The London Wine Fair has been in action this week and as usual it’s one of the busiest times of the year for our Drinks Logistics team.

The fair, held annually at Olympia in London, is the UK wine industry’s main trade fair and provides an opportunity for agents and distributors to showcase their wines to new and existing customers. For Uniserve Drinks Logistics, it is a great chance to meet with customers, prospects, partners and carriers.

Dave Pollock is Head of Business Development for Uniserve Drinks Logistics and has provided some insight into what has been a productive two days at the fair.

“On day one we first meet with our South American partner to discuss some of the latest developments within the bulk wine sector, including ‘flexi-tank’ technology. This is a ‘split-tank’ that can hold two different wines, and up to to 24,000 litres, in the same container. Split-tanks are ideal for wines destined for pouches or small bottle formats and we met a potential customer immediately after to discuss exactly that”.

“We continued to hold meetings with customers throughout the day, covering a range of topics from bonded warehousing and European distribution, to carrier alliances on the Asian Trade. We even managed to outline a new SOP on some business that we have recently secured”.

“Sleeping is never a problem on the first night of the London Wine Fair as its fast paced and fun, and while you have plenty of energy during the day, you certainly drain the tank by night time”.

“Day two was an early start, but not immediately at the fair itself.  After the busy first day, I spent the first two to three hours getting ahead on emails and correspondence from various meetings. Being ‘drinks specialists’, we need to tailor our supply chain solutions to the customers exact requirements. We offer much more than just door-to-door freight movement, so the preparation of bespoke pricing needed to get underway as quickly as possible to maintain our strong market reputation”.

“Then it was off to the fair and the meetings start again from 1pm. First up was a discussion about bulk wine movements from New Zealand and South America, followed by discussions on customs and how Brexit will affect the UK wine trade. The day continued with various meetings across a wide range of domestic and international logistical requirements”.

“In the blink of an eye another successful wine fair comes to an end for us. We have managed to catch up with lots of friends from the industry, including existing and potential customers, and have made lots of new acquaintances. We also have the prospect of many more opportunities on the horizon, so not bad for two days of (very) hard work!”.  

If you would like to meet with Dave and his team at any future drinks industry events, or require any further information about how Uniserve Drinks Logistics’ innovative supply chain solutions can benefit your business, then please email Dave on dvp@ugroup.co.uk.