Broadland Wineries Dorrien Estate

Broadland Wineries has signed a major distribution deal with Australian retail giant Woolworths.

It will see Broadland launch and distribute a number of top Woolworths-owned wine brands, including Dorrien Estate, in the UK. In turn, the Norwich-based business will be able to buy bulk wine from Australian and New Zealand producers through Woolworths, leveraging the Australian retailer’s buying power for a competitive price.

It meant Broadland, which has its own packaging facilities, would be able to offer an own label proposition with the “most competitive bulk wine pricing on the market,” said Broadland CEO Paul Schaafsma, who spearheaded the deal after joining the company this September, having previously headed up Accolade Wines.

The next step would be to approach UK retailers with a comprehensive portfolio, he added. “We will be offering a solution where we can deliver retailers’ own-label and private-label requirements at the best possible price as we are buying at cost and packing ourselves.”

The Dorrien Estate brand would be Broadland’s “major focus”, but further brands would be developed and launched in the new year, using wine acquired through the buying arrangement with Woolworths, said Schaafsma. “We will be able to source bulk wine from every region of Australia. With our production capabilities and sourcing at this price, it is going to make a big impact on the market.”

Schaafsma has bolstered Broadland’s senior management over the past four weeks, bringing a trio of former Accolade colleagues on board. Andy Cameron, who was its head of supermarkets, has taken up the same role at Broadland. Amy White, Accolade’s marketing director, and Ian Anderson, its general manager for strategic development, have also joined the company.

Broadland Wineries’ revenues hit c£60m in the past financial year, and Schaafsma previously told The Grocer he planned to double its turnover over the next two years.