Following a discussion with new MD at John E Fells, Euan Mackay, db learns what the UK wine market looks like from an importer’s perspective.
Joining Fells as managing director in September last year – taking over from Steve Moody, who has become the company’s chairman – Mackay has seen his position in the trade changed markedly. Previously occupying a role as commercial director for Portugal’s Symington Family Estates, he was based in Porto, and has therefore not only had to move countries, but shift from representing the producer’s perspective to seeing the market through the distributor’s eyes. While Mackay’s ultimate boss is the same – the Symington family is the majority shareholder of Fells – his new role “is a big change,” he told db during a meeting last month. However, it’s one he feels well placed to tackle because, as he said, “I’ve spent the last 25 years talking to distributors around the world, so I knew the challenges they have.” Furthermore, he’s also acutely aware of the difficulties facing producers, not least the long lead times for new product development – something he says some distributors aren’t always sensitive to. “As a producer, you might be asked to create a brand-new product over dinner, and that might take two years, which for the distributor is not quick enough,” he said. On the other hand, he has always valued the feedback from distributors, which has led to innovations from the suppliers. For example, he recalled how Graham’s Blend
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine