In the first of what we hope will become regular series of short interviews with Business Leaders, we are pleased to welcome Becky Hewes of “Handpicked Wines” to get her views on the leadership in her company. We asked Becky a few short questions and this is what she had to say:
Tell us why you chose to set up and run a wine company?
I have always worked in the wine trade. My first job after university was managing a restaurant where I completed my initial WSET qualifications. I thrived and loved learning the theory behind wine and particularly excelled on the tasting exams. I used this job to save up enough money to travel to New Zealand where I worked for a winemaker in Hawkes Bay (and today, we sell their wines). Since then, I have worked a harvest in Champagne, blended wines in the Languedoc and worked for some of the most respected UK wine importers, wholesalers and retailers.
During the 1st lockdown I decided to volunteer for redundancy, seizing the opportunity to set up my own business. I had been putting cases of wines together for friends for years, friends that were stuck in a rut with their wine buying and wanted to get out of their comfort zone and try something new.
I was also already informally selling Wedding Gift Cases, which to this day are hugely popular and remain unique in the UK. The concept being that we pick a case of wines to age with the couple, that they can open and enjoy on specific anniversaries.
I also loved the idea of setting up a wine subscription service focused solely on the wine. Our research had told us that people were sick of big sales pitches from the big companies, and fed up being patronised with offers and ‘free gifts’ (that they did not want). Our customers value great wines, great service, at great prices, all year round – gimmick free, easy to amend or cancel allowing them to be fully in control.
How would you summarise your leadership style?
I’m pretty laid back and try not to get involved unless I need to, either because I feel I can add some value to the situation or there is an issue that hasn’t been addressed. I believe in trusting my team and empowering them to make decisions. Most of all I try to always act with integrity. This is very much one of the core values of our business.
What do you enjoy about being the boss?
I love wine, I love working with small and interesting producers, and I love the stories behind these wines.
I love going to tastings or visiting producers abroad and being able to decide there and then which wines I am going to list, without having to go through 2 departments to get them approved.
However, I am known for getting carried away and do sometimes need reigning in! This also means that the buck stops with me – if I get carried away and buy a pallet of unheard of, quirky wine that then sits in the warehouse for 6 months and we can’t sell it.
How do you look after your employees?
I think successful businesses run on happy customers and happy employees. So firstly I treat my team with respect as humans. I try to be consistent with my team and to act with integrity.
Is there anything you don’t enjoy about being a leader?
Well, I am not a natural entrepreneur or risk-taker, so I am constantly worrying.
I also find it hard to switch off and am in fact writing this from Sicily whilst on holiday. As the owner of a small business, there is so much to do and I never stop working.
In terms of leadership, I try to always keep my integrity.
What do you do to develop as a leader?
As the business grows, this is something I am going to have to prioritise. At the moment, my biggest challenge as the owner of a small business is definitely finding the best way for me to take a few hours off. I love tennis and play in both friendly and county leagues – having regular matches really helps me, I can’ t take my phone on court!
I’m a big fan of coaching as a tool to help me develop. I find it useful to have someone hold up a mirror and help me to reflect upon previous experiences. It’s far more powerful for me to discover the answer for myself than to have someone tell me their opinion.
To check out the excellent wines available, visit Handpicked Wine Box and, if any take your fancy, use the code LEADING10 for a 10% discount on orders over £85 valid until 30 Sep 24.
If you have a wedding coming up and are stuck for a gift, how about one of these for the happy couple: Wedding Wine Gifts