Sponsors

The Scottish Wine and Spirit Merchants’ Benevolent Institution was founded in Glasgow in 1864 and the East of Scotland Licensed Trade Benevolent Institution in 1887.  They joined forces in 1976 to form the Benevolent Society of the Licensed Trade of Scotland, shortened to THE BEN.

The BEN has 19 Directors from every section of the trade.  They give of their time freely, helping to raise funds, manage the Charity and visit each of their beneficiaries in their own home every year. 

Each of the 63 beneficiaries receives a Christmas Gift and a Holiday Gift together with an Annual Pension.  Grants for temporary emergencies are also paid to any former or current drinks and hospitality employees, or their dependants, where there is a need, at the discretion of the Directors. 

The BEN also contribute to HIT scholarships to assist young people within the trade in improving their careers and also supported BBN by sponsoring an award at their annual dinner.  The charity works in association with Breathing Space, a confidential phone helpline run by the NHS.  They also work closely with Hospitality Health In providing mental health support through their online courses.

The charity owns 18 bungalows on Duke of Edinburgh Drive, Pitlochry, permanent homes for mainly retired people and people in need.  A subsidised rent is charged.  One of the bungalows is used for respite and The BEN works with Shared Care Scotland to allow carers to receive a well earned break.

In 2022 the BEN introduced a cost of living grant for those working within the trade who were finding difficulties with the increased prices for food and fuel.  If you work or have worked in the trade and need financial help contact the BEN.

All funds raised in Scotland stay in Scotland.

Charity number:  SC005604

CGA works with food & drink suppliers, hospitality operators, trade bodies & financial institutions, providing market measurement & unique expertise across all parts of the On Premise route to market.

Whether it’s board level strategy setting or front-line sales discussions, CGA’s data, research & insight is at the heart of our clients’ success.

CGA holds the largest & most granular dataset for On Premise markets across the globe. As a team of data scientists, developers, market analysts & industry experts, CGA is passionate about delivering memory-making experiences for On Premise consumers & high value returns for our clients.

Club Soda helps people live well by being more mindful about drinking. Whether you want to cut down, take a break from alcohol or stop drinking, you’re welcome to join us. We also do lots of behind-the-scenes work to make sure that people choosing not to drink alcohol get options at every bar, event, and shop, and that those options are visible at events and tradeshows across the world.

he Federation of Independent Retailers is one of Europe’s largest employers’ associations, with over 10,000 independent retail stores across the UK and Ireland.

We exist to help independent retailers compete more effectively in today’s highly competitive market. We provide:

• Practical help and assistance
• Commercial support
• Deals and buying opportunities
• Training, expertise and services

We actively represent our members’ interests at governmental and parliamentary level, and we are the official government referral body for the sector. We are proud to be a powerful voice for the independent retailer.

Today, our members include newsagents, convenience stores, confectioners, florists, petrol forecourts, news deliverers, off-licences, post offices, coffee shops, and card and stationery shops.

The winner of the In Drinks Bartender competition will be offered a tailor made HIT Scotland scholarship to help with their development within the drinks industry. These "money can't buy" scholarships are highly sought after and they will provide an inspirational learning experience for the winner this year. HIT Scotland will work with the winner to ensure that all the logistics are taken care of. 

The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) is the leading trade association for the Scottish Convenience store sector. There are 5,171 convenience stores in Scotland, which includes all the major symbol groups, co-ops, and convenience multiples in Scotland (Scottish Local Shop Report 2023)

SGF promotes responsible community retailing and works with key stakeholders to encourage a greater understanding of the contribution convenience retailers make to Scotland’s communities. In total, convenience stores provide over 49,000 jobs in Scotland.

Convenience stores trade across all locations in Scotland, providing a core grocery offer and expanding range of services in response to changing consumer demands close to where people live. The average customer visits their local store 2.7 times a week and around 37% drive to the store.

The valued services provided by local shops include bill payment services (76%), cashback (70%), and branches of the Post Office network (27%). In addition, 28% and 27% respectively provide parcel collection and click & collect services.

Scottish convenience stores invested £62m in their businesses last year and the UK sector is expected to grow to £50.9bn by 2026.

Over the past year, the UK convenience sector contributed over £10.6bn in GVA and over £9.1bn in taxes. Modern convenience stores are community assets and now more than ever have an increasingly important role in their local communities. As local economic multipliers, they are also important employers of local staff, with that money often put back into the local community and helping to strengthen local economies.

The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) is the official trade association for Scotland’s food and drink wholesaling businesses. SWA members are the wheels to Scotland’s food and drink industry, supplying products to over 5,000 independent stores, and 30,000 catering, hospitality, tourism and leisure businesses, and the majority of public sector establishments in Scotland.

The UK Bartenders Guild (UKBG) is one of the leading professional associations for the bar and hospitality sector.

It is one of the UK’s longest running trade guilds and renowned for its integrity and distinction, is rebranding, with the intention of becoming the leader in future thinking within the hospitality sector. 

Focusing on the three main principles: community, education and value, the UKBG works with industry leaders and members alike, in order to form the UK’s most revered platform for bartenders and brands.  

The guild was founded in 1934 by industry professionals from some of London’s finest venues, the Guild set out to be a trade association of mutual benefit, to provide training, assistance with employment, as well as set industry standards and chair cocktail competitions. It went on to become a founding member of the International Bartenders Association, which continues to represent bartenders all over the world. 

UKHospitality is the leading trade body for hospitality, representing every corner of the sector. We represent more than 130,000 venues, from pubs, bars and restaurants to hotels, indoor leisure and contract catering.  

We work on behalf of a sector at the heart of the everyday economy; contributing £93 billion annually to the economy, generating £54 billion of tax for the Treasury and employing more than 3.5 million people as the third largest employer in the UK.

Our members benefit from our dedicated campaigning to empower an environment for hospitality to thrive, in addition to expert insight, specialist support helplines and guidance on the key issues facing hospitality businesses.