 | |
| Type | Private Limited |
|---|---|
| Industry | Alcohol wholesale |
| Founded | 1810 |
| Headquarters | , United Kingdom |
Number of employees | 1300+ |
| Parent | C&C Group |
| Website | www |
Matthew Clark is a United Kingdom-based drinks distributor, owned by C&C Group. Founded in 1810, the business primarily serves public houses, restaurants, bars and hotels within the mainland UK.
The company was formed in 1810 by Matthew Clark, the son of Charles Clark, Inspector General of Imported Liquors and Distillery at the Port of London and later Merchants' Gauger of wines and spirits for the City of London merchants. [1] It was known for most of its history as a City of London wine and spirit importer called Matthew Clark and Sons. Six generations of the Clark/Gordon Clark family worked in it while it was an independent company. It was originally based in Great Tower Street, then from 1925 at 14 Trinity Square, Tower Hill, [2] from 1956 at Walbrook House, and from 1972 at the Finsbury Distillery, the premises of the firm of that name, manufacturers of Stone's Ginger wine, taken over in 1964.
The Leeds-based firm of J. E. Mather, manufacturer of "Barchester British Wine", was taken over 1965-7. [3] But the main business of the firm was that of representing foreign companies, principally from 1814 J. & F. Martell of Cognac, the great French brandy house, John DeKuyper & Son of Rotterdam, manufacturers of gin, by 1827, and up to 1925 Pedro Domecq, the sherry producers of Jerez de la Frontera. [4] The archives of the firm were deposited in the Guildhall Library and are now in the London Metropolitan Archives; [5] they are of considerable interest for the history of the wine and spirit trade in the 19th and early 20th century.
In 1990, after listing on the London Stock Exchange, the company began acquiring other drinks manufacturers and distributors, including: [6]
In 1998, Matthew Clark plc was acquired by Constellation Brands Inc of the United States. In 2002, the company acquired Forth Wines. In 2007 Constellation sold a 50% stake to Punch Taverns.
In 2010, the cider businesses were sold to C&C Group plc of Ireland, leaving Matthew Clark as an alcohol wholesaler.
In January 2011, Constellation Brands Inc divested 80% of its European business, Constellation Europe, along with its sister company, Constellation Wines Australia, to Australian private equity company, CHAMP Private Equity. Subsequently, in 2011 Constellation Europe and Constellation Wines Australia together became Accolade Wines.
In October 2015, Accolade Wines and Punch Taverns sold their respective 50% holdings to Conviviality plc in a £200 million deal. [7] [8] Matthew Clark operated within the 'Conviviality Direct' business unit which, along with the Bibendum brand, served over 23,000 outlets, consisting of national chains to independent food-led pubs and restaurants.
In March 2018, Conviviality said it faced bankruptcy unless it could raise £125m, as it issued its third profits warning in a month. [9] It failed to do so, and at the end of March, Conviviality announced its intention to appoint administrators within a fortnight, putting 2,600 jobs across the group at risk. [10] Conviviality Direct, including Matthew Clark and Bibendum, was sold to C&C Group in April 2018 as part of a 'pre-pack' administration deal. [11]
Matthew Clark is currently based in Bristol, where its Head Office is located. It has a sales force of over 230 employees deployed across the country. Matthew Clark offers a range of over 7,000 alcohol lines with next day delivery. [12]
Diageo plc is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. Distilleries owned by Diageo produce 40% of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Old Parr.
H P Bulmer Limited, trading as Bulmers, is a cider-making company founded in 1887 in Hereford, England.
Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard.
Lagavulin distillery is a malt whisky distillery in the village of Lagavulin on the south of the island of Islay, Scotland. It distills spirit that will become Islay single malt Scotch whisky.
C&C Group plc is an Irish manufacturer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic drinks, particularly cider, and soft drinks. It has production facilities across Ireland, Great Britain and the United States, and its products are sold around the world. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Blackthorn Cider is a cider produced by Gaymer Cider Company, a subsidiary of C&C Group. Previously it was known as Blackthorn Dry or Dry Blackthorn. It is sold in a variety of forms, commonly being served draught in pubs or being sold in 440 ml cans or two-litre bottles in shops or supermarkets.
