In today’s hospitality landscape, restaurants and operators are navigating a complex mix of rising costs, changing consumer behaviours, and growing expectations around quality and sustainability.
Against that backdrop, choosing a drinks partner is no longer simply about sourcing products at the right price. The most successful restaurants and hospitality businesses are working with drinks partners who can help them make smarter commercial decisions, enhance the guest experience and simplify operations so they can focus more on what matters.
Partnership beyond products
Whether it’s a gastropub looking to refresh its wine list, a restaurant seeking opportunities to premiumise, or a large-scale caterer developing a more compelling drinks offer, success relies on making informed choices. That’s where a truly consultative and bespoke approach becomes invaluable.
Through market insight, tailored range development, pricing strategies and staff training, a drinks partner should help restaurants and operators unlock growth opportunities and improve margins, while also ensuring customers and guests receive exceptional drinks experiences. Undoubtedly, the strongest partnerships are built on more than just products and transactions, but on trust, shared ambition, and a genuine commitment to helping each other succeed.
Understanding today’s wine consumer
Wine has always been at the heart of Matthew Clark Bibendum (MCB). Working with more than 280 producers across every major wine region, we help our partners create wine lists that delight guests and improve commercial performance. Behind every wine recommendation sits deep wine knowledge, trusted producer relationships, and rigorous quality standards, giving our partners and their front-of-house teams confidence in every pour.
As consumer wine tastes and preferences continue to evolve, hospitality businesses that keep pace with those changes and stay ahead of emerging trends are often better placed to attract new and returning guests, drive sales and remain competitive.
One of the most significant trends we’re seeing is growing demand for premium wines by the glass, which presents a valuable opportunity to increase guest spend. This coincides with consumers increasingly embracing a “drink less, but better” mindset, opting for higher-quality wines and more memorable experiences when they do choose to drink.
At the same time, economic pressures mean some guests are balancing premium drinks choices with familiar favourites, often turning to trusted wine regions such as France and Italy rather than experimenting with lesser-known origins or styles.
Alongside this, consumers are also placing greater value on a wine’s origin and the story it has to tell. From producers championing local community initiatives, to wineries with distinctive geographies such as Domaine du Météore in the Languedoc, uniquely located within a meteor crater, wines with a strong sense of place and purpose are increasingly capturing consumer interest.
Sustainability is also playing a bigger role in guest purchasing decisions, with growing demand for organic, biodynamic, sustainable, and B-Corp-certified wines. For restaurants and operators, all these factors offer a way to stand out while responding to the evolving interest and expectations of guests and reducing their environmental impact.
The low and no-alcohol category continues to gain momentum as consumers look for greater flexibility in how they socialise throughout the week. While wine remains central to most drinks lists, there is growing demand for elevated alternatives as almost one in three regular hospitality visitors are actively moderating with ‘zebra striping’ (alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) now quite commonplace.
For restaurants and operators, offering a thoughtful range of lower-ABV and alcohol-free options is becoming an increasingly important part of a venue’s drinks offer and highly recommended to help increase guest spend.
Expertise, insights and service
Having a great wine list is only part of the equation. Restaurants and operators also need drinks partners that work with them as an extension of their business and can be relied upon day in and night out. At MCB, one of our primary roles is to make life easier for our partners across the country, with dedicated category specialists, account managers, customer service, and delivery teams united in helping them serve more and better drinks.
Just as importantly, most successful operators are working with drinks partners who understand what is happening in the market and can help them navigate changing consumer tastes and behaviours.
One of MCB’s greatest strengths is the unique perspective we gain from working across the entire hospitality sector. Through working with thousands of venues, we have a level of visibility and market intelligence that few others can match. This not only helps us spot emerging trends and understand what’s driving success but also identify opportunities for operators as they arise. A good example of this is the growing popularity of early evening dining with consumers (between 5pm and 7pm) which is now an increasingly important drinks opportunity for operators.
Of course, insight only matters if it leads to action. From developing drinks lists that delight, refining pricing strategies, staff training, marketing support and nationwide delivery, our specialists help partners turn ideas into practical changes that elevate their drinks offer, grow revenue, and keep guests coming back. It’s this combination of deep sector insight, wine expertise and reliable execution that sets Matthew Clark Bibendum apart.
One partner for every pour. Head to Matthew Clark Bibendum to find out more.
Author: Laura Din, head of wine development, Matthew Clark Bibendum
