Company secures regional distribution deal for premium spirits

A Kenyan company has been appointed the official and exclusive importer and distributor of a range of premium spirits in East Africa.

The Wine Company (TWC) will now import and supply Beam Suntory products in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Seychelles.

The company, formed through a merger of Beam and Suntory in 2011, is the third largest spirits company in the world after Diageo and Pernod Ricard.

Speaking to Weekend Business following the announcement, TWC Chief Executive Taj Bedi said the deal will come with huge benefits to Kenya.

“This is prestigious for Kenya and good news amid the raging coronavirus pandemic, just by the fact that we shall be supplying the entire region,” he said.

He added that the distributorship will create 300 more jobs as Nairobi will be the hub for the region. 

“Locally, it is no secret that the consumption of premium wine in Kenya is rising with increased purchasing power and this opportunity means there will be competitiveness in pricing,” Mr Bedi said.

TWC was founded in 2012 as premium wines and spirits distributor of mainly brands from India. With two retail outlets in Nairobi at The Hub and Westgate malls, Bedi believes the new deal gives the company an opportunity to scale the ladder.

Beam Suntory has an annual revenue of about Sh500 billion. Some of its brands sell at as high as Sh100,000 per bottle.