Laithwaites Wine Festival named UK’s ‘Best Drinks Event’

[May 18, 2026]

We are thrilled that our Wine Festival has been named the UK’s ‘Best Drinks Event’ at the Drinks Business Awards 2026 – described by judges as being “exactly what the industry needs”.

This prestigious award in a packed category is a real testament to the hard work, passion and innovation shown by the Laithwaites events team. It shows that our continued commitment to putting our winemakers and our customers at the centre of everything we do really does make a winning combination.

Our Head of Events, Libby Woolcock, was delighted with the win: “This achievement is a remarkable recognition of our flagship festival and its status as the largest and longest running private consumer wine festival in the UK, now celebrating its impressive 43rd year.”

“The Laithwaites Wine Festival is a unique event,” Libby adds. “Each year it beautifully brings together our wines, the talented producers behind them, our dedicated staff, and, most importantly, our valued customers. We would like to extend our huge thanks to everyone involved in making this event a success. It truly is a big team effort, with so many people contributing and participating.”

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About Laithwaites Wine

Laithwaites Wine was founded in 1969, when Tony Laithwaite drove a van of Bordeaux wine to England to share with family and friends.  Laithwaites has since grown to become one of the UK’s largest wine merchants, yet remains family-owned and still gives pride of place to smaller producers.

The Laithwaites wine team tastes over 40,000 wines a year before selecting the best buys for customers. Laithwaites offers 1,200 wines from 26 countries, ranging in price from £4.99 up to £1,200 a bottle and all covered by a 100% guarantee of enjoyment. 

They also offer an extensive gifts range, complimentary Wine Advisor service, and host a range of events. Laithwaites Wine is the only UK wine merchant to win the Service Mark accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service and has twice been awarded Online Retailer of the Year.

Laithwaites is delighted to be one of ten leading retailers which have signed up to the 'SWR Bottle Weight Accord'.  Founded in 2021, the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) is the only global independent multistakeholder roundtable in wine.  

Jancis Robinson is a founding member and with now more than 100 members from around the world, the SWR has become the centre for collaborative action across the wine supply chain.