There's been a lot of bad press lately on the subject of zero-hours contracts. The Labour party have pledged to abolish them if they win the next election. So what are zero-hours contracts exactly, why do employers use them, and how do they work in practice?
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Some milestones make you think. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the founding of Cloudy Bay, one of the most successful wine brands ever, and a label that helped to launch an entire region.
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"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning that's as good as they are going to feel all day". Frank Sinatra quoted in the book.
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From its invention in the 17th century gin has always had a murky reputation. Poor quality grain and low prices led to a virtual epidemic of extreme drunkenness. In fact, the impact was so great that the nickname "Mother's ruin" remains with us today.
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This week's Chief of the Week is former Somerfield head wine buyer Angela Mount for having the guts to stand up, stick her head about the parapet and tell the world what it is really like to be at the sharp end as a supermarket buyer when the s**t hits the fan.
Read more...Former Somerfield buyer Angela Mount has first-hand experience on being a wine buyer in a difficult climate. She gives her view on what happens behind closed doors at supermarkets when they come under fire.
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Tim North, UK manager for Les Grands Chais de France, on how he believes France can show the rest of the world it can still excite and surprise consumers with its amazing diversity of wines
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"To thine own self be true." Polonius' advice to his son Laertes in Hamlet is arguably easier to give than to follow. Most of us make regular compromises in our personal and professional lives. We don't lie to ourselves exactly, but we fall short of the absolute standards to which we aspire.
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lThe words "guru" and "legend" are bandied around by us journalists far too often to try and bring attention to what someone who is far from being either of those two things has just told us.
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As part of our ongoing Back to School series, Anya Robson of bulk wine broker Murphy Wine Company reckons Spain's bulk industry is in crisis and tips South African rosé as one to watch.
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Patrick McGrath MW, managing director of Hatch Mansfield, sees ongoing margin pressure for suppliers as a major threat, and tips New Zealand and Prosecco for continued growth. This is part of a series of 'back to school' reports from leaders across the wine trade.
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Felix Solis UK managing director Richard Cochrane says the end and restart of the 3 for £10 mechanic was a landmark for the UK wine trade, and reckons further consolidation is on the cards.
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As summer draws to a close, we asked some key figures in the trade to round up events in the wine trade for the year to date, and outline their company's plans for the rest of the year.
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David Gleave MW, managing director of Liberty Wines, focuses on Europe's upcoming 'difficult' harvest and taking on new agencies for his back to school report.
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As summer draws to a close, we asked some key figures in the trade to round up events in the wine trade for the year to date, and outline their company's plans for the rest of the year. Greg Wilkins, managing director of Brand Phoenix reckons Chinese austerity has had a major impact on the wine trade, and picks fruit-flavoured wines as the next big thing.
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As summer draws to a close, we asked some key figures in the trade to round up events in the wine industry for the year to date, and outline their organisation's plans for the rest of the year.
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James Caudill, director of PR and hospitality at Napa's The Hess Collection group of wineries, on the damage the group sustained following the 6.0 earthquake.
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A decade ago I was at a business review meeting with Mark Murphy, Tesco's then head of beers wines and spirits, discussing how to persuade consumers to 'trade up', or as they would put it, buy higher priced wines.
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Pavilion, the restaurant, is the latest addition to the TARDIS-like, six floor luxury serviced office complex of that name, created by the founder of Foxton's estate agents, Jon Hunt and daughter Emma.
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Drinks brands have been among the most enthusiastic adopters of technology for marketing purposes. It's easy to see why. The social nature of drinking makes digital a natural bedfellow for drinks brands with novel and entertaining content to have a direct conversation with their drinkers such as the Fosters' Comedian in Your Pocket app, which forges a direct link with drinkers.
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