What’s it like to be the Spirits Curator at Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant? I sat down … [+] with Felix Dear at Berry Bros. & Rudd to find out
Berry Bros. & Rudd, Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchants, recently appointed Felix Dear as their new Spirits Curator. Dear joins the 325 year old company in an exciting period and I was fortunate enough to have the chance to catch up with him to discuss his move, the old and new shops, and all things whisky.
Who Are Berry Bros. & Rudd?
Walk down St. James’s Street in central London toward St. James’s Palace and on the left you won’t help but notice a historic fronting with its black arched windows. The shop is the historic office of Berry Bros. & Rudd and it’s been the home of Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchants since they were established in 1698.
“I’ve heard people describe it as ‘like stepping onto a Harry Potter movie set’,” says Dear in an email exchange to discuss his appointment and all things Berry Bros. & Rudd. “Or compare our office’s front door to that of No.10 Downing Street. It’s a piece of history and a sight to behold.”
It doesn’t stop there. A few extra strides beyond their headquarters you’ll find the equally eye-catching frontage of No.1 St James’s Street where Berry Bros. & Rudd have just opened their first dedicated spirits shop. Then, if you hang a left onto the Monopoly renowned Pall Mall, you’ll find the Berry Bros. & Rudd Wine Shop too. It’s quite the collection of historic retail estate.
Inside the sprit shop at Berry Bros. & Rudd
Don’t be misled by the old world charm though. With offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dublin and forward thinking Felix Dear on board for 2024, Berry Bros. & Rudd have their eyes on the future.
Keeping A 325 Year Old Brand Relevant
Earlier this year Felix Dear joined Berry Bros. & Rudd as Spirits Curator. He has joined at an exciting time for the historic independent bottler and his first project has been an overhaul of the Classic Whisky Range. Dear has shown from the outset that he is not afraid to break the mold; others are busy removing age statements from their whiskies while Dear has introduced a 12 and 16 year old to the classic range.
“I think modern consumers are increasingly eager to explore new flavors, products and distilleries, but in such a crowded landscape it can be difficult for people to identify the top-notch spirits,” Dear explained when I asked him what he felt Berry Bros. & Rudd was bringing to an increasingly crowded independent bottler scene.
Berry Bros. & Rudd, proudly standing at No. 3 St. James’s Street, London, is a historic landmark in … [+] the heart of the city
“That’s where we as an independent bottler can play our part to instill trust in our selection, reassuring buyers that our products meet high standards and are worthy of carrying the Berry Bros. & Rudd name on its bottle.”
While the heritage and location of Berry Bros. & Rudd are certainly a boon, it can be easy to get bogged down in that much history. In today’s world consumers look to brands to deliver more than just good quality. Drinkers have layers of expectation, from quality of liquid to presentation. For younger drinkers sustainability is increasingly a key concern.
“Berry Bros. & Rudd is a company that has always celebrated its past, and at the same time embraced the future. Nobody knows exactly what that future looks like, but one thing we can all agree on is that sustainability will play a key part.”
Sustainability was the uniting factor behind their 2023 release The Collective #1: The Pioneers. This collection of spirits showcased ten likeminded distillers from across the world who are embracing sustainable practices. It’s an impressive collection and great to see ranges still being created on foundations that aren’t all about premiumisation and luxury collaborations.
Being An Independent Bottler
Dear’s job as spirits curator is about more than just whisky, but as an independent bottler of whiskies among other spirits they have seen a lot of changes over the years. Not unlike wine, whisky has become a collector’s item. It’s made some whiskies worth thousands, even millions, of dollars and that has had an impact on everything from the market for casks through to staff.
Iconic arches, royal warrant – Berry Bros. & Rudd bottles embody the prestige of their shop front … [+] and heritage
Dear’s predecessor, Jonny McMillian left to co-found the Kythe Distillery, which will become one of the 30 or so new distilleries opening in Scotland over the next few years. That may not sound like much until you consider that in 1996 there were just 84 distilleries in Scotland. Today there are 150 operating distilleries listed by the Scotch Whisky Association. We’ve already seen famous independent bottler Gordon & Macphail put down their bottler mantle in order to focus on distilling their own spirits.
Dear is clear that he sees the changing landscape as an opportunity, “More new whisky distilleries mean more people for us to work with, which can never be a bad thing. If there’s anything difficult about it, it’s that we have to patiently wait for the whisky to be ready!”
With more than three hundred years of experience under their belt, Berry Bros. & Rudd have seen and weathered their fair share of ups and downs within the wine and spirits markets. As an established bottler they have existing relationships and buying power. Dear explains they are fortunate enough to have their own stocks of maturing casks to insulate them from some of the knock on impacts of cask investment within the secondary market.
Berry Bros. & Rudd’s history boasts incredible bottlings, like this exceptional 1937 Talisker
“Securing high-quality stock has indeed become more challenging in recent years, driven by a surge in independent bottlers and the cask investment market. Thankfully, our longstanding relationships have enabled us to continue acquiring excellent casks.”
Dream Bottlings For The Future
Dear is clearly looking to the future in his new position with Berry Bros. & Rudd. The second installment in their ‘A Sense of Place’ series of whiskies is due out later this year: “Coasts & Shores will be released in Autumn 2024 and will explore a selection of whiskies from iconic coastal landscapes around the world.”
On a slightly less practical note I finished with asking about his dream bottlings. We all have our unicorn whiskies, and I was pleased to see Dear’s balancing the unexpected and classic here too: “Although I’ve checked several ‘unicorn’ distilleries off my list, one that’s so far eluded me is Glenugie. It’s a distillery which was demolished in 1985, I’ve encountered it a handful of times, and whilst the quality can be variable, on the higher end of that scale it’s fantastic.
“Outside of that, if anyone has any reasonably priced casks of late 60s Bowmore, you know who to call.” Ah yes, we can all dream.
