Ian Harris on 50 years of WSET

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

OF THE WINE AND SPIRIT EDUCATION TRUST (WSET) 1969 – 2019

WSET has become the go-to institution in the liquor industry for its globally recognised wine and spirits qualification. From its roots in the United Kingdom it has evolved into an international educational resource with an evolving syllabus that teaches everything from wine to spirits to sake. Drinks Trade spoke with Chief Executive Officer, Ian Harris, about how far the Trust has come over half a century.

Drinks Trade: Tell us a bit about the beginning of WSET and why it was first established.

Ian Harris: WSET was founded as a charitable trust in 1969 to meet the growing educational needs of the UK wine and spirits industry and in response to a government training initiative to improve the country’s economic performance through education (1964 Industrial Training Act). Funding was provided by The Vintners’ Company and WSET took over the education initiatives started by the Wine and Spirit Association of Great Britain.

WSET’s founders represented the cornerstones of the UK wine and spirits trade, and representatives from each of these organisations continue to serve on its Board of Trustees. They include The Vintners’ Company, The Wine and Spirit Association of Great Britain (was WSA now WSTA), the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) and Worshipful Company of Distillers

DT: What was it like to study the early WSET qualifications compared to today?

48|drinks trade IH: I took my WSET diploma in 1980. In those days, WSET had lecturers not educators – and education was a one-way process rather than the interactive style of teaching we have today.

Another key difference was the size and focus of the syllabus. Whereas, in my day information was imparted from a UK perspective, today the focus is global. When I was studying, most of the syllabus was Old World and, if you knew the wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Germany together with Port and Sherry, you stood a good chance of passing the diploma!

There was also less flexibility, as you could only take the diploma once a year and so, if you needed to retake any part of the exam, then you had to wait for an entire year.

DT: WSET is the forefather of wine education for the world yet the drinks industry has evolved considerably over the past 50 years. How has WSET adapted to these changes?

IH: At WSET we are very conscious of keeping our qualifications up to date and industry relevant. We are continually monitoring the wine, spirits and sake industries and updating our syllabuses to include changes such as new product categories that are globally relevant.

We have recently redesigned our qualifications so that they fit into three distinct subject- streams: wine, spirits and sake. This reflects how wine and spirits are increasingly separate industries today. The new Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Level 2 Award in Wines courses - both without spirits - with be launched later this year, together with a new and separate Level 3 Award in Spirits.

WSET is also increasingly embracing innovative technology to better service our candidates and course providers. We have expanded our online learning offering in response to the changing learning habits and expectations of our customers. This academic year the Level 1 Award in Wines and Level 1 Award in Spirits have been made available online.

DT: WSET began as a course available only to those in the UK but has expanded significantly over time to be an international

resource. Could you give us some insight into the scale of WSET’s global reach today compared to the early days?

IH: When I joined WSET in 2002, over two thirds of our business came from the UK. Today over 80 per cent of our business is generated through markets outside the UK.

Our first ever course outside the UK was in 1977 in Toronto. The Liquor Board of Ontario asked WSET to run a course for them – this was the start of our international expansion. Today WSET courses are available in over 70 countries in more than 15 languages.

We started to develop the Australian market in 2007 when David Wrigley, Jude Mullins and I (all WSET) embarked on a roadshow across the country masterminded by Rob Hirst, Chairman of Fine Wine Partners. Today Australia is WSET’s fifth largest market with 32 Approved Programme Providers.

DT: Looking ahead, how do you see WSET evolving over the next 50 years?

IH: WSET will continue to offer a core set of best-in-class, job relevant qualifications to the wine, spirits and sake industries. We will also be looking at other innovative ways in which our organisation can become the go-to place for all wine, spirits and sake learning information globally.

DT: Are there any exciting developments you are working on you can share?

IH: One of our key strategies going forward is to take the business closer to our students. Students will remain at the forefront of every decision we take about the business. We have already implemented phase one with offices in New York (serving our business in the Americas) and Hong Kong (serving our APAC business). Another key priority is to increase our network of course providers and the availability of courses in our focus markets, including Australia.

