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Crown Cellars boosts sales team as wine revenues grow 19% in past year

Published:  10 October, 2014

Carlsberg's wine and spirits on-trade arm Crown Cellars has boosted its sales team following a 19% increase in wine sales in the past 12 months.

Carlsberg's wine and spirits on-trade arm Crown Cellars has boosted its sales team following a 19% increase in wine sales in the past 12 months.

James LousadaCrown Cellars boosts sales team to build on growthJames Lousada, former Accolade Wines' general manager Europe and now chief executive of Carlsberg UK, says now is the right time to build capacity into the Crown Cellars team.

Six wine and spirits accounts managers are joining the call centre-based team in Leeds, bringing the total there to 20, while two additional wine and spirit experts will join the field sales teams. The customer contact team will be responsible for free trade wine and spirits customers, as well as training and developing the wider sales team. The field sales staff will work directly with national customers including Enterprise Inns and Admiral Taverns.

James Lousada, former Accolade Wines' general manager Europe and now chief executive of Carlsberg UK, says now is the right time to build capacity into the Crown Cellars team.

In the past two years, all 70 of Crown Cellars' regional sales managers have undergone wine and spirits training, and by the end of this year its entire field sales force will have gained their Level 2 WSET certificate. The wine and spirits team has also just completed extensive bespoke spirits training with Diageo, designed to help them deliver category and up-selling advice to customers.

This year, Crown Cellars has added 23 spirits and 27 wines to its portfolio. It now has 550 wines and 200 spirits on its list. It has also invested in its website to allow customers to search by grape variety, wine style, award winners or on-trade exclusives. Tasting notes and marketing tips are also on the site.

James Lousada, chief executive of Carlsberg UK, said: "We have many years of experience in our team, including our long-term consultant Jonathan Pedley MW, Mike Gibson, sales director, Louise Boddington, wine category manager and Katie Hewitt, spirits category manager. Collectively they have been responsible for building up a strong portfolio and now is the right time to build on our capability by increasing the size and knowledge of our whole team. This will enable us to deliver the best possible service and support to our customers, which is extremely important to us. We have always recognised that this business is about building trusting partnerships. The skillset of the larger team, coupled with the investment in our range, will also help us to broaden out our appeal to pubs, hotels and restaurants."

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