Last night, Endeavour Group celebrated its third annual Supplier of the Year Awards at its inaugural Supplier Summit event. More than a thousand drinks industry representatives attended the Accor Stadium event, which was a combination of Endeavour Group’s Supplier Forum small supplier networking opportunity and its annual Awards ceremony. According to the Group, this made it the "largest gathering of drinks industry representatives since the pandemic."
Last night's Supplier Summit also featured presentations from all of the Group’s business divisions, including detailed explanations around its new Trade Supplier Charter and Complete Liquor resources. According to Tim Carroll, Group Director of Buying and Merchandise, “we believe that our ability to grow relies on strong relationships. We value our suppliers as strategic partners; integral to our ability to deliver on range, quality and value for our customers.
“Today gives us an opportunity to reflect on our collective achievements in the last year, but also to signal where we’re heading for the year ahead with a focus above all else on making the products our customers love to drink.”
Tim Carroll led the 2024 Supplier of the Year Awards judging panel alongside ALH Hotels Managing Director Paul Walton.
The thirteen Endeavour Group Supplier of the Year Awards recipients are as follows:
- Sustainability Award: Wonki
- Product Innovation of the Year: Zonzo Estate (Zoncello Limoncello Spritz)
- Collaboration Award: Lion (Trade Plan & James Squire On-Pack Promo)
- Best Brand Activation of the Year: Mighty Craft (Better Beer: Day For It Day)
- Digital Partner of the Year: Carlton & United Breweries
- Supply Chain Award: Forester Estate
- MixIn Campaign of the Year: Moët Hennessy (Hennessy)
- Local Product of the Year: Oakdene Wines (Sparkling NV Brut 750ml)
- Exclusive Product of the Year: Young Henrys (Classic Premium Lager 375ml)
- Trend Leader of the Year: Carlton & United Breweries Premium Beverages (Hard Rated)
- Account Team of the Year: Good Drinks Australia
- On-Premise Supplier of the Year: Lion
- Small Supplier of the Year (Retail): Zonzo Estate
- Large Supplier of the Year (Retail): Carlton & United Breweries
“Congratulations to all tonight’s winners, and a heartfelt thank you to all our trade suppliers for their partnership and shared commitment to being at the centre of Australia’s social occasions,” said Carroll.
Receiving three separate awards, Carlton & United Breweries backed up its recent 2024 Australian Drinks Awards Supplier of the Year win by being named Endeavour Group’s Large Supplier of the Year for a second consecutive year. According to the judges, “new product development is retail's lifeblood, and this year, CUB has dominated this space with leading innovations.”
Reflecting on CUB’s Australian Drinks Award win, CEO Danny Celoni told Drinks Trade he “was overwhelmed with the recognition from our amazing customers now 2 years in a row… This was such a special moment for our team given the backdrop of other great suppliers here to make a difference.”
Named Trend Leader of the Year, CUB’s Hard Rated brand win follows on from other recent accolades such as being recognised as the White RTD Gaining in Popularity at this year’s Australian Drinks Awards and as the number one growth brand in the 2024 Drinks Trade Hottest Brands List, powered by Circana, after it generated $157 million in Australia’s liquor sector throughout 2023 alone.
According to Sarah Wilcox, Head of RTDs and Cider at CUB, “its success in a relatively short time is due to a number of factors. This includes its ability to capitalise on the current demand for lemon, which is currently the most popular light RTD flavour.”
Receiving two awards, Lion Australia also reinforced its positioning as one of Australia’s leading suppliers, taking out the titles of On-Premise Supplier of the Year and Collaboration Award winner.
“Congratulations to the Lion team on a deserved win as On-Premise Supplier of the Year,” said the judging panel.
“Over the last 12 months, Lion went the extra mile in its working relationship with ALH, allowing for heightened engagement as a key strategic partner in 2024. With Lion’s enthusiastic commitment to aligning with Endeavour’s goals in the on-premise space, we have made great strides in meeting market expectations and the evolving needs of our guests.”
Lion received its second award for its Trade Plan & James Squire On-Pack Promo, “a recent initiative and an important strategic pillar for Hotels.”
The only other Supplier to receive multiple awards was Zonzo Estate, which, along with being named the Small Supplier of the Year, received the Product Innovation of the Year award for its Limoncello Spritz. Originally released in bottle form, Zonzo Estate recently launched Zoncello Spritz and Bellina in a canned RTD format.
These are expected to hit Dan Murphy’s shelves in around two weeks time.
Zonzo Estate’s Director Rod Micallef said, “this is our first time in the RTD market, which also means we are in a new learning phase, and that can always be a little daunting; but the reception to these products thus far has been overwhelming, in the best possible way.”
The Endeavour Group judging panel added, “with innovation at its core, Zonzo Estate in the Yarra Valley expanded to Spirits, Liqueurs, and Beer before it captured the hearts of customers with its smash hit, the Limoncello Spritz… Zonzo is the poster child for all small-batch suppliers starting local and evolving to become a brand on everyone’s lips.”
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