Wine retailer Majestic is to acquire fellow wines and spirits supplier, Enotria&Coe for an undisclosed sum.

Majestic said the deal would support its ambition to become one of the UK’s major suppliers of wines, beers and spirits, as well as improving value, choice and service for its on-trade partners.

Enotria&Coe and Majestic’s on-trade arm, Majestic Commercial, will both continue to operate as standalone businesses, with their head offices remaining based at Park Royal, London and Watford, respectively.

The Enotria&Coe team, headed by chief executive Julian Momen will also stay on to drive the business’ next chapter.

Majestic said the deal would allow for greater investment in technology, people and service across the two businesses.

Majestic chief executive John Colley said:

“Enotria&Coe is a business we have competed against and admired for a long time, with a quality proposition and cultural values that align very closely with what we already do at Majestic. We believe this is a compelling strategic combination and can see huge potential to further enhance Enotria’s proposition and profitability as part of the Majestic group.”

 

Momen added:

“This combination is fantastic news for Enotria&Coe colleagues, customers, our business and our future growth ambitions. From the initial approach and subsequent discussions with Majestic, it has been obvious to me that there is much to admire in their business and their growth. More importantly, we have a similar business ethos, and our behaviours and focus on people means that we are fully aligned on building a successful business together for the benefit of customers and suppliers.”   

 

Enotria&Coe was founded as Enotria Wines by Remo Nardone in 1972 and works with a range of more than 300 wine producers, including more than 200 exclusive agency brands. The business supplies restaurants, hotels and hospitality venues, including Gaucho, Rick Stein, Hotel du Vin/Malmaison, Bancone and L’Enclume.

Enotria&Coe has grown across all supply channels during the past two decades, buying Wheeler Cellars in 2008, Great Western Wine – now trading from its Bath shop as the Great Wine Co – in 2010, and Coe Vintners in 2015.

Meanwhile, Majestic Commercial has established itself as the fastest-growing division of Majestic since the business was acquired by Fortress Investment Group in December 2019. The on-trade arm has delivered double-digit sales growth in each of the past three years.

Last year, Majestic paid £6.5m to acquire Vagabond Wines out of administration, with the deal encompassing buying nine of Vagabond’s bars in London and Birmingham in April, saving 171 jobs.