Majestic agrees to acquire Enotria&Coe

Majestic, the UK specialist wine retailer, has entered into a formal agreement to acquire the premium wines and spirits supplier, Enotria&Coe for an undisclosed sum.

Majestic said the combination will accelerate its strategic ambition to become the UK’s pre-eminent supplier of wines, beers and spirits, and improve value, choice and service for its on-trade partners.

Founded as Enotria Wines by Remo Nardone in 1972, Enotria&Coe has established “one of the most comprehensive and exclusive ranges of premium wines and spirits of any distributor in the UK”. It works with a range of more than 300 producers, including more than 200 exclusive agency brands.

The business supplies a host of restaurants, hotels and hospitality venues, including Gaucho, Rick Stein, Hotel du Vin/Malmaison, Bancone and L’Enclume.

Enotria&Coe has grown consistently 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.

Majestic said it identified significant potential to further grow Enotria&Coe alongside its existing B2B specialist arm, Majestic Commercial, with both continuing to operate as standalone businesses. The acquisition would also allow for greater investment in technology, people and service across the two businesses.

Majestic Commercial has established itself as the fastest-growing division of Majestic since the business was acquired by Fortress Investment Group in December 2019.

Majestic CEO John Colley said: “We are pleased to have entered into a formal agreement to acquire Enotria&Coe. It 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.”

Enotria&Coe CEO Julian 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.”