Graham Cox

May 2021 marks 30 years since Graham started out in the drinks trade in retail at Majestic Wine. 5 years there, during which he ran 2 of the top revenue stores, was an excellent grounding for 15 years at a number of the most renowned wine businesses in the UK: Percy & Co, selling wholesale to hotels in the West End and agency brands to the cash and carry/regional wholesaler sectors; Berkmann Wine Cellars as a national account manager, selling agency brands to Waitrose, Safeway, Oddbins and Majestic; HBJ Wines managing teams selling both to the nationals and wholesale across the UK.

When the 2008-9 recession hit, Graham took a change of direction, moving into the tea industry for a year at Newby Teas, a relative newcomer to the UK operating at the high end. Highlights included tea demos at Selfridge's, tea training at One Aldwych and listings for animal-designed tea caddies at Longleat.

A move to head up the UK market at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in 2010 saw him deliver 10 years of straight student growth after 2 years of decline in 2008/9. His team achieved 3 consecutive years of double digit growth in 2014-16, by focusing on the rapidly growing demand from non-trade wine and spirits enthusiasts, which continues to this day.

When Jimmy made contact with him in autumn 2020 to discuss an operational management role at West London, it was clear very quickly to both that this would be a really positive step forward for the school as plans were formed for continued growth and development.