Mistral drives BBR expansion

Berry Bros & Rudd is expanding its wholesale business with the appointment of new staff; the adoption of further agencies, and the expansion of its UK distribution.

Above all, off-trade supplier Mistral Wines, bought by BBR in October 2007, is proving a growth engine following news last week of a tie-up with Michel Lynch in Bordeaux.

Damian Carrington, sales and marketing manger at FMV, Berry’s wholesale business for the UK restaurant sector, told the drinks business: “Mistral’s future has got to be in building brands, and the backing of Berry’s means that we can do it in the right way, for the long term.”

The decision to become the UK’s exclusive agent for Michel Lynch in Bordeaux is part of a belief that the British off-trade lacks a powerful mainstream brand from this region, despite the presence of Calvet, Dourthe and Mouton Cadet.

Carrington explained, "There is an opportunity to build family brands with a sense of place”.

He pointed out that Mistral is now made up of “four key brands: Perrin/Beaucastel, Ogier, Joseph Mellot and Michel Lynch,” before telling db that Mistral has “just signed a deal with Lustau, allowing Mistral to slowly take on the agency.”

The famous Sherry producer has been adeptly handled in the UK off-trade by Michael Hall, who is gradually retiring from a day to day role, but will remain as brand ambassador for Lustau.

Sadly, Mistral’s founder Anthony Lacey (“an unsung hero of the Rhone” according to Carrington) left the company in December last year, but Berry’s has since added to the team.

In particular, the business has appointed Rupert Hosking to develop sales in the independent sector. Hosking was previously fine wine sales manager at E & J Gallo Europe.

And Carrington praised Andrew Bayley, who joined Mistral 18 months ago and has built a business for the company’s French brands in Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose.

Explaining the nature of Berry’s wholesale division Carrington said that there are “three legs”, which include FMV for the on-trade, Mistral Wines for the off-trade, and Berry’s Wholesale for areas where the Berry Bros brand can “add value”.

He said that of all the components, it was Mistral that was the “growth engine for now”.

Patrick Schmitt 5.08.2010