Majestic, the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, has appointed industry expert Matt Davies as general manager of its rapidly growing on-trade supply arm, Majestic Commercial. Matt succeeds Maria Lopez, who is stepping down from the role after three years with the business.
Davies brings a wealth of industry experience to Majestic. He has spent 25 years in the wines and spirits industry with a specialism in the On-Trade, having been managing director of both Coe Vintners and Fields, Morris & Verdin – the agency and B2B division of Berry Bros & Rudd. Following the creation of Enotria&Coe in 2016, Matt was responsible for the enlarged organisation’s On-Trade division, which accounted for 80% of its sales business.
Most recently, Davies served as commercial director at award-winning craft gin brand Sipsmith, where he held full responsibility for commercial and trade marketing delivery across all UK channels.
In his new role, Davies will head up Majestic Commercial’s 50-strong team of expert colleagues, with overall responsibility for delivering and accelerating its growth strategy. Majestic Commercial has racked up three consecutive years of double-digit sales growth and now supplies more than 3,000 gastropubs, bars, restaurants, fine dining operators, hotels and events venues in all four corners of the UK. Its flagship partners include Manchester City Football Club, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Red Carnation Hotels and Michelin star restaurant Pied A Terre.
Majestic identified its B2B arm as a key growth driver for the group following its split from Naked Wines plc and subsequent acquisition by Fortress Investment Group in 2019. Over the past five years, it has invested heavily in growing its sales teams; striking exclusive agency agreements with global drinks brands including Peyrassol, Ghost in the Machine by Bruce Jack and Henri Ehrhart; and building its portfolio of on-trade exclusive wines to more than 300 products – many of which will be showcased at Portfolio Tastings in London on Tuesday 4th March and Edinburgh on Tuesday 25th March.
Majestic Commercial’s progress last year was recognised at the prestigious Drinks Business Awards 2024, where it was crowned On-Trade Supplier of the Year. It was also named as one of Harpers Wine & Spirits’ Top 50 Drinks Wholesalers for 2024. Majestic aims to further double the size of its on-trade specialist arm during the next five years as a key pillar of its strategic plan.
Majestic CEO John Colley said: “Maria Lopez has made the decision to leave Majestic to pursue a new opportunity outside the group. I would like to thank Maria for all of her hard work and dedication to Majestic during her time with us, firstly in the role of Director of Sales, National Accounts & Regional On-Trade, and most recently as General Manager, Commercial.
“Whilst we are sorry to see Maria Lopez leave Majestic, I’m delighted to be bringing a leader of Matt’s calibre to Majestic. He has an incredible track record in the on-trade and his wealth of knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we pursue our strategy to become one of the largest and most trusted wine suppliers to hospitality businesses across the UK.”
Davies added: “Majestic is a business I have admired for a long time, and the opportunity to join its fast-growing Commercial arm is one I simply couldn’t refuse. The team has already achieved incredible success in the on-trade, but I am hugely excited by their ambitions to accelerate growth even further in the coming years. I’m really looking forward to playing my part in that journey.”
