Inverarity Vaults uncorks a push east with Edinburgh wine shop

Published on Monday 12 October 2009 20:47

INVERARITY Vaults, Scotland's largest independent wine merchant, is to accelerate its recent growth with an expansion into Edinburgh.

The firm, which sources and supplies wine to establishments such as Skibo Castle and Gleneagles, is to open a new premises under former TM Robertson director Adrian Laird-Craig. The move comes just two years after Inverarity founder Hamish Martin moved the firm into the retail trade by opening an outlet in Glasgow's Bath Street.

Inverarity, which Martin founded with his father in 1993, distributes about 700 wines from its base in Symington, Lanarkshire.

Martin said the move into Edinburgh brought the number of retail outlets to four and came at a time when the firm was doubling its wholesale sales force. He said: "The shop in Glasgow has done so well we thought there was room for a place in Edinburgh.

"We have enjoyed good growth and our sales team has doubled to 12 people. We now have two concessions in Biggar and Ayr, as well an Edinburgh base, which will support our push into the east."

Martin's business has been growing at a rate of more than 30 per cent a year. This year it will turn over in excess of 8 million.