WineGB

Our response to today's Budget statement from Rt Hon Rachel Reeves. WineGB CEO Nicola Bates said: “We understand the fiscal situation and the need for growth. Today’s Budget was an opportunity for the Government to help the English and Welsh wine sector to do just this with a duty cut and a levelling of the playing field. As such we are significantly disappointed with today’s Budget as the alcohol duty rise will not support our industry.    “The Government has missed an opportunity to accelerate growth and help Britain’s domestic wine producers succeed. We anticipate that the over £230 million fall in duty receipts for wine as a result of reduced sales seen last year will be repeated.     “While there are some positives to take, such as the Fuel Duty freeze, reduction in business rates for hospitality and retail businesses, and funding for recruitment to support local planning and tax compliance, this Budget misses the mark.   “We are concerned by changes to agricultural Inheritance Tax relief. We are working to understand what this will mean for our vineyards, many of which have diversified their offering into retail and hospitality and are family businesses that are being, or have already been, passed down through the generations. “We are still a very young industry with high production and establishment expenditure due to lower yields than other wine-producing regions, high labour costs, and spending associated with expansion. The cumulative effect of National Insurance contribution rises, increases to the National Living Wage, and higher Capital Gains Tax puts on added pressure. We call on the Government to redress the balance and to support one of its success stories.      Continued in comments...

It’s the Budget announcement next week ⏳ 📣 We’re calling on the Government to provide greater support to increase exports of our wines and help more overseas visitors discover our vineyards and wineries. This includes: 📣 Export Partnering. Exports have doubled in two years to 8% of sales, yet there is a considerable amount more we can do in this area to lead our category’s growth. Greater Government support can come through grant funding, the UK embassy network, and trade show visibility. 📣 Tax-Free Shopping. Restoring tax-free shopping for all overseas visitors has the potential to create a £10 billion shopping led-tourism market for Britain. It’s also predicted that this measure would generate more spending outside of Greater London where spending is currently focused. With greater numbers of overseas visitors, our vineyards and wineries will benefit from increased footfall and sales. 📣 Arrivals Duty-Free. There are over 60 countries world-wide that offer duty-free shopping. This measure relocates passenger spending from the point of departure to the point of arrival. Given the growing importance of selling locally produced products, particularly in regional airports and in UK ports, this could have a big impact on our sector. 2 📸 featuring MDCV UK Limited 3 📸 Chapel Down Group 4 📸 Ridgeview Wine Estate Rt Hon Rachel Reeves

To mark the International Day of Climate Action, we’ve released our first Sustainability Impact Report. Part of our 30-day programme of sustainable action, the report shows that in just four years, coverage of our Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) Scheme has risen to 43% of total UK vine hectarage. Our report reviews the impact of the SWGB scheme, but also assesses the English and Welsh wine industry’s environmental, social and governance impact. Some key findings include: 🍇 43% of the total area under vine (1,791ha) is now covered by the SWGB Scheme 🌱 9 in 10 (91%) of survey respondents prioritise sustainable vineyard floor management by using cover crops, animal integration, avoidance of herbicides where possible, avoidance of tilling, and reduced mowing 🧑🌾 4 in 5 (86%) vineyards in the survey use seasonal workers ☀️ Nearly 2/3 (62%) of wineries responding to the survey use renewable energy to at least partly power their operations 🔢 Over half (52%) of WineGB producer members have used the free WineGB Carbon Calculator 🚆 44% of vineyards are accessible by public transport 0️⃣ Almost a third (30%) of producers have a Net Zero target and of those, 75% have committed to a date by which to achieve it 💷 Only one in five (19.4%) of survey respondents have successfully applied and received Government sustainable grant funding The report is available here: https://lnkd.in/erf6SJWE

🌱 It’s Sustainability Day tomorrow. Ahead of the celebrations, congratulations to Chilworth Manor Vineyard in Surrey for passing their Gold SWGB Vineyard Audit 🎉 This is a huge achievement and means that they have now successfully passed multiple audits. Well done to the entire team!

