Independent Wine Specialist
Established in 1994 by James Goodhart, Bon Coeur Fine Wines is one of the UK's leading independent wine merchants. Family owned and run; our team is dedicated to providing a first-class service with a wide range of over 1000 wines, excellent product availability and delivery accuracy. Bon Coeur is a truly independent wine company; we hold no agencies and are not tied to any particular producer or minimum buying agreements. We believe our independence gives us an advantage in being able to select the best wines for our customers at the right prices. Our supplier/partners must share the same philosophies as we do, quality and value are paramount.
Extensive Wine Range
As well as small independent producers we also work with larger suppliers shipping directly from the vineyard. By carefully managing our supply chain and keeping overheads to a minimum it ensures we are competitive on prices and consistency. Our independence also gives us the edge in sourcing new wines as we are able to move quickly to reflect market trends and offer the best options to meet our customers’ needs.
UK Wine Buyer of The Year
We feel very proud that our founder, James Goodhart was awarded 'Wine Buyer of The Year 2024', a well-deserved accolade. After 30 years, he is still passionate about buying the best wines with balance, drinkability, genuine expression, personality and value, always with the customer in mind. We also won 'Single Venue Independent Merchant Award' at The Wine Buyers Award, in partnership with The Drinks Business. Good wine is at our heart and whether it be a classed growth or entry level, New World or Old World, all wines are tasted and chosen personally by us.
Extension of Your Team
We believe in building profitable, long-term partnerships with our customers that will benefit your business. Our sales team are experienced, knowledgeable and can advise you on all aspects of your wine offering. We put your business at the heart of what we do. We understand that all our customers are unique and we offer tailored solutions to suit your needs. We also have a dedicated in-house team of delivery drivers that put your delivery exactly where you want it and always go the extra mile to help.
Wine Education
Effective staff training is vital in the fast-paced hospitality industry. Knowledge is the key component to confidently and professionally selling wine. Today's consumer wants that 'extra special' experience, something that they cannot replicate themselves. It is our job, as your wine partner to empower you and your team to deliver this. We will ensure that all staff are confident and motivated to deliver extraordinary drinks experiences for your guests.
Our wine training programme is an invaluable business tool, whether you are looking to train new staff, help your team develop a career in wine or simply refresh their wine knowledge. It all benefits your business and helps you retain and develop your team. Customers who embrace our training programmes increase their wine sales by 20-40%.
Our key principles for delivering wine education are Engagement, Empowerment, Encouragement. Our aim is to inspire, support and develop people from the hospitality sector. In order to deliver meaningful wine education, we take a multi-layered approach through bespoke hospitality training, WSET and Wine Academy. Each step of our training programme encourages the individuals to build on their understanding and expand their wine knowledge.
Bespoke Wine Training
We will meet with you to discuss your specific wine training requirements and help come up with a plan and training programme to suit your business and staff. From initiatives on how to sell wine, upselling in a challenging environment, to offering advice on food and wine matching to suit your menu, our bespoke training can take many forms. Wine training will boost confidence, widen knowledge and enthuse your staff to sell wine resulting in increase in volume, upselling, sales and profit. With the help of Rachel Love, our in-house certified wine educator and our WSET educated sales team, we can create a bespoke training programme entirely tailored to your requirements.
WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust
As a WSET Approved programme provider, we deliver regular WSET Level 1 and 2 Award in Wine courses at our Moor Park HQ and at our Satellite sites. We support our trade customers with this key industry training scheme which aids staff retention in a challenging market and maximises the opportunities you have with wine. We actively encourage customers and employees to go through the WSET courses as it provides a great platform for wine knowledge and is the universally recognised benchmark of wine education.
Wine Academy
Our Wine Academy is the pinnacle of Bon Coeur’s wine education programme and gives our trade partners key insights into all aspects of the wine trade. We are passionate about investing in training and believe it is the key to building knowledge confidence and proficiency in wine on both personal and professional levels. We launched our Wine Academy in 2021 and it has received widespread recognition for aiding the development of hospitality professionals with a passion for wine.
The Wine Academy is designed for career focused, enthusiastic, engaged people in the hospitality sector who have completed their WSET level 2 or equivalent, who aspire to progress their wine expertise. Our aim is to inspire, support and develop people from the hospitality sector on their wine journeys. We deliver our Academy every quarter and this year we will be taking it on tour to Manchester, Newcastle and York. Contact your account manager for upcoming dates.
Events
We host regular regional tasting events and wine dinners that give you the opportunity to taste new wines, meet the people behind them, and learn about their stories. We can also help you deliver fun and creative wine experiences for your customers.
Trade Talk
We annually produce our in house magazine, Trade Talk. Full of great tips and helpful ideas on all aspects of selling wine. Request your copy by emailing trade@bcfw.co.uk, or click here to view online.
Testimonials
"The wine academy has helped me to keep my WSET training at the front of my mind, and kept me up to date with what is going on in the world of wine. Meeting representatives from major vineyards has given me an insight into the process of wine making and the environmental impacts and concerns facing the industry right now. During the academy I was able to meet and chat to other businesses similar to mine, and share knowledge and ideas. Above all else, I enjoyed the wine tasting, of course!"
- Owner of Independent Café/Bar
"I think that the wine academy has been a great experience and has helped develop my knowledge of the industry. Whilst on WSET you learn about the grapes and the growing environments, it is interesting to learn, on Wine Academy, about the different producers and what they are doing, their history and what their vison and focuses are. It was also good to have a look at the key industry trends to have an over view of what is happening across the trade. Speaking and connecting with other people from different venues, to see how they are managing in the current climate and how they are adapting to the different challenges was very interesting and extremely useful."
- Food and Beverage Manager, 5-star hotel
“My account manager has really established a firm following with us at the estate, and feels like an extension of our team, not only with regards to her sales of wines, but also the knowledge and help she has brought to the table when we have been establishing new wine lists, implementing staff training, and most recently supporting staff through their WSET wine courses. Approachable, knowledgeable & super helpful.”
- Operations Manager, 5-star restaurant and wedding venue
“Doing my WSET 1 and 2, Has helped improve my knowledge and understanding of wine, which enables me to recommend, upsell and talk to our guests about wine with confidence, as well as hosting wine dinners and pairing wines with food on our tasting menu. The Wine Academy has really helped to further my wine knowledge. You get to meet the different producers and other people from other hospitality venues and you start to recognise people in the industry and they become familiar faces!”
- Restaurant Manager, boutique hotel