Bulk wine becoming more important to UK on-trade buyers

Bulk wine is becoming increasingly important to UK on-trade buyers, the most savvy of whom are working directly with their suppliers to source their wines at the price they need.  

This is according to David Gill, MW at Kingslands Drinks, one of the UK’s largest bulk wine suppliers, who says that the sector is only going to take on an increasingly relevant part of the buying mix.  

“Bulk wine is not necessarily seen as important for many on-trade buyers or hospitality outlet owners, but in reality it is very important,” he told The Buyer, pointing out that most pubs, bars and restaurants have been serving UK-packed wines to customers for many years, often without being aware of the fact.  

Gill claims that bulk shipped wines packed in the UK enables the on trade to offer their customers good quality wine at appealing price points, though concedes that bulk wine’s reputation has “probably been tainted” by the fact that the wines were all too often selected for the price, not their quality.

“However, that is no longer the case – we put good wine in, take care of it in transit and we get good wine out and into bottle. It’s no longer the industry’s “dirty little secret”, it’s a huge success story.”  

Not only are UK packed wines being used simply for house wines, but increasingly the next tier up, with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc being a particularly popular bulk shipped and UK packaged style.   Other popular varietals include Argentine Malbec, Chilean Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as South African, Australian and Californian wines which are often bottled in the UK rather than at source  

Kingsland works mainly with the larger multiple outlets and groups to deliver “significant” volumes centrally, which then go on to be distributed regionally, or directly with regional wholesalers.