Celebrating its 20 years in business, Belfast-based beverage distributor Drinks Inc. has revealed that it has ambitious growth plans.
Now part of the Musgrave Group, following its acquisition in 2019, the company is aiming to further expand its footprint in the beverage sector.
Musgrave Wholesale Director Richard Mayne, who leads the team at Drinks Inc., commented: “Twenty years in business is a fantastic achievement and is testament to the strong team in place at Drinks Inc. This industry knowledge, combined with Musgrave’s longstanding track record in foodservice and retail, is a perfect pairing as we continue to expand our position in the alcohol market.”
Drinks Inc. is one of the fastest-growing drinks distributors on the island of Ireland. With a portfolio of over 1,000 products covering spirit, wine, beer and soft drink categories, its range and offer has been key to this growth. In addition, the company is also the exclusive agent for a large number of premium brands and wineries, including Teeling Whiskey, Mionetto Prosecco and market leading wine brands such as Isla Negra and Trivento Reserve.
While the pandemic brought many challenges for the business, Mayne praised his team for their support to the industry. “While the 2020 lockdowns were extremely challenging for the on-trade, we made a commitment to keep our sales teams on the road. This ensured they could stay engaged and assist our customers throughout the uncertainty.
“Furthermore, with the hospitality sector now opened again, we have been able to hit the ground running with our plans, working as a trusted partner with our customers and collectively coming back stronger.
“At the same time within the off-trade, we have clearly seen significant increases in volume over the last 14 months and again, by maintaining our presence in the market we have been able to tailor our offer to meet the needs of new and existing customers.’’
With the reopening of the hospitality sector underway, the company stated that it has “many exciting developments” in the pipeline.
Looking to the future, Mayne said: “We’re now confident that building on the 20 years of industry experience and with the recent additions to the team and portfolio, we’re in a fantastic position to take Drinks Inc. to the next level.”
As part of the growth plans, the Drinks Inc. team is expanding with the appointment of Tom Kinnier as Sales Manager and Peter McBride as Wine Specialist.
Mayne concluded: “We are hopefully coming through the far side of the pandemic and on behalf of all the team, I would like to praise the resilience of our customers and thank them for their ongoing support during this extraordinary period of trading.”