Constellation Brands, Inc. is an American producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits. A Fortune 500 company, Constellation is the largest beer import company in the US, measured by sales, and has the third-largest market share of all major beer suppliers. It also has sizable investments in medical and recreational cannabis through its association with Canopy Growth. Based in Victor, New York, Constellation has about 40 facilities and approximately 9,000 employees.
Gordon's is a brand of London dry gin first produced in 1769. The top markets for Gordon's are the United Kingdom, the United States and Greece. It is owned by the British spirits company Diageo. It is the world's best-selling London dry gin. Gordon's has been the UK's number one gin since the late 19th century. A 40% ABV version for the North American market is distilled in Canada.
Manischewitz is a brand of kosher products founded in 1888 Cincinnati, Ohio, and best known for its matzo and kosher wine. It became a public corporation in 1923 but remained under family control until January 1991, when it was bought out by a private equity firm. On April 7, 2014, Sankaty Advisors, an arm of the private equity firm Bain Capital, bought the company from a group that included the investment firm Harbinger. It is the world's largest Matzo manufacturer, one of America's largest kosher brands, and the first American exporter of matzo.
Punch Pubs & Co is a pub and bar operator in the United Kingdom, with around 1,300 leased pubs. It is headquartered in the traditional brewing centre of Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange as a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index until its sale in 2016 for £403m to a private equity fund, Patron Capital, acting in concert with Heineken International who acquired 1,900 of Punch's pubs as part of the deal.
Altia Oyj was a Finnish state-owned corporation based in Helsinki, which produces, imports, exports and markets alcoholic beverages. It operates in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia. Altia has production plants in Koskenkorva and Rajamäki in Finland and in Tabasalu in Estonia. Altia's strategy is based on two complementary cornerstones – building own brands and providing a leading Nordic and Baltic service platform for partners to develop their business. The largest imported brands are Drostdy-Hof, Two Oceans and Jack Daniel's.
First Quench Retailing was the largest independent off-licence retail chain in the UK, with around 3,500 shops operating under several retail brands, though all have now been closed. At the time of First Quench's closure, these included the Threshers, Haddows, The Local and Wine Rack chains.
The Gaymer Cider Company produced and marketed cider. It has been owned by C&C Group since 2010. However, the Gaymer brand is no longer used and the business has been consolidated into the parent company.
Accolade Wines is an international wine business with headquarters in South Australia and corporate offices in Melbourne. It has been owned by the Carlyle Group, an American private equity company, since 2018.
Sazerac Company, Inc. is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionaire William Goldring and his family. As of 2017, it operated nine distilleries, had 2,000 employees, and operated in 112 countries. It is one of the two largest spirits companies in the United States, with annual revenue of about $1 billion made from selling about 300 beverage brands.
The Taunton Cider Company was a cider producer, based in Norton Fitzwarren, north west of the county town of Taunton, Somerset, England. The company is best known for being the developer and producer of Blackthorn Cider, now produced by Gaymer Cider Company, a subsidiary of C&C Group plc of Ireland.
Bargain Booze is a chain of off licence shops, that operates in the United Kingdom. Established in 1981 in Sandbach, it grew to 836 shops and established the Bargain Booze Select Convenience shop franchise.
Lion is an alcoholic beverage company that operates in Australia and New Zealand, and a subsidiary of Japanese beverage conglomerate Kirin. It produces and markets a range of beer and cider in Australia, and wine in New Zealand and the United States through Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners. It acts as distributors for a range of spirits in New Zealand, but does not own any distilleries outright, although holding a 50% share of Four Pillars Gin in Victoria.
Bestway Wholesale Holdings Limited is the second largest food wholesaler in the United Kingdom. It trades from 62 warehouses and is a supply partner to over 130,000 independent retailers and 40,000 catering and foodservice operators. Bestway Wholesale also operates the Best-one, Costcutter, Bargain Booze and Wine Rack symbol groups, which in total have around 4,000 members between them throughout the country as of January 2022. Over 3,500 independents have chosen their depot-run promotional club, Xtra Local, as their retail club of choice. Bestway Wholesale is a wholly owned subsidiary of the British investment company Bestway Group.