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Name: Off-Piste Wines
Industry/Sector: Food and drink
Date founded: 2007
The bosses: Ant Fairbank and Paul Letheren
Location: South East
Latest turnover: £22.6m
Three-year compound growth rate (%): 30.06
Latest EBITDA: £1.4m
As the name suggests, Off-Piste Wines aim to be a bit different from the norm, billing itself as “not your average wine company”.
The wines sold are chosen from the pair’s travels and stood out “for all sorts of reasons”, but each is different and all supposedly have their own individual qualities and quirks. Whether it stands as an expression of a classic region or gives a twist to an established style, each bottle claims to offer its own USP.
What has been a key driver of Off-Piste’s success has been the pledge to deliver “unbeatable value for money”, as Fairbank and Letheren said. Each bottle carries their signature and “we won’t sign that label unless we are sure that, price-wise, the wine in the bottle punches well above its weight”.
There’s clear passion for the product, but the founders have also made it a priority to work closely with retailers to provide consumers with labels they actually want. Previously working at Western Wines, the Off-Piste founders, proved their wine knowledge and business nous, playing a part in taking Kumala from its launch to the second-largest supermarket wine in ten years.
It seems there’s much more to come. Off-Piste has recently launched a new mid-tier range of varietal-led wines, called The Most Wanted, to target younger customers in the convenience sector.
More about the wine industry: 31 Dover
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