Hatch Mansfield CEO pays tribute to late wine director

Hatch Mansfield CEO Patrick McGrath MW has paid tribute to wine director and company co-founder Philip Tuck MW, who died in a cycling accident in Burgundy last week.

Tuck died last Thursday morning at the age of 59 when cycling with his son, Felix, and their friend, Tom.

In a tribute, McGrath who worked with Tuck for some 30 years, wrote: “He played a huge role in the growth of Hatch, working tirelessly to develop the sales and distribution of our wines across the many varied sectors of the trade. Philip’s passion for wine meant that he built incredibly strong personal relationships with all his customers and our suppliers from around the world, many of whom became firm friends. Testament to this is the fact that he was as respected by the Waitrose wine buying team as he was by his friends at Winos and D. Byrne & Co.”

Tuck and McGrath were among the founding figures of the ‘New’ Hatch Mansfield in 1994.

Referring to the tributes to Tuck that have come in from figures across the wine industry, McGrath wrote: “All of these messages are dominated by words of love and respect for Philip. I can sense the tears flowing as many people have typed their thoughts and mine have certainly flowed when responding. The common theme is that no one can comprehend that he has suddenly been taken from us all far too early – life can be so cruel.”

“Philip was an immensely kind, loyal and considerate man,” McGrath continued. “Our friend and colleague, Rupert Ponsonby, encapsulated him perfectly with the words, ‘in an age when we are all taught to be the same, Philip was gloriously his own man’. Philip’s dry sense of humour meant he had that rare ability to laugh at himself and his mischievous grin will forever remain etched in our memories.”

McGrath also pointed to Tuck’s keen interest in sport, and his active involvement with the Wine Trade Sports Club, joking: “Philip loved his golf and cricket and will no doubt be looking down from heaven fuming that the great British summer has let the Aussies off the hook at Old Trafford!”

“He was also a very active vintner,” McGrath added, “and I know he was really looking forward to getting more involved in the coming years. It is so sad that he cannot fulfil his wish.”

“Philip will be missed by so many people across the world of wine. All the team at Hatch are devastated by his death but we are so grateful that he was part of our lives and that we had the privilege of calling him our friend. The one consolation is that he died doing what he loved in his spiritual home. We will miss him dearly,” the tribute concluded.