On May 1st 2007 St Martin Vintners Ltd was subject to a “Management Buyout” by Andy Rice and Gary Jenner. The new owners have worked for St Martin Vintners, and indeed in the wine trade, for many years.
Andy Rice was the Senior Sales Executive for the company for 3½ years. Before joining the company in 2003 Andy was a partner in a pub and fine dining restaurant in Brighton. Renowned for its excellent fish restaurant, and a common watering hole for the stars appearing at the Theatre Royal in Brighton, Mrs Fitzherbert’s was a genuine pub with good beer and a high reputation for its fine wine and food. Having a restaurant background was ideal for Andy to look after the many licensed establishments who are customers of St Martin Vintners in the Brighton and West Sussex area, aiding them in compiling wine lists to compliment varied cuisine.
Gary Jenner was Operations Manager for St Martin Vintners for 10 years. With 30 years experience in the trade, Gary has worked within the retail and wholesale areas of the trade. As Secretary of the Sussex Wine Club from it’s inception 10 years ago, he has arranged many tastings, dinners and special events for it’s members. Having visited many wine regions around the world, the knowledge gained is a real asset to the business, and essential when organising Sussex Wine Club trips to visit a variety of wine makers. As Operations Manager, Gary was involved in the behind the scenes organisation and implementation of the systems to ensure a smooth running business.
As independent wine merchants Andy and Gary want to preserve the uniqueness of St Martin Vintners and enhance the already extensive list, offering quality wines from around the world. Many wines on the list are imported direct from the cellars of the producers and we are afforded exclusivity. This is set to increase as the range of wines is extended.
Our new website is only part of the plan to further the offering to retail customers and bring awareness to many more wine enthusiasts. Renovation of the retail shop in Brighton is to be carried out during 2008, with space being allocated to a new range of wine accessories and glassware.
Our customers are our priority and we will continually update the website to bring the latest information on all our range. We welcome any feedback you may have on our site in order to improve our offering to all our customers.