We have an exciting programme of activity for our 50th anniversary year that includes the launch of the Future 50 Awards with IWSC to identify the top 50 wine and spirits professionals under 40 and to emphasise the importance of developing new talent through education and awards. You can find out more at our Future 50 website. It also includes the launch of the first ever global Wine Education Week (9th –15th September) – an initiative to engage the growing population of wine consumers worldwide in learning more about wine (more info on this coming in April).

DT: WSET continues to hold the industry education mantle with no significant competitors to speak of. What is it about the WSET brand that is so strong?

IH: WSET is the pre-eminent wine, spirits and sake education body globally because of its 50-year heritage and track record, the values it espouses and its credibility. WSET is respected and trusted by educators, employers and students worldwide to deliver gold standard British-regulated qualifications. WSET is seen as informed and inspiring, continually changing and updating its services to best support global professionals and consumers alike in their quest for wine education, wherever they are in the world.

FROM LOCAL MILK BAR TO A GLOBAL MULTI-BEVERAGE BUSINESS

The Edgemill Group is an Australian family owned global multi-beverage manufacturer and distributor. Founding family member, Alex Stavrakoulis, spoke to Drinks Trade about the challenges of independent retail and how to be successful in today’s competitive and fast moving market.

Drinks Trade: What is the secret of your family business success that took a humble milk bar business in 1971 turning it into Tottenham Cellars by 1989 and then the global multi-beverage wholesaler, retailer and distributor, The Edgemill Group?

Alex Stavrakoulis: Primarily having a passion for the industry as well as my fellow retailers. This coupled with an understanding of the challenges in liquor retail. I have surrounded myself with likeminded people who have the same passion and commitment to support the independent retailer.

Our philosophy is to over deliver on presentation and product, all at a competitive price. We call it “The 3 P’s” and every one of our products is measured against these every day.

DT: What did you learn from your father and mother, Steve and Roula Stavrakoulis, growing up in the family business and how have those learnings led to the success of The Edgemill Group today?

AS: My parents taught me the importance of strong family values and a robust work ethic. They showed me the importance of ‘doing the right thing’ regardless of the consequences. My dad says that people make money, money doesn’t make people and that your integrity should never be in question. These same values are the foundation of our business today.

DT: In your opinion, how has liquor wholesaling and retailing changed in the past 30 years since the beginnings of Tottenham Cellars?

AS: The increasing market power of the large chains has eroded the independent retailers’ ability to compete which has driven a reliance to give the consumer an experience in store that they otherwise wouldn’t get from the chains. The independent retailer has to ensure the retail environment is clean, bright and well stocked. The consumer trends have seen a move away from long standing traditional brands opening the way for independents to excel by having a selection of products not seen in the chains. It is for this reason Edgemill Group exists. We produce and supply high quality affordable spirits to the independent retailer that are innovative and great value for money.

DT: What do you think are the new challenges liquor wholesalers and retailers face today?

AS: Liquor wholesalers and retailers have to constantly re-design their portfolio to stay in touch and meet their consumer needs. In the digital age products come and go in and out of favour very quickly. The consumer is far

Three generations of the Stravakoulis family.

more educated now and so the quality in the bottle must stack up with the price being asked. Large marketing budgets are proving ineffective when the product doesn’t meet the consumer expectation and social media will soon let you know.

DT: You have recently introduced a new spiced rum to your portfolio, can you tell us a bit about it?

AS: Edgemill Group saw an opportunity in this segment two years ago and have been working to produce a spiced rum that would fit neatly into an independent retailers portfolio. The 3 P’s had to be met and we have worked tirelessly to produce a beautiful sipping rum that is equally good with your favorite mixer.

The base rum is from the Caribbean and is matured in charred oak barrels for two years before we steep it in 25 different herbs and spices to deliver an extremely well balanced rum with a lingering sweet molasses/vanilla taste with hints of cinnamon, cloves, anise and coffee along with a late ginger note.

Having already won two gold medals we are confident in the product and need now for our independent retail partners to join us in making this brand a success. Ritchies IGA have partnered with us to bring the product to market and having sold out at tastings in some of our Ritchies IGA stores it seems the consumers are eager to discover Black Bart Spiced Rum. drinks trade|51