Hamilton leaves Farr Vintners

Farr Vintners founder Lindsay Hamilton has left the company – exactly 30 years after he started the company.

Farrs, which Hamilton started in 1978 with two other partners, initially sold only California wine, branching out into France at the beginning of the 1980s.

It is now the biggest seller of fine Bordeaux in the country, turning over £89.6m in 2007, of which 83% was Bordeaux, including en primeur sales.

Hamilton left three weeks ago, just after his 50th birthday, and three decades after he set up Farrs. He is now on holiday and not contactable, but his fellow director Stephen Browett stressed the move was entirely amicable.

‘It’s a shame he’s gone, but he felt the time was right. I don’t know what he’s going to do.’

Browett added, ‘Lindsay was a founder of the company and as such he was very important, but at the same time he was one of six directors.’

Hamilton founded Farrs with Liam McCann and Jim Farr in his twenties. He left school at 16 and started work in Harrods, soon moving to the wine department where he met Farr.

The company has bought all his shares. Browett – a fellow director – said there would be no change in the management hierarchy.

He said, ‘All five of the directors are committed and long-term.’

Written by Adam Lechmere