The results of a confidential poll at a recent inaugural Young Leaders event paint a picture that is neither catastrophic nor comfortable – it is something more interesting altogether.
London, UK - Despite the recent tube strikes in London, a group of young professionals made their way to Fero (formerly Ferovinum) in Oxford Circus, for the first inaugural Young Leaders event. The space was full of ambitious, engaged, career-invested young professionals. And yet, when you strip away the pleasantries of networking and look at the raw numbers, the UK drinks trade has some serious questions to answer about whether it is doing enough to hold onto its most important asset: the people who will lead it in a decade. More enlightening was that despite the challenges the trade faces, the feeling was one of cautious optimism.
Face the music
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Let's start with the headline that most industry insiders will want to ignore. Nearly six in ten respondents – 58% – no longer believe that passion for wine justifies the salary gap with other industries. Only eight per cent said that it did with any conviction. This is not a grumble at the margins. It is a structural fault line. For decades, the trade has leaned on the passion for the products the industry crafts as an informal pay supplement. That long-held ideal, it seems, is breaking down.
The salary question sits within a broader picture of career anxiety. Seventy per cent of particpants had, at least once in the past twelve months, seriously considered leaving the industry altogether. In isolation, that figure might seem alarming. On the flip side of that coin is that 30% described themselves as true "lifers" who had never entertained the thought of leaving. In context, it reads as honest – most talented people in any field occasionally look over the fence. The real risk lies in whether the conditions that prompt those glances are being addressed.
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On how young people feel about the drinks industry as a 20-year career path, the mood is cautiously divided. Nearly half (48%) felt that the drinks industry is in the "challenging but not broken" camp, with a meaningful cohort – 41% – describing themselves as quietly optimistic. Even more positively and perhaps different to what we sometimes feel, is that no one was feeling ‘Get me out of here’ despair about the drinks trade career growth opportunities and 7% were positively bullish about it. What this tells us is that sometimes what is projected onto the trade, is not shared by the young people at its base. Young talent is not broken.
The inclusivity findings deserve uncomfortable attention. Not a single respondent said the industry has been "transformed completely." Half described progress as slow and superficial. One in five saw no change at all. Against an industry that has invested significantly in public messaging around diversity, equality and belonging over the past five years, this gap between stated ambition and lived experience should give pause. We still have a long way to go.
On the future of the UK as a drinks industry hub, the results are strikingly split: 43% expect the UK's standing as a global drinks leader to diminish by 2035, 43% equally expect it to hold its current place, and just 14% believe it will strengthen. In a post-Brexit, high-duty, cost-of-living-squeezed trading environment, that pessimism is not irrational – but it is a warning that the industry cannot afford complacency on policy advocacy.
Roadmap to ensuring the drinks industry retains young talent
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Two findings offer a genuine roadmap for ways to both attract and perhaps more importantly retain young talent are addressable. When asked about the biggest obstacles to career progression, the "lack of clear next-step roles" and "old-guard gatekeeping" tied at exactly 39% each. These are not abstract forces. They are specific, fixable things. Succession planning, transparent promotion pathways within drinks companies and a genuine willingness by established figures to make room for young talent are critical – these are not new ideas, but they remain urgently necessary. Similarly, addressing the pay gaps against other industries means if we want to attract and retain good talent, we will need to invest. Passion is no longer enough.
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And the most cited skill for a Young Leader in 2026? Vision and innovation, at 46%. This prompted a bit of discussion – ‘vision and innovation’ meant different things to different people – from packaging to product to tech solutions and AI. Technical product knowledge (just 4%) was seen as the least vital required, but probably where we as industry seem to focus quite a lot of time and money as part of career development plan. Commercial acumen was seen as far more vital for a young leader, which came in at the second most vital skill to have at 32%. The message from young talent to the trade's leadership is clear: they want to build something new, not just preserve what exists and they understand the commercials of the industry as a whole needs to make sense.
The single word most commonly offered when asked what excites them about wine's future was Innovation. The next cluster included Connection, Diversification and New Regions. These are not the words of a disengaged generation. They are the words of people who still believe in the industry, that are asking it to believe in them back with real opportunities for growth and progression, and that as an industry we must continue to change.
To find out more or to get involved, please contact Hamish Kirwan Hamish.Kirwan@ferodrinks.com.
Thanks to Bruce Jack Wines for the lovely wines donated on the evening.
The next event will be announced in a few weeks time.
