Lidl UK has announced the appointment of industry specialist, Tristan Stephenson, to consult on its spirits range. With an impressive breadth of knowledge and expertise, he will help to further strengthen Lidl’s success in this category, which has recently seen notable year-on-year growth.
Working closely with the buying team, Mr Stephenson will taste the range to advise on NPD, as well as providing tasting notes and cocktail recipes for new and existing products. His expertise and insight will work as a guide for shoppers as they navigate the range in-store, making it easier to understand which spirits are best suited to their preferences and the buying occasion.
The news follows Lidl’s prestigious wins at last month’s Drinks Retailing Awards, which saw the supermarket take home the top accolades for Supermarket of the Year and Multiple Spirits Retailer of the Year. These came on top of Lidl’s 2016 awards success, when it scooped the Spirits Supermarket of the Year at the International Spirits Challenge for the second year running.
Lidl, which has just been announced as the fastest-growing supermarket in spirits, cider and sparkling wine[1] has seen impressive sales growth within this category over recent years – with its Artisan Hortus Gin having proved particularly popular over the Christmas period.
Commenting on his new role, Mr Stephenson said: “This is a really exciting time to be coming on board, and I look forward to working with the team to develop new and exciting liquids for the range – as well as offering advice to customers on what they should be buying, and for which occasions. I’ve been really impressed by the work of Lidl’s spirits buyers in recent years, and the resulting award wins are truly well-deserved!”
Mr Stephenson, also known as the Curious Bartender, is renowned for his work as a bartender and author, having worked at London hot spots including The Connaught, The Dorchester and The Ritz. His most recent self-opened City bar, Whistling Shop, has featured in the World’s Fifty Best Bars for the last three consecutive years. He has released two drinks books under the title of ‘Curious Bartender’, one of which was an Evening Standard bestseller.
[1]According to Off License News February 2017