Michael Saunders: ‘Looking Back, Forging Ahead’

By Harpers Editorial team

Published: 25 July, 2025

In the next of edition of our Summer Q&A series, CEO of Coterie Holdings, Michael Saunders provides his perspective on the health of the drinks trade.

How has business been for you in the first half of 2025 and how do things compare to where you were last year?

It’s been incredibly exciting on a number of fronts. It’s impossible to compare to 2024 as Coterie was in its infancy and I only came into the role that January.

We have been able to develop all Coterie businesses in H1 this year. There has been significant development in them all with stellar growth in some. We are lucky to have businesses that are resonating with the markets they operate in and which have very talented people running them, with excellent teams in place to drive change at pace. We also are very pleased with the agency range developments in Hallgarten and are excited with the potential they bring.

What have been the biggest challenges and headaches so far this year and how have you sought to mitigate those?

The issues piling up on our industry doorstep are well known to all. It makes me so angry, as so many of them are entirely preventable. But sadly, sensible discussion with government over the past few years has proved impossible. So we just have to deal with what’s in front of us and work with our customers and suppliers to plot a path that does the very best for the end consumer. Keeping interest and excitement in the wine category is just so important. Retaining excellent quality and service is paramount and we have done very well on both of those fronts.

What are you most proud of achieving this year in terms of driving the business forward?

The Coterie team have made great strides in making our business more efficient. We are investing heavily into systems and processes and believe we are well set looking forward. The businesses are learning fast how best to work together and that will give us a great platform for the future.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, what is the biggest cause for concern?

If anyone could tell me with any kind of certainty what’s going to happen, I would be very grateful. Reading the news is a pastime of pain it seems. So given all the uncertainties, what I do believe is that we will have to be agile and ready to respond fast as macro issues arise. So the concern is really the unknown…

What single thing could the Government do to best improve trading conditions and the success of the drinks sector?

I’m not sure quite where to start. There are so many areas to address and I see no prospect of any of them coming to fruition. But, as many others have said, the key is to provide businesses with some certainty and importantly some oxygen to thrive. Our trade needs discretionary spending to flourish and we must attract wealth to this country: people who can spend and drive our economy. We have such an amazing offer, but a dwindling audience

What trends are you seeing in the drinks world at the moment, and how do you expect that to change going into the autumn?

The beauty of our trade is that it’s always changing, always has the opportunity to bring fresh ideas and products to market. That, I hope, won’t change. If the economic clouds lift a little, I think we’ll see entrepreneurs flourish and so a good number of exciting drinks becoming mainstream. An example I often use is Jubel: the founder Jesse Wilson has done an incredible job building an idea into a very successful brand. A great example (and person) to follow.

Any other predictions for the second half of the year?

Hard graft for us all. More uncertainty, both domestically and abroad, for businesses. Opportunities for ambitious companies. Change and lots of it. Some planned, some not.

Quick fire questions…

France, Italy or Spain?

Ouch. France

Georgia, Greece or UK?

I have to say Greece, given the incredible line up Hallgarten has developed under Steve Daniel

‘Normal’ or ‘natural’ wine?

100% normal

Cocktails or straight sippin’ spirits?

Negroni please

Mixologist or mix it at home?

Mixologist – they can be magicians

Aperitif preference?