Berkshire
Laithwaites
Berkshire
Have you ever discovered something so exciting that you wanted to share it – straightaway – with friends and family? That happened to Tony Laithwaite in 1969, on a university Geography trip to Bordeaux. Sent to dig up Roman ruins, he found something far more interesting … ‘real’ wine and the people who make it.
Soon Tony landed a job – washing bottles at a winery in Saint-Émilion – surrounded by people obsessed with “qualité, qualité, qualité”. They were making the sorts of authentic wines you couldn’t find in Britain without paying a small fortune … at wineries you could actually visit in your car. No murky supply chains or funny business.
Soon friends and neighbours were asking Tony to bring these wines home to the UK. So, with some help from his nan, he hired a van to collect some special bottles and delivered them in person. These real wines had stories that customers loved hearing. And even a beginner could taste that they were better. He sold out. Again and again.
50 years later, we are still family-owned and still work in a very similar way. It’s all thanks to a commitment to stop at nothing to bring you amazing wine … and a few key principles:
- We still prefer to go direct to the smaller, family-run wineries.
- Our talented Buyers taste 40,000 bottles a year to bring customers the best.
- Each year just 800 or so wines make the grade – judged for quality, value and character.
- We are committed to leading the way by becoming more sustainable in all areas of our business.
50 years later, we are still family-owned and still work in a very similar way. It’s all thanks to a commitment to stop at nothing to bring you amazing wine … and a few key principles:
- We still prefer to go direct to the smaller, family-run wineries.
- Our talented Buyers taste 40,000 bottles a year to bring customers the best.
- Each year just 800 or so wines make the grade – judged for quality, value and character.
- We are committed to leading the way by becoming more sustainable in all areas of our business.