Beacon, Britain’s leading purchasing company, is celebrating English Wine Week, (Saturday 26th May – Sunday 3rd June 2018) by shining a spotlight on home-grown wine, following its research which named Made in Britain the top trend amongst diners for 2018.
It has been an exceptional time for English wine, with a record number of bottles of UK-made wine reaching the market last year, up 64% from 2016, as vineyards release more sparkling and specialist wines than ever before. This is set to continue, with wine production predicted to reach 10 million bottles by 2020, according to Beacon supplier Alliance Wine.
Not only are more varieties available, sales are also soaring. Insight from Beacon’s supplier Molson Coors, states that sales of English sparkling wines increased by 25% in the last financial year, accounting for an additional 350,000 bottles sold versus last year. Alliance Wine also reveals that sparkling wine is the only wine sector currently in growth, in part due to the demand from UK drinkers, and most of the recent plantings are to produce the sparkling tipple.
But why is it so popular? Paul Connelly, Beacon MD, discusses: “Provenance has become a major trend not only in the hospitality industry, but among the general public. There is a cultural shift to understand where our food and drink has come from, as well as a desire for organic and local produce. We saw evidence of this when Made in Britain was voted the top dining trend for 2018, and it seems English wine is leading the way – cheers to that!”
Britain is home to a number of vineyards producing home-grown tipples including Chapel Down in Kent, Albourne Estate in the South Downs, Camel Valley in Cornwall and Somerby Vineyards in Lincolnshire.
Paul continued: “We recommend that operators adapt their offering to incorporate and satisfy the growing demand for English wine and ensure that they are well stocked as we head into the summer months. Consumers care more than ever before about the quality of their drink and it is vital to stock a range that caters for this, with provenance at the forefront, to capitalise in the warmer months.”
For more information about Beacon please visit: https://www.beaconpurchasing.co.uk