Geoffrey Dean, Author at The Buyer

By Richard Siddle on April 1, 2020

Watch company, Hodinkee's founder, Benjamin Kylmer sees this as an opportunity for it to help the rest of the watch retail network and manufacturers

Covid-19 Live Blog: DTC supports high street; duty pressures rise & more

The situation surrounding the impact and spread of Covid-19 in the UK and around the world is changing so fast The Buyer has set up this rolling updates service to keep you abreast of the latest official guidelines and recommendations from the government, but also the individual steps that businesses are taking to keep trading and help their customers do the same. Today we look at how non-drinks DTC brands are helping their high street partners, WSTA pushes for six month duty breaks, pressure on future wages & dividends and what producers are doing to keep vines healthy and sales moving.

Posted In: bars, covid-19, drinks industry, independent merchants, pubs, restaurants, slider, wine, wine merchants

Insight

By Richard Siddle on April 1, 2020

Edelman Covid-19 Report: how brands respond will dictate their futures

The actions you take now as a brand, retailer or drinks business will have a long term impact on how you are regarded as a company to trust by your customers, according to the latest findings in the highly respected global Edelman Trust Barometer report. It asked 12,000 consumers in 12 key markets to assess their attitudes and responses to what steps brands and companies are taking to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. It makes for fascinating reading. How does your business stand up to what consumers might expect from you?

Posted In: brands, drinks brands, drinks industry, edelman, edelman trust barometer, slider

Opinion

By Mike Turner on April 1, 2020

Long Read

Mike Turner: we need banks and insurance to turn the taps on NOW

The on-trade is in a cash flow crisis right now and banks and insurance companies need to alleviate the pressure by turning on the taps immediately, writes restaurateur Mike Turner. A co-owner of French restaurant La Ferme in London’s Primrose Hill, Turner shows how the devil is in the detail of recent financial promises – both by the government and by financial institutions. Although he is optimistic that his business is eligible for financial aid, there is plenty of room for pessimism – the rateable value ceiling of £51k, banks looking for personal guarantees, and insurance companies trying to default on technicalities, is detracting from where our real focus should be, which is on helping people cope with the virus.

Posted In: covid-19, finance, insurance, La Ferme, Mike Turner, slider

Insight

By Richard Siddle on March 31, 2020

How you can help The Drinks Trust Covid-19 Emergency Fund

The impact of the Covid-19 virus continues to wreak havoc across the drinks and hospitality sectors as 1000s of individuals and 100s of companies have seen their world turned upside down in a matter of weeks, if not days. To help those most in financial need The Drinks Trust has set up an emergency Covid-19 relief fund. Here’s how you can help by donating money, how the scheme is going to work and what individuals can do to apply to receive grants from April 6.

Posted In: drinks industry, slider, spirits, the drinks trust, wine

Tasting: Wine

By Justin Keay on March 31, 2020

How Armit’s Italian portfolio is going from strength to strength

Held in London just as the travel ban started to take effect in Northern Italy, but just prior to full lockdown, Armit’s Italian tasting displayed many of the crown jewels of the Italian wine scene, even though many winemakers could not make the trip. Armit’s new managing director Brett Fleming is bullish about the company’s future, aiming to take it from £20m to £30m turnover over the next few years, and he sees the Italian wines as key to this growth along with boosting the importer’s profitability. As well as the on-trade, Fleming will be looking to prioritise the private client and off-trade side of the business, seeing opportunities for some of Armit’s premium producers. Justin Keay was there for The Buyer who tasted his way round the room and picked eight producers that shone on the day.

Posted In: Armit, Brett Fleming, italian wine, Justin Keay

People: Producer

By Richard Siddle on March 30, 2020

Treasury’s Brampton: the skills needed for multiple markets

“We have become a net exporter of talent because the market here is so competitive.” That’s the view of Michelle Brampton, managing director of Treasury Wine Estates not just for the UK, but also for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Her predecessor, Tom King, is now heading up Treasury’s business in Asia. Here in the first part of an extensive interview, conducted before the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak hit Europe, Brampton explains to Richard Siddle the demands there are on her role to manage Treasury’s major power brands across multiple markets and how as a business it is also focused on improving, challenging and building the skills sets of its people.

Posted In: blossom hill, michelle brampton, Penfolds, Treasury wine estates, wine, wine brands, wolf blass

Tasting: Wine

By Peter Dean on March 29, 2020

Time to take on the ‘Lockdown larder’ wine-pairing challenge

Most readers of The Buyer will have a pretty good idea of the basics of wine-pairing. It’s a skill isn’t it, picking the right colour, variety, style, producer (even vintage) to go with a variety of dishes… in the hands of the right sommelier it is almost an art form. But put aside for a minute the fresh goat’s cheese salad, rib-eye and poached rhubarb crumble, how good are you at picking the right wine to go with what you only just managed to find at the back of the decimated supermarket shelves during lockdown? So what wine do you think sir or madam would like to complement the delicious umami succulence of their Chicken and Mushroom Pot Noodles?

Posted In: basics, Lockdown larder, Peter Dean, wine-pairing, Winebuyers

Opinion

By Peter Dean on March 28, 2020

Rewind: Why Ramsay’s Culinary Genius was a Kitchen Nightmare

With the news that Gordon Ramsay laid off 500 staff this week, we thought it would be a good time to re-run this gem of a feature. Because he’s game for a laugh, our drinks editor Peter Dean decided to apply to be a contestant on ITV ‘s Culinary Genius, the new Gordon Ramsay cookery show. Six weeks after learning how to do almost anything with a knife, the big day arrived and our intrepid chef headed to ITV Studios for his chance to show he could do much more than just put a Pop Tart into the toaster. We couldn’t possibly comment on how Ramsay treats his staff but the way contestants on Culinary Genius were treated left a lot to be desired.

Posted In: cookery programme, Culinary Genius, Gordon Ramsay, Kitchen Nightmare, Peter Dean, TV show

Insight

By Richard Siddle on March 27, 2020

Hillebrand’s global shipping report in response to Covid-19

For all the efforts everyone in the drinks industry is taking to do what they can to keep sales going and products flowing they all rely on the smooth running of the global drinks distribution business. With so many lockdowns in countries across the world, the situation is becoming more complex to keep on top. To provide the trade with the latest information, global logistics provider, Hillebrand has released the latest data on the supply chain conditions in all the main countries around the world.

Posted In: covid-19, hillebrand, logistics, shipping, wine

Tasting: Wine

By Mike Turner on March 27, 2020

Flint draws what’s left of the crowds with epic masterclasses

A who’s who of the UK sommelier scene showed up for the Flint portfolio tasting, one of the last to be held before lockdown. The reason? The day had been specially curated with the sommelier in mind – wines that are just right for the on-trade, and a set of masterclasses that offered genuine practical help. The one compered by Ronan Rayburn MS and Stefan Neumann MS on blind tasting was the best masterclass that Mike Turner has ever attended, and he has attended a few let us tell you. Other subjects covered included the cutting edge of sustainable practices in Europe and America, and an in-depth look at the white wines of Italy. In addition to reporting on the day Turner also picks 6 of the Best – the pick of the wines which he thinks will work best for sommeliers.

Posted In: Flint Wines, masterclasses, Mike Turner, Ronan Rayburn, Stefan Neumann

Browsing Author