The company behind celebrity wines from Kylie Minogue and Gordon Ramsey has hailed innovation in low & no alcohol for helping it deliver top and bottom line growth “in a competitive environment”.
London-based distributor and brand developer Benchmark Drinks saw its turnover climb by 29.5% to £36.9m in the year to 31 January 2025, newly filed accounts at Companies House showed.
Operating profits, meanwhile, doubled to £3.4m, resulting in a profit after tax figure of £2.5m.
“We are encouraged by another positive set of year-end results,” said managing director Paul Schaafsma. “Benchmark Drinks continues to deliver market-leading growth in a competitive environment.”
Schaafsma, who set up Benchmark Drinks following stints at Australian wine giants including Accolade and McGuigan, has helped several high profile celebrities including Kylie Minogue, Gary Barlow and Gordon Ramsey set up and grow their own wine brands.
Kylie Minogue Wines has enjoyed particular success. The brand has to date sold more than 22 million bottles worldwide and is now available in 36 countries.
In the UK, its wines are sold in retailers including Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
This year, the brand climbed 10 places in The Grocer’s Britain’s Biggest Alcohol Brands Report, after off-trade sales surged by 21.2% to £36.6m [NIQ 52 w/e 19 April 2025].
Last month, it added a lower abv sparkling rosé to a roster that already includes a duo of alcohol-free sparkling wines.
“Our success with celebrity brands and the low & no sector reflects a focus on innovation providing consumers relevant, quality offerings, appropriate for their lifestyle,” Schaafsma added.
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