balanced acidity in the grapes.
Majestic's half-year trading figures show its change in strategy to reduce minimum purchases to 6 bottles seems to be paying off. Like-for-like sales increased by 5.4% and pre-tax profits were up 9% to £6.1 million over the period.
Wine writer Martin Isark has issued a writ against Majestic Wine, claiming damages believed to be in the region of £50,000.
Lidl cuts the price of Champagne to under £10 a bottle and other supermarkets discount heavily.
Hampshire based Wickham Vineyard has stepped in to save 14 off-licences from closure following the collapse of the First Quench group.
Majestic Wine saw a surge in sales of 11.7% over the Christmas period after the collapse of First Quench in November.
A new EU law that came into force in August last year has caught out Marks and Spencer with their Rosecco brand.
Laithwaites opens flagship store at Vinopolis with a focus on fine wine.
Production of English and Welsh wine more than doubled in 2009 to 2.5 million litres.
English Wine Week kicks off this week from Saturday 29th May to Sunday 6th June with a countrywide campaign to promote English wines.
Reports shows changes in the habits of UK wine drinkers and alcohol consumption across the UK.
More medals than ever before were handed out this week at the English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition.
The grape variety is now just as important as promotions when it comes to buying wine in the UK.
Almost 2 years after the collapse of First Quench and its Threshers and Wine Rack off licences, Wine Rack opens 21st store.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall has taken over the role of President of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association (UKVA).
The riots this week affected the drinks trade with off licences, bars and restaurants directly under attack from looters
UK Government deny considering levying higher taxes on more alcoholic wines.
Leisure industry report shows that consumers are going out more regularly but spending less.
Pierson Whitaker Grand Cru Champagne house has partnered with English landowners in Hampshire to produce a sparkling wine called Meonhill.
A report reveals that only 5% of wines are currently being sold in supermarkets at below the proposed minimum price of 40 pence per unit of alcohol that the UK government is planning to introduce.
The London 2012 Olympics has failed to bring extra custom to central London as Londoners have stayed away, heeding messages from Transport for London to keep the transport system moving and avoid gridlock.
London restaurants hit by Olympics with trade down 40% on average.
Smaller harvests in Northern Hemisphere could put pressure on prices
Duty Escalator is the biggest factor contributing to UK consumers paying more for alcohol than other EU countries.
Morrisons man argues it is suppliers not consumers that are driving low alcohol wine market.
Better town partnerships and a society less tolerant of anti-social behaviour attributed to fall in alcohol related crime.
Waitrose survey reveals what Brits will mostly be drinking over Christmas
Liver Disease on the increase in UK affluent areas.
On-Trade wine supply controlled by 30 suppliers in the UK
Australia, New Zealand and Prosecco grow at the cost of traditional rivals
Co-op survey reveals shoppers feeling more confident about their wine choice
Plans to set a minimum price for alcohol in Scotland have been backed by the Scottish courts.
California exports value rise as volumes fall, but exports to the UK are up despite currency headwinds.
Vinexpo research predicts Chile will become the number 2 supplier of wine in the UK by 2020.
Australian producer Brown Brothers has pulled out of the UK market after struggling to make in-roads.
The UK's largest planting season so far has been announced, making the UK the fastest growing wine region in the world.
As headlines claim we are drinking more during lockdown, what are the facts.
Online sales of beer, wine and spirits up 78% in the last 4 weeks in the UK, but UK wineries are losing cellar door sales.
UK wineries adapt but are punished with a late spring frost as Rathfinny and Nyetimber continue their expansions throughout 2020.
The UK Government's 'simplified' post-Brexit tax still has three separate taxes on wines imported, as they release new UK tariff rates.
Australia’s exports to the UK were 7% down by $356m Aus (£194m) for the year ending in April, but for January to April the imports were up 3%.
The UK Hospitality sector will remain closed till at least the 4th July according to UK Business Secretary.
Hard seltzers are flavoured carbonated water with alcohol added and the category has seen huge growth in the US in the last year with brands now looking to launch in the UK in 2021.
Britain’s trade deals are back underway as negotiation with the EU stalls, other trade partners hope that the UK will look at trade with a fresh attitude.
Free trade agreement negotiations have started with Australia and separately with New Zealand. Both are very important non-EU wine suppliers to the UK.
A new survey suggests that the UK wine trade may lack diversity with only 14% of those in the trade surveyed claiming a non white ethnicity
The UK has announced the creation of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB).
The Rule of 6 limits social gatherings in the UK, while South Africa's on/off ban on alcohol sales has seen the rise of modern day bootleggers.
