The government drinks 5,500 bottles of wine and spirits in two years

The government has consumed more than 5,500 bottles of wine and spirits in the past two years, according to new figures.

The government’s biennial wine cellar report, published on Thursday, showed the government consumed 2,813 bottles in 2022/23 and a further 2,713 in 2023/24.

But the numbers are still well below pre-pandemic levels, when consumption topped 3,000 bottles a year.

About two-thirds of the wine drunk over the past two years was British, with Cavendish Wine Estate red from Sussex proving to be the most popular.

At £36 a bottle, the government consumed 306 bottles in 2022/23 and a further 66 in 2023/24.

In 2022/23, only four bottles of champagne from the government collection were used, increasing to 18 the following year.

The report shows the government also consumed three bottles of Quinta do Noval 1931 port in 2023/24, one of the older drinks in its collection, which a previous wine cellar report said should be drunk “only on special occasions”.

The collection aims to “provide government guests, both domestically and abroad, with wines of appropriate quality at a reasonable price.”

Founded in 1922 and located in the basement of Lancaster House in Westminster, the wine cellar includes an 1878 cognac and a 1964 Krug champagne.

It is managed by the Government’s Wine Committee, which is chaired by a retired senior diplomat and consists of four qualified Masters of Wine.

The committee advises on both the purchase and sale of wine, and the collection must be “self-financing”.

Thursday’s report shows the government spent £47,327 on new wine in 2022/23 and £49,862 in 2023/24.

Purchases over the past two years include 1,920 bottles of English sparkling wine and 888 bottles of white Burgundy.

The government also bought 69 bottles of gin to replace the 69 bottles consumed during the same period.

At the end of March 2024, there were 31,090 bottles of wine and spirits worth £3.8 million in the government’s collection.

Despite a slight drop in value from last year, when the cellar was valued at £3.9m, this is still higher than previous years.

In 2021/22, the collection was believed to be worth £3.66 million.

A Foreign Office official in charge of the wine cellar said: “The wine from the cellar, which has existed under successive governments, is used for the sole purpose of maintaining hospitality at government events and international summits attended by representatives from around the world. and heads of enterprises.

“The winery generates its own profit to ensure maximum self-financing of the operation.”