LCB to sponsor Independent Retailer Award at this year’s Drinks Business Awards

the drinks business is delighted to announce that leading UK tax warehousing company and wine storage specialists London City Bond (LCB) is sponsoring the Independent Retailer Award at the 2019 Drinks Business Awards, due to be presented on 21 May at the London Wine Fair.

The Independent Retailer Award is presented by the drinks business to the company that combines impeccable personal service with in-store innovation and independent flair. LCB stated that the winner will share its “passion for, and dedication to, providing clients with the very best possible service and a willingness to always go that extra mile”.

Previous winners include London retail chain Borough Wines & Beers and wine specialists South Downs Cellars. Borough, who picked up the award in 2016 and 2018, impressed the judges with its investment in its online presence, a click & collect service that means orders are ready within 24 hours, and the expansion of its spirit offering.

This year, LCB is celebrating 30 years in business under its current ownership. The company actually dates back to 1870. Taken on by Ben Jones and Alf Allington, it has grown from one small warehouse on the north bank of the Thames to an estate with 12 sites across the whole of the UK, and is planning to open a further site later this year “to cope with the continuing demand from new customers”. In total, the company’s sites cover two million square feet, while it also expands its reach through its in-house fleet of delivery vehicles.

LCB’s flagship warehouses are capable of picking over 50,000 cases of wine for customer orders every night. Running through the night, its fleet of articulated lorries move customer orders between six distribution hubs for delivery later in the day. A total of 280 vehicles can be on the road in one day, serving a minimum of 70% of UK mainland postcodes every day.

LCB’s Vinotheque warehouse at Burton-on-Trent holds around £1 billion worth of the world’s finest wines, maturing in a Mitsubishi-designed climate control system, maintaining constant temperature and humidity levels.
Alf Allington, LCB’s managing director, attributes the company’s success to “the work ethic of the team and the culture of the company”.

He added: “Another important factor is that with no outside shareholders to satisfy, we are driven entirely by operational needs. This entire focus on operations, service and systems development has led directly to this sustained growth catapulting LCB to become the UK’s number one, and all through market reputation and word of mouth.”

Engineered to recognise and reward the top performers across the international drinks industry, The Drinks Business Awards were launched 17 years ago. Divided into personality, business and marketing sections, other awards include Retail Buyer of the Year, Best Drinks Company of the Year and Best Drinks Event.