The UK government's plan to avoid a second national lockdown by creating a three-tier system is lambasted as not enough by the government's own scientific advisors, while some in the hospitality industry say it goes too far.
Plumpton College has offered up to 10 spaces for their new wine apprenticeship scheme, with 95% of costs paid for by the UK government.
With Brexit negotiations still ongoing, having missed a number of deadlines, some things are certain - the new paperwork for importing wines from Europe will increase costs, limit choice and hit the fine wine market hard.
The hard hit sector in 2019 was worth £133.5bn but in 2020 this had shrunk to £61.7bn
Beige Gold is how some merchants have described cardboard. The essential packaging material for shipping bottles is in short supply.
KVK Supermarket in Sutton Coldfield lost its licence to sell alcohol after trading standards were called in when shoppers complained of strange tasting wines from Casella Brands, the people behind Yellow tail.
The government will announce on February 22nd its plans for the UK to leave lockdown and for ending all Covid-19 restrictions.
The UK government's £50k bounce back loan scheme may have saved many businesses but will restrict bounce back recovery.
The UK government published its long-awaited path out of Covid lockdown this week. The long slow release of the lockdown is hoped, alongside vaccinations, to ensure that the UK does not require another full lockdown.
The VI-1 form is an import document that many in the wine industry do not believe is needed.
Returning bottles for cash will be launched in 2024 in England, Wales & northern Ireland. Scotland scheme is due to launch in July 2022.
The next big step for the UK, easing out of a lockdown that began before Christmas, will be to allow pubs and restaurants to open for outdoor service on Monday 12th April.
Like-for-like sales were up 59% on the same time last year, but with only 38% of pubs having an outdoor space it is small beer in the big scheme of things.
The UK, Scotland and Welsh governments all confirmed that restrictions on Hospitality were to ease on Monday the 17th May as planned.
A study by the American Association of Wine Economists looked at London restaurants to answer the question of whether they put extra mark up on the second cheapest wine, knowing many people will order it not wanting to look cheap.
UK trade deal will save up to 9p for a bottle of Aussie wine
The number of licensed venues in the UK more than doubled from 32.9% in April to 76.2% in May, but still 25,000 licensed premises remained closed.
Australia has seen a surge in UK wine sales over the Covid lockdown, with wine exports to the UK leaping by 16% by volume in the 2020-21 financial year.
VI-1 forms which were set to be expanded to all EU wines following Brexit, will now be dropped for all wine saving an estimated £130 million in red tape.
The proposed tariff is a belated escalation of the trade dispute started when Donald Trump slapped 25% tariffs on steel imports into the US.
Older drinkers prefer screw caps while younger drinkers are more inclined to prefer cork in the UK.
James Martin, best known in the UK for the Saturday Kitchen TV show, has teamed up with Wine and Brands to launch a new range of wines.
The fuel that powers his Aston Martin DB6 is mainly ethanol, loved by racing car drivers for its performance and can be created using waste food including English wine & cheese
The recent trade deal announced by Britain with New Zealand will see wine and primary produce such as lamb meat exported to the UK while New Zealand has dropped barriers to UK goods, primarily manufactured goods such as cars and farm equipment.
The lack of drivers may be a serious problem for moving wine around the UK in the build up to Christmas, but trains are coming to the rescue.
A survey of the UK's most popular wines gives some pause for thought as Pinot Grigio and Merlot are the most popular white and red
In a recent survey by Virgin Wines, Malbec was identified as the top red wine this Christmas, followed by Merlot and Rioja.
Hospitality trade is hit by Omicron Covid variant as Covid passports come into force and parties are cancelled.
Freixenet Copestick purchases UK winery Bolney Wine Estate
A survey of by UK Hospitality expects inflation prices across the sector to increase by 11%.
The new UK/New Zealand trade deal will help remove technical barriers to trade, and minimise burdens from certification and labelling requirements.
Reductions to the VAT rate have been used by the government to help the hospitality sector.
Beer brands dominate the biggest UK supermarket brands, but what are the 10 biggest wine brands.
At a debate, wine trade admits it has been misleading drinkers into increasing their carbon footprint over heavy glass bottles.
With 174,000 jobs available in the hospitality industry, pay is rising and flexible hours are being offered, is it time to join the hospitality industry?
Just as Champagne's last grapes have been picked, the UK is gearing up for its harvest, with picking times getting earlier in the season for all producers.
The UK government has reversed its planned freeze on alcohol duty that it reversed weeks ago.
Wales is leading the way with glass in its planned Deposit Return Scheme.