Post by Luke Hemsley

“Do not travel unless absolutely necessary.” That was the gist of the message offered out to the public during last week’s heatwave. Deciding to get on a bike and cycle around a decent chunk of London across two sweltering afternoons not only ran contrary to that, but bordered on sheer lunacy. The problem was, that only dawned on me fully once I had already committed. Visiting 10+ Young’s pubs trialling our new 6.5% wines last week, I was struck by a number of things… ⭐ Team engagement is everything. You as the brand owner are fully disintermediated from the customer. If the team buys into what you’re doing, you have a fighting chance; if they don’t, you’re dead in the water. 👋 Turning up matters. I would venture that >95% of drinks stocked in pubs are sold and marketed by conglomerates and corporates with large and diverse portfolios, and even bigger marketing budgets. Taking the time to turn up, to chat, to offer to help makes a difference. 🕰️ Traction takes time. When the wider food and drink space is flooded by celebrity-backed brands and history-soaked legacy portfolios, building a brand requires patience. Building a brand in a nascent space (No/Low wine) requires patience, prayer and no little stamina. ❤️ How lucky I am. I love hospitality, I’ve always been fascinated by it and its inner workings. To be able to spend time in pubs, chatting to the people that populate them and understanding their mechanics, it’s a joy. Full list of participating pubs below: 📍Leather Bottle, Earlsfield 📍Hand In Hand, Wimbledon 📍The Lass, Richmond 📍The Ship, Wandsworth 📍County Arms, Wandsworth 📍Roundhouse, Wandsworth 📍The Althorp, Wandsworth 📍The Devonshire, Balham 📍The Bull, Streatham 📍The Victoria, Surbiton 📍The Grange, Ealing 📍Woodhouse, Dulwich 📍Cutty Sark, Greenwich 📍Riverside, Vauxhall 📍Richard First, Greenwich 📍Prince Alfred, Maida Vale 📍Lockhouse, Paddington 📍Grand Junction Arms, Harlesden 📍The King's Head, Winchmore Hill 📍White Bear, Tunbridge Wells 📍The Bell, Fetcham

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