claret-e limited

What claret-e limited does

Claret-e Limited is a London-headquartered wine merchant founded in 1998 by Guy Butterwick, who had previously been Head Buyer at Majestic Wines and a trader at Morgan Classic Wines. The company sources fine wines, everyday wines, and en primeur (wine futures) directly from producers, holding its own inventory rather than broking on behalf of third parties, and publishes every price online and on price comparison websites with a stated 99.9% undercut rate versus UK stockists. The catalog spans everyday wines from £8 to £110 per bottle and fine wines from under £100 to over £18,000 (Château Pétrus), with an exclusive UK agency for Domaine Serene anchoring the US fine-wine offer and a continuous Bordeaux en primeur program running every vintage since 1992.

The business operates a sales-led go-to-market model centered on its e-commerce storefront, complemented by referral-driven acquisition that the company reports has escalated to 'fantastic levels'. Supporting services include in-bond cellar management advice, a wine valuation service, and a commission-based brokerage for clients selling investment-grade wine at rates up to 10% (5% for re-buyers). Distribution is run lean: UK headquarters at 4 Elmwood Road (W4 3DZ), Singapore operations managed by cousin Toby Butterwick with twice-monthly local deliveries, and wine clubs in Florida, New York, and Greenwich, Connecticut that consolidate 4-5 orders per year to neutralize transatlantic shipping costs. The company also serves customers in Hong Kong and China, holding an Alcohol Wholesalers Registration Scheme registration (number 077000002785) as its core regulatory authorization.

Claret-e is a privately held, founder-owned UK limited company with a small named team (Guy Butterwick as Managing Director, Bernard O'Brien as Financial Controller, Toby Butterwick running Singapore), no external institutional investment, and no proprietary technology beyond its e-commerce site. The competitive position rests on direct sourcing, transparent pricing, founder reputation built over 35+ years in the trade, and the Domaine Serene exclusive — a structure that supports niche leadership in fine wine without the scale economics of larger UK merchants.

Name

claret-e limited

Legal name

Claret-e Limited

Website

https://claret-e.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Claret-e Limited is a London-based wine merchant founded in 1998 that sells fine wines, everyday wines, and Bordeaux en primeur directly to private customers across the UK, Singapore, the USA, Hong Kong, and China, with an exclusive UK agency for Domaine Serene.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Wine Retail and Trading

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE)

Keywords

• Fine wine trading
• Wine merchant services
• Wine brokerage
• En primeur wines
• Cellar management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Retail Wine Sales: Direct sales of wine inventory to private customers. All wine is their own stock, not brokered. Prices are publicly listed on their website and price comparison websites. They claim to be cheaper than competitors in 99.9% of cases.
2. Commission on Client Wine Sales: Commission-based brokering of wines held in bond for clients. Commission rates are agreed at time of transaction, maximum 10% for standard clients, 5% for those who re-buy wine from them. They advise UK clients on managing cellars and provide valuation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Claret-e Limited is a London-based wine merchant that buys and sells its own stock of fine and everyday wines sourced directly from producers, passing savings to customers. It also offers en primeur (wine futures), domestic and international wine delivery, cellar management advice, wine valuations, and commission-based brokerage for clients selling investment-grade wine held in bond. Operations extend from the UK to Singapore and through USA-based wine clubs.

Product overview

Claret-e Limited operates as a fine and everyday wine trading company with a direct-to-source model. The core offerings comprise Fine Wines (premium, investment-grade selections from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Italy, USA, Spain, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Port) and Everyday Wines (accessible drinking wines from global regions). Supporting services include UK and international wine delivery, wine valuation in bond, commission-based wine selling (up to 10%, 5% for re-buyers), and en primeur (wine futures) for Bordeaux vintages since 1992. The company holds exclusive UK agency for Domaine Serene and operates wine clubs in Florida, New York, and Greenwich, Connecticut. Geographic footprint includes London headquarters, Singapore operations, and shipping to Hong Kong, China, and the USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9% of prices cheaper than any fellow stockists
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Domaine SerenecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClaret-e is the exclusive UK agent for Domaine Serene, one of the most acclaimed US wineries. Domaine Serene is one of only three American wineries mentioned in James Suckling's book The 50 Great Wines of the World. The winery has beaten Domaine de la Romanée Conti in blind tastings and was the first American winery to buy an estate in Burgundy. In 2016, Domaine Serene was the first winery in the world to introduce a pioneering cork that prevents cork taint.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Long-established London fine wine merchant founded in 1698. Comparable as a UK-based fine wine and en primeur retailer serving collectors, but vastly larger in scale, with broader spirits and luxury gifting ranges.
• Justerini & Brooks: Diageo-owned UK fine wine merchant focused on private client sales, en primeur, and cellar management. Directly comparable in product offering and customer segment, but with institutional capital and broader global reach.
• The Wine Society: UK member-owned wine merchant with extensive fine and everyday wine range. Comparable customer focus but operates at significantly larger scale and on a cooperative/membership model rather than a pure retailer.
• Majestic Wine: UK high-street wine retailer; notably, Claret-e's founder Guy Butterwick was previously Head Buyer at Majestic. Comparable product categories but operates a physical retail superstore model versus Claret-e's private-client model.
• Sotheby's Wine: Global auction house wine division offering fine wine retail, auction, and private sales. Comparable on fine wine and collector customer overlap, but operates at much larger scale and via auction plus retail channels.

Direct peers

• Corney & Barrow: Independent UK fine wine merchant offering en primeur and cellar management to private clients and trade. Closely comparable business model — fine wine retail, en primeur, brokerage, and private client services.
• Lay & Wheeler: UK fine wine merchant specializing in en primeur, investment wines, and private client services. Closely matched on business model — direct sourcing, exclusive agency relationships, and collector focus.
• Bordeaux Index: London-based digital fine wine merchant and Liv-ex member, offering en primeur, trading, and storage. Closely comparable on collector focus and fine wine retail, but with a more technology-led marketplace model.
• Honest Grapes: London-based independent fine wine merchant and en primeur specialist serving private clients. Closely comparable on independent merchant positioning, premium product focus, and en primeur offering.

Regional players

• Acker Merrall & Condit: US-based fine wine auctioneer and merchant. Comparable on fine wine collector focus and en primeur services, but primarily serves the US market and operates an auction-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/claret_e_wine
• Facebookfacebook.com/claret.e.wine.traders

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about claret-e limited