Governance

At North South Wines, we are guided by our mission: to champion better business in wine distribution by providing excellent customer service, investing in workplace wellbeing, reducing our environmental impact, and nurturing strong partnerships. We have always strived to do things differently, be it through being part-owned by producers, operating transparently with suppliers, or sourcing responsibly. In the early years, we acted sustainably in many areas without formally defining ourselves as a sustainable business. Recognising this, we set out to achieve B Corp certification, which we proudly attained in April 2023, becoming the first UK wine distributor to do so. One key aspect of being a B Corp is changing our articles of association to ensure that we consider all stakeholders in our decision-making, not just shareholders.

We are also founding members of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable and are regularly involved in industry discussions and forums to try and share knowledge and expertise on sustainability throughout the supply chain.

Environmental

Our principal aim is to reduce our environmental impact. Key initiatives we are working on include:

Emissions reduction

We have calculated our Scope 1-3 GHG emissions and set an intensity-based reduction target. We focus on reducing emissions rather than offsetting them.

Renewable Energy

We have transitioned all electricity to renewable sources and aim for 100% renewable electricity by 2025.

Sustainable Operations

We have an environmental management system in place to reduce energy and water usage and minimise waste. Measures include office composting, and we aim for ISO 14001 certification in 2025.

Packaging Improvements

A full review of product packaging has led to targets for reducing bottle weight and increasing recycled content.

Eco-Friendly Office Practices

We prioritise green suppliers and share sustainability resources for home offices.

Sustainable Transport

By 2025, all sales team members will either be in our electric car scheme or have travel emission reduction targets. Our scheme is open to all employees, with financial incentives and home charging support for the sales team.

Supplier & Service Standards

We screen suppliers to ensure they align with our environmental and social commitments. Our goal is for all significant suppliers to hold environmental or social certifications. We have strengthened supplier support by adding a dedicated team member, enhancing marketing strategies, and increasing customer engagement through tastings, winery trips, and our 10th anniversary portfolio tasting.

Low-Impact Freight

We prioritise rail over road transport and always maximise loads to minimise emissions.

Workers

“Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people." Steve Jobs

At North South Wines, we want our team to be the happiest and best they can be. Through our worker survey, policies, and benefits, we strive to create an environment where everyone can learn, progress, and flourish.

We have introduced Carbon Literacy training for the whole team and trained six Mental Health first aiders across all levels of the business.

A fun and supportive workplace culture is especially important to us. Office perks, such as a dog-friendly workspace, weekly summer BBQs, social events, and a quarterly spin-the-wheel bonus (if we achieve our target), help ensure our team feels valued and motivated.

Community

In 2023, our Sustainability Manager, Rebecca, and Head of Independents, Tim, attended a B Local session focused on social impact. A key takeaway was that making a significant impact in one area can be more effective than smaller impacts in numerous areas.

Previously, we supported different charities each year, but to maximise our impact, we decided to partner with one charity long-term. This also helps increase team involvement in our twenty paid hours charity volunteering scheme.

After researching local charities that align with our values, we chose Restore, an Oxfordshire-based mental health charity. Throughout 2024, we have fundraised, volunteered, and undertaken training with them, and we look forward to continuing this partnership in 2025 and beyond.

Customers

Every member of the NSW team plays a crucial role in ensuring our customers receive the best offering we can provide, from sales and marketing to customer service, logistics, technical support, and sustainability—everyone contributes.

Providing exceptional service, sourcing the highest quality products that meet consumer needs, and maintaining transparency and honesty are fundamental to how we work with customers, whether large or small.

In the face of increasing demands on retailers in the wine industry—such as duty, EPR, availability, and logistics issues—we have always strived to help, whether by offering insights, acting quickly, or staying ahead of the curve. For us, it is all about open, honest communication, which fosters lasting relationships and drives business forward for everyone.

This commitment is reflected in our customer satisfaction survey, where we received a score of 9.34/10.