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Gilbeys and Bibendum join forces in Ireland

The new partnership will “combine the very best of Bibendum’s premium and artisanal wines with the established Gilbeys wine brands that customers in Ireland already know and love”.

The ‘Bibendum’ brand will also be launched in Northern Ireland at the same time, with a new and exclusive range.

Gilbeys is the largest wine distributor in Ireland and the new partnership is expected to benefit “both new and existing customers, 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 add excitement and variety to any outlets offering. Having access to these new wines gives us the opportunity to expand conversations with luxury hotels, quality restaurants and premium, wine-led venues. This partnership with Bibendum will increase our business in Ireland, potentially doubling our wine sales over the next three years.”

Michael Saunders, CEO of Bibendum, said the “Gilbeys brand is iconic in Ireland and we are thrilled to be able to work with them to bring some of our best loved wines to the market. Feedback from On Trade customers tells us that they want even more choice and diversity, in particular premium and artisanal wines.

“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 new partnership will mark its launch with a series of tasting events for customers in Cork, Galway, Dublin and Belfast at the beginning of April.

• Bibendum
• Gilbeys
• Wine Ireland