This week, in conjunction with Department for Business and Trade and UK in Japan, we coordinated our largest export event in Japan to date. Japan is the second biggest export market for GB wine behind Norway. The event, which attracted top buyers and sommeliers, featured wines from six producers: Balfour Winery Black Chalk Wine Gusbourne Hattingley Valley Wines Rathfinny Wine Estate and Roebuck Estates.

📆 With two weeks until the Budget announcement, we’re calling on the Government and Rt Hon Rachel Reeves to prioritise the English and Welsh wine industry by reducing duty and providing support for growth. Our industry is currently operating at a competitive disadvantage compared with other wine-producing nations. The UK is one of the few wine-producing countries in Europe that levies excise on home-grown and produced wines, costing the average British producer and consumer an extra £2.67 a bottle. As the fastest growing agricultural sector, it is time the Government recognised the value of the domestic wine industry. The introduction of Cellar Door Relief would lead to further investment in tourism facilities and infrastructure and the provision of more highly skilled jobs across the UK. Reforming Small Producer Relief by creating alcohol specific thresholds - rather than it only applying to products with less than 8.5% ABV - would enable wine producers to have a level playing field with beer and cider makers. Cut duty, support our industry, promote economic growth.

Yesterday we were invited by Keir Starmer to the International Investment Summit at St Paul's Cathedral, London. We met with the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy MP and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds MP, and alongside Gusbourne and Hattingley Valley Wines, represented our industry’s contribution to the UK food, wine, music and culture scene. Many congratulations to the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign on a fabulous event and thank you for the opportunity to showcase the potential of the English and Welsh wine industry.

To mark World Mental Health Day, we’ve released a free safeguarding toolkit to protect the health, well-being, and rights of workers in the UK wine industry and wider alcohol sector. This one-stop-shop for safeguarding information, support, and processes is also accompanied by a separate guide on ‘what to do if you have been assaulted or experienced a safeguarding offence.’ This launch was inspired by two important events: 🔺On 26 October, a law change will mean that businesses will have a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. 🔺Last year, a survey from Curious Vines and Proof Insight stated that one in three women working in the industry have faced harassment while working, the figure reducing to one in every two for 18 to 34-year-olds. We are committed to helping not just our industry but the wider alcohol sector to create an inclusive and equitable environment for all workers. Find our free toolkit here: https://lnkd.in/emzimZmP Queena Wong Anjali Douglas Women in Wine LDN Emma Rix Paris Smith LLP

It’s less than 4 weeks until the Budget announcement ⏳ 📣 We’re calling on the Government to provide improved grant funding to help our sector achieve its goals. This includes: 📣 Making the Future Winemakers’ Scheme a permanent, annual funding stream to help support the next generation of talent as the industry grows and matures. 📣 Ensuring funding offered within the Defra kit and equipment fund includes viticulture-specific equipment so our sector has the same opportunities for support as other types of agriculture. Equally, enhancing funding to assist in the expansion of winery infrastructure, helping to reduce high establishment and expansion costs faced by our producers. 📣 Instigating support for an industry research and development programme, specifically tailored to developing measures to address the challenges brought about by climate change. 📸 2 Plumpton College 📸 3 Balfour Winery 📸 4 NIAB

Happy World Tourism Day 🌍 Here’s why tourism matters to the GB wine industry… ⭐️ There are now 300 vineyards and wineries involved in wine tourism in the UK. On average, it accounts for a quarter of their total income. ⭐️ Top tourism activities include cellar doors and shops, tours and tastings, venue hire, accommodation, restaurants and cafés, and picnic areas. From winery slides and yoga in the vines to half marathons and biking tours, there’s something for everyone. ⭐️ 1.5 million visits were made to UK vineyards and wineries last year, up 55% on numbers achieved in 2022. ⭐️ Investment is growing. 60% of respondents to our Industry Survey said they planned to invest in wine tourism in the next year. A prime example is Domaine Evremond (pictured) - this week HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO opened its new winery and visitor centre in Chilham, Kent. 1 📸 Albury Organic Vineyard 2 📸 Denbies Wine Estate Limited 3 📸 All Angels Vineyard 4 📸 Tinwood Estate 5 📸 Domaine Evremond Hatch Mansfield