In 1698, an enterprising widow by the name of Bourne opened her emporium to sell exotic goods imported from overseas. It was known by the sign of the Coffee Mill, and its address was No.3 St James’s Street. More than three centuries later, the shop remains, though it’s no longer possible to purchase coffee, tea, or spices from these premises. Instead, you can now find an extraordinary selection of the world’s finest wines and spirits at Berry Bros. & Rudd.
Learn a little more about our latest addition to the Walpole family in our interview with Berry Bros. & Rudd's CEO, Emma Fox.
Walpole: Tell us about the history of your brand?
Emma Fox: We can trace our history back to 1698, when Widow Bourne opened her emporium at No.3 St James’s Street selling tea, coffee and spices imported from overseas.
As tastes changed, the focus shifted to something a little bit stronger. Berry Bros. & Rudd became the trusted purveyor of wines and spirits, exploring the globe in search of the finest goods. This proved to be a shrewd move, as world events such as prohibition led to wines being in great demand and renowned spirits such as the famous Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky was launched.
We became famed for merchanting, especially Claret and Burgundy, in the 20th century, and were renowned for innovation, becoming the first independent wine merchant to build temperature-controlled wine cellars, and much later launching the very first wine merchant’s website. While much has changed over the years, we are still owned and managed by members of the Berry & Rudd families. Today, we hold two royal warrants and are incredibly proud of our 325 year history.
What is your brand best known for?
I think we are best known for offering the highest quality of service and expertise in fine wine and spirits in the world. This means that any experience our customers have with us – whether that is visiting our beautiful shop on Pall Mall in London to ask for advice on a wine pairing for their dinner party, selecting fine wines to lay down with the help of our in-house experts or enjoying a gin and tonic made with our award-winning No. 3 London Dry Gin – must exceed expectations every time.
What has been a significant achievement in your company’s timeline?
As we celebrate our 325th anniversary, it has to be our resilience. We have faced many challenges over the last three centuries and everyone at Berry Bros. & Rudd is passionate about creating a sustainable business for the future. From the service we deliver to customers, to our commitment to our long term producers, nothing we do is for short term gain. Our determination and focus, underpins this resilience, enabling us to embrace the future with optimism and confidence.
Why do you love the brand?
I started my career in the wine industry straight from university and I have always admired Berry Bros. & Rudd. It was after I joined the Board as an independent director in 2017 that I experienced what really sets us apart: our people. The level of passion, generosity of spirit, genuine care and expertise is unparalleled, and to me that’s what gives us our ‘secret sauce’.
Why does your brand represent the very best in British luxury?
At its heart, Berry Bros. & Rudd is a merchant. We believe we are the closest link between the customer and the producer, and are committed to helping customers drink better now and in the future. There is no magic formula to achieving this; what defines Berry Bros. & Rudd is a blend of quality, expertise, care, history and going the extra mile. Delivering a service that considers the little things, which are often overlooked in today's fast-moving world.
What attracted you to becoming a Walpole member?
We believe Britain is a global leader in luxury innovation and there are so many brands I admire that are fellow Walpole members. Collaboration has always been one of the keys to Berry Bros. & Rudd’s success and I know that as an industry, we are stronger together. We are passionate about looking forward and are always thinking about what comes next, so being part of this group of brilliant businesses where we can learn, share and create change is inspiring.
If you could collaborate with another Walpole member, which one would you choose?
It’s impossible to choose when there are so many esteemed members! At Berry Bros. & Rudd we love to collaborate with brands that, like us, are interested in ensuring business is a force for good in the world with a positive and lasting impact on people and planet. On a personal note, as a female CEO at Berry Bros. & Rudd, and with more than half of my executive team being women, I am passionate about encouraging more diversity so would love to work with members where there may be synergies.
Tell us about an exciting development or new launch for your brand in the coming months?
We are very excited to be opening our first dedicated Spirits Shop on the corner of St James in London in spring 2024, as a sister premises to the shop at 63 Pall Mall. We have a proud heritage in spirits and our new Spirits Shop will give us the opportunity to extend our reputation as one of the best and most trusted spirit and wine merchants, both for drinkers and collectors alike.
> Visit Berry Bros. & Rudd's member profile here