Number One Independent Wine Merchant in the UK!

We are absolutely over the moon to have been named as the Top Independent Wine Merchant in the UK!! We were selected by a panel of industry experts who took into account every facet of our business, from retail to wholesale through to online, social media, tastings and events!

This award has been awarded by Harpers Wine & Spirit, the leading industry publication, who every year celebrate the UK’s thriving independent drinks retailing sector with their list of Top 50 Indies. We were joined in the list by some truly fantastic businesses, many of whom have become good friends over the years. You can see the full Top 50 here.

This award comes in our thirty-first year, after beginning in owner Ted Sandbach’s garage back in 1992. The business has grown massively since then, and we could not be happier with this result.

Here’s what the judges had to say about us:

Having celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, Ted Sandbach’s Oxford Wine Company continues to offer a benchmark to which other ambitious indies can aspire. An extensive range of 2,000 wines, spirits and more provides the backbone of an operation that spans (in its words) “four and a half” shops, a healthy trade arm that reaches many corners of the UK, plus The Oxford Wine School, which has an ever-busy calendar of events and WSET courses. Add in two Oxford Wine cafés, plus The Sandy’s Group offshoots of late-night live music and cocktail venues, and it all adds up to an inspiring and ever-evolving business that reflects the passion and professionalism involved. What particularly impressed the judges, though, was how the human element clearly remains at the heart of all that Oxford does, no matter how big the Sandbach family empire grows.

We are so proud of this achievement, and would like to thank all of the friends, family, customers, suppliers and of course staff who have made this possible. Onwards and upwards – but first, a glass of Champagne!