Ian Bankier ‘sets rent record’ with new shop on Piccadilly

By PETER RANSCOMBE
Published on 05/11/2012 00:00

CELTIC chairman Ian Bankier has 
reportedly agreed to open a shop 
opposite the Ritz hotel on London’s glamorous Piccadilly, setting a new rent record for the street.

Bankier, who is executive chairman and part owner of parent company Glenkeir Whiskies, already has 20 stores spread through out the UK, from Inverness down to Brighton.

The businessman, who took over as chairman of Celtic from former home secretary John Reid last year, sells bottles of Scotch worth up to £150,000 at his stores.

Bankier was managing director of Scottish Leader-maker Burn Stewart Distillers up until its takeover and 
de-listing by Angostura Bitters-owner CL Financial in 2004.

The Whisky Shop did not return calls for comment yesterday.

The whisky sector is enjoying a surge in demand for Scotland’s national drink, with industry giants Diageo and Pernod Ricard pumping hundreds of millions of pounds into their businesses to expand production and sate the thirst of drinkers in emerging markets.