Berry Bros & Rudd aims high in Asia with spirits brands(1)
UK/ASIA PACIFIC. Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR), the venerable British wine and spirits specialist that boasts an illustrious history, may have been operating as a merchant for hundreds of years, but it’s as a supplier of top-notch spirits brands – specifically The Glenrothes single malt Scotch whisky and No 3 Gin – for which it is gaining a reputation in the travel retail arena.
First, let’s take The Glenrothes, the fast-growing Speyside single malt. BBR wants consumers around the world to fall in love with this 132-year-old malt brand, of course, but it is on Asia that the company is focusing for serious growth.
“BBR wants [The Glenrothes] to be listed among the top five or six single malts in Asia,” BB&R Spirits Business Director - Asia Johnny Roberts told The Moodie Report as he guided us through the historic monument that doubles as the BBR shop in the tranquil, wealthy London district of St James’s.
The word ‘shop’ doesn’t quite cut it, though. As a supplier to the British royal family since the 1870s, the location right beside St James’s Palace exudes tradition and heritage. The old floorboards come from a ship, an ancient weighing machine sits in the centre, and the wine cellar is over 300 years old. A group of Asian buyers who recently visited the boutique were overwhelmed by wonder as they gazed at the living history around them, according to Roberts. The ancient relics on display include the first-ever wine bottles used in the UK - one of which recalls the generously rounded bottle shape of The Glenrothes.
Historic monument: Berry Bros & Rudd's shop in the wealthy London district of St James’s exudes tradition and heritage
