Gilbeys and Bibendum announce new partnership in Ireland

Gilbeys and Bibendum will host a series of exclusive tasting events for customers in Cork, Galway, Dublin and Belfast at the beginning of April

With the addition of "new, artisanal producers" in Bibendum's portfolio, Gilbeys sales director, Duncan Millar has forecast new partnership could potentially double wine sales over the next three years

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Leading UK distributor Bibendum and Irish wine merchant Gilbeys will launch a new partnership in the Republic of Ireland from 1 March 2019. As part of the C&C Group’s ownership, the partnership will combine the best of Bibendum’s premium and artisanal wines with the established Gilbeys wine brands popular in the Irish market.

At the same time, the ‘Bibendum’ brand will be launched in Northern Ireland, with a new and exclusive range, also available to customers from 1 March.

Dating back to the 1850s, Gilbeys is the largest wine distributor in Ireland. With decades of experience, Gilbeys has extensive knowledge of the Irish market, along with a talented sales and customer support team.

In a press statement, the companies said the partnership will benefit both new and existing customers, through using Gilbeys well-established and trusted distribution service to deliver the new range of Bibendum wines.

“Bibendum’s portfolio offers a huge variety of wines from around the world, with countries of origin that are not easily sourced in Ireland,” said Gilbeys sales director, Duncan Millar.

“The addition of new, artisanal producers” will provide an “opportunity to expand conversations with luxury hotels, quality restaurants and premium, wine-led venues,” he added.

Miller has forecast that the new partnership will significantly increase Gilbeys business in Ireland, potentially doubling wine sales over the next three years.

Describing the Gilbeys brand as “iconic in Ireland”,  Michael Saunders, CEO of Bibendum, said it was “thrilled” to work with them.

“Feedback from on-trade customers tells us that they want even more choice and diversity, in particular premium and artisanal wines,” Saunders added. “This is a huge strength in our portfolio, and recognised with the accolade of ‘Merchant of the Year’ in both 2017 and 2018 at the Sommelier Wine Awards. We are also excited to be able to offer our award winning, in-house training to customers, along with the support of our highly talented marketing team.”

The Gilbeys and Bibendum partnership launches with a series of exclusive tasting events for customers in Cork, Galway, Dublin and Belfast at the beginning of April. For more details, contact events@gilbeysofireland.ie (Republic of Ireland) or events@bibendum-wine.co.uk (Northern Ireland).

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