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Alternative packaging business appoints Master of Wine
Sustainable wine packaging company EcoSip, formerly known as The Online Wine Tasting Company, has announced the appointment of Ray O’Connor MW as non-executive director.
O’Connor, who previously spent a decade as wine director of Naked Wines and was sommelier at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant prior to that, will be bringing his expertise to EcoSip in the new role.
“Originally it was the above industry standard level of oxygen management and quality control in an alternative packaging format. I was genuinely very impressed with how well these packs held up over 9-12 months. And with that I realised the huge market opportunity there was for them. Drinking less but better at home or in the on-trade, convenience, travel etc.,” he told the drinks business.
Citing his previous experience in the wine trade, O’Connor said: “The understanding and expectation around quality standards, coupled with the commercial acumen for new product development should help pave the way for success for both EcoSip and its future partnerships.”
“While EcoSip is very much an alternative packaging offering, it equally provides a solution for existing obstacles, both for trade and consumer,” he added. “This is evident in the savings on EPR [Enhanced Producer Responsibility] fees for the trade, but also in flexibility and convenience for consumers to explore new wines, in smaller portions.”
The Enhanced Producer Responsibility tax fees for six 750ml bottles would be between 7.7p and 15p per bottle, whereas, according to EcoSip, the same volume of wine in 36 125ml pouches would have fees of only 1 to 2p per 750ml.
Also according to EcoSip, its packaging, which takes the form of a small cardboard box with a flexible aluminium film inside to hold the liquid, results in CO2 emissions around a hundredth of those for standard glass bottles.
EcoSip, founded as The Online Wine Tasting Company in 2020, has also announced the arrival of communications expert Magda Bulska as a board advisor.
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