In conversation with Corney and Barrow’s Greg Reid
Corney and Barrow’s Greg Reid. Wine supplier to Gamba
Greg Reid of Corney and Barrow curates Gamba’s wine list alongside Derek and Gregor. He was kind enough to give us a few moments of his time.
How long have you been Gamba's account manager?
I cold-called Derek in, let’s see, I think it must have been the autumn of 2011 and we began conversations then. I’d say it was Feb 2012 when we first started working together, so Gamba is one of my most established, most important, and treasured accounts. As well as looking after my on-trade accounts, I also look after private customers who are laying down wine, buying, or collecting a cellar. I often meet them in Gamba because I know the food is fantastic, and you also get a wonderful glass of wine. It's Glasgow’s best restaurant.
You choose our wine of the month – how do you go about that?
I work in conjunction with Derek and Gregor doing tastings and if I can’t get there in person, I send samples and then we’ll have a conflab. What we end up with largely depends on a few things. Seasonality plays a huge part in the process of course. In Spring we’d go for a lighter red, and for something crisp or fizzy in summer. Or if we have something new at Corney and Barrow, that always excites everybody. Our buying team is constantly out looking for new wines and recently came back from a trip to South Africa, for example, visiting three producers, and bringing back 20 wines in all.
How do you build good client relationships?
First and foremost, it’s a business transaction. It’s about getting the right wine and vintage to the client on time. There might occasionally be problems with supply, so keeping the customer informed and thinking up quick solutions are key elements in any business relationship. It’s about maintaining that high level of service. Derek and I have known each other for over a decade so you build relationships with clients and as well as asking for advice on wine for Gamba, he may also ask for a steer on something for him personally. It all goes hand in hand.
What’s a typical day for you – if there is such a thing?
It’s mostly all centred around speaking to customers. I’m probably in the office in Edinburgh for the first couple of hours doing paperwork and answering emails. Then I’m on the road. I mostly cover the east coast from Newcastle up to Fife and when I moved from the west to the east, I passed on most of my accounts apart from Gamba. This is a special account to me. I know Derek and his business well and we’ve developed a shorthand, so we work very well together, and I want to support what he’s doing.
What’s your favourite wine?
I love Chardonnay. That’s my desert island wine. White Burgundy is the pinnacle of chardonnay, but it’s getting more and more expensive. Elephant Hill Chardonnay 2017, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand– which is on Gamba’s wine list – is a fantastic New World wine from the north island that is giving white Burgundy a run for its money.
Have you seen many changes in the restaurant landscape in Scotland over the past 15 years?
Undoubtedly so. I think that it’s staffing and running costs that seem to be causing the biggest issues right now. Running a business is difficult at the best of times, and I feel that despite it being tough, it’s more and more the case that restaurants like Gamba that have long-standing support and where the quality has never ever dipped, are doing the best business.
How did you arrive at working in this industry?
I was introduced to wine when working in an off-licence while at university. I developed a taste for certain regions and varieties over time and once I graduated, I was hooked. Barely a month after returning from a year-out campervan trip around Europe with my wife, I was lucky enough to spot the opportunity with Corney and Barrow.
By Jason Caddy