Food & Drink
10 Things We Love About Berry Brothers & Rudd
It’s hard to find fault with the ancient, family-run wine merchant.
In 1698, a lady called Widow Bourne founded a coffee shop in the beating heart of London, near St. James’s Palace. Business was so good that she soon branched out into cocoa, spices, tea and snuff. Bourne’s fashionable grocer is now Berry Brothers & Rudd, Britain’s oldest spirits and wine merchant.
In the three centuries since, Berry Bros. & Rudd has been frequented by everybody from Lord Byron and Beau Brummell to Winston Churchill and the Aga Khan.
As the company gears up for its 325th birthday celebrations, we count the ways it pleases its loyal fanbase.
We love that the company’s headquarters, 3 St. James’s Street, is the same as it was in 1698. Berry Bros. & Rudd’s flagship store is now in Pall Mall, but its offices are exactly where Bourne set herself up.
We love that Berry Brothers was the first wine merchant to open an online store, which it did in 1995. Among the website’s brilliant features is the Collecting Hub, a resource that brims with expert advice, insight and inspiration about how to build your own wine collection.
We love that Berry Bros. & Rudd has been awarded with the Royal Warrants of Edward VII, Elizabeth II and Charles III. A regal hattrick.
We love that Berry Brothers’ famously delicious liqueur, The King’s Ginger, was created in 1903 to revive Edward VII after cold car journeys. It is beloved of smart dinner parties and country houses to this day.
We love that the company’s ambition is ‘to be the best and most trusted fine wine and spirits merchant in the world’.
We love that Lizzy Rudd, chairman of the board, told Vanity Fair: ‘I would like to think that we are a business that’s role-modelling female leadership, with the majority of our leadership team being female. We don’t champion women specifically, but we do champion talent development in people regardless of gender.’
We love that Berry Bros. has just witnessed its 12th coronation.
We love that Berry Bros. is more than just a shop. It has offices in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, a Wine School and a fine wine and dining venue.
We love that, in 2013, Berry Bros. & Rudd became the first major UK retailer to give the wines from China a permanent place on its shelves.
We love that Berry Bros. & Rudd believe that it is only necessary to ask one question when considering the purchase of wine: ‘Is it good to drink?’
By Becky Ladenburg
May 2023
In the three centuries since, Berry Bros. & Rudd has been frequented by everybody from Lord Byron and Beau Brummell to Winston Churchill and the Aga Khan.
As the company gears up for its 325th birthday celebrations, we count the ways it pleases its loyal fanbase.
ONE
We love that the company’s headquarters, 3 St. James’s Street, is the same as it was in 1698. Berry Bros. & Rudd’s flagship store is now in Pall Mall, but its offices are exactly where Bourne set herself up.
TWO
We love that Berry Brothers was the first wine merchant to open an online store, which it did in 1995. Among the website’s brilliant features is the Collecting Hub, a resource that brims with expert advice, insight and inspiration about how to build your own wine collection.
THREE
We love that Berry Bros. & Rudd has been awarded with the Royal Warrants of Edward VII, Elizabeth II and Charles III. A regal hattrick.
FOUR
We love that Berry Brothers’ famously delicious liqueur, The King’s Ginger, was created in 1903 to revive Edward VII after cold car journeys. It is beloved of smart dinner parties and country houses to this day.
FIVE
We love that the company’s ambition is ‘to be the best and most trusted fine wine and spirits merchant in the world’.
SIX
We love that Lizzy Rudd, chairman of the board, told Vanity Fair: ‘I would like to think that we are a business that’s role-modelling female leadership, with the majority of our leadership team being female. We don’t champion women specifically, but we do champion talent development in people regardless of gender.’
SEVEN
We love that Berry Bros. has just witnessed its 12th coronation.
EIGHT
We love that Berry Bros. is more than just a shop. It has offices in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, a Wine School and a fine wine and dining venue.
NINE
We love that, in 2013, Berry Bros. & Rudd became the first major UK retailer to give the wines from China a permanent place on its shelves.
TEN
We love that Berry Bros. & Rudd believe that it is only necessary to ask one question when considering the purchase of wine: ‘Is it good to drink?’
By Becky Ladenburg
May 2023
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Becky Ladenburg
Features Editor
As The Guide's features editor, Becky has her discerning finger on the cultural pulse. She's also our go-to expert on the property market.
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