GREAT GROG GANG

Set up Grog in May 1999 after having worked for Oddbins for 10 years, R has the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma and dabbled the first year Master of Wine. He was also a WSET Approved Tutor. A far-too-keen drinker & taster, as friends (& wife) will testify, with a fondness for anything decent made from grapes... R has what is termed in the trade a "commercial" palate ie. he likes what most people like. Motto: "crack on, life is alarmingly short"

Behind every great man there’s a great woman. If it wasn’t for Janice the rest of us would have no wine to sell, no money, no fuel to put in the vans, no vans to put fuel in and so on and so forth. Allegedly sat down for a sandwich once. Has worked for Grog since September 1999.

Red (also know as Ian) was Oddbins' "Van man" in Edinburgh for 10 years (where Richard originally gave him the job) until sliding across to join Grog in 2004. Red has his level 2 wine exam but his road knowledge is better than Google's. In his limited spare time he likes to pretend he’s Elvis. His blood is made from 90% Chardonnay. Travels to NY every year to stalk the Dakota building.  

Can you believe it? John worked for me in Oddbins about 26 years ago, then he ran the Grog Bar in Rose Street for 7 years, then Wildfire restaurant for a couple of years & then decided to rejoin the fold! He still looks SO baby faced (Alcohol is a preservative after all). John has his level 3 WSET from back when there were only 4 countries in the world making wine. John apparently runs the Grog Pleasance Shop ably aided by Tommy.

Sleek, silent and stealthy like a Ninja. Highly organised and efficient. Was at School with Red but we don't hold that against him. If you look at him for too long you turn into a goat. Has a morbid, muttering, mumbling dislike of staircases (like most delivery folk). Since 2004 in Grog? Crumbs, how time flies.

Big bloke, beard (mostly). 6 foot 4 inches & 18 stone & can carry 4 cases of wine at once! Played rugby for the Indian national team along with his brothers although all 3 hail from Jersey (he got paid in beer and curry). Don’t dare call him ugly. Chris has a degree in Geophysics from Edinburgh uni & is a qualified snowboard instructor (best of luck to his kids if they prefer skiing).

General Sales Bod & DIY expert. John is half "sales", half "warehouse", but all man. John is a thinking man's man. So much thinking that he now has his WSET Diploma level 4.  Also spends time thinking about doing DIY on his yacht in Monaco or Skiing in Val D'Isere, Avoriaz, Les Gets or the Dolomites. Ingrained in Grog since 2003.

Clare has her level 3 (with distinction - no less). She used to cycle to work, however, she fell off her bike so often she abandoned 2 wheels (no wine involved). She has enormous experience working in various restaurants around Edinburgh & can pronounce "Gewurztraminer or Hárslevelű " effortlessly (go on, go on, test her!). Clare is a novice Grogger as she only started in 2016. She has recently been to Rioja, Lebanon etc etc on wine trips to fondle vines.

An oddly chirpy Teesider who was formerly known as an artist after 3 years at the Edinburgh college of Art (he does the Grog Wine List covers). Simon loves a drop of wine and tends to know slightly more about what he’s drinking than the people who made it. He will pontificate at length on many things including wine, art, bicycles, mountains and Ridley Scott (who was also from Middlesbrough). Grogger since 2004

Tommy is Great Grog's youth policy. He is John B's sidekick at the Pleasance shop. in 2023 he got a merit in his level 3 WSET exam. Tommy is our expert in all things vegan. Richard coached him as a fledgling rugby player about 2010 vintage (he was rather talented).

James is a veteran of the booze business having worked for the Whisky Shop in Oxford and many stints in the "on trade". He is our official whisky expert despite never having been to Scotland before joining us, I KNOW! I think he was worried by the proximity to the Arctic circle and the weather or something.

Fraser also started with us in 2020. Fraser actually graduated (unlike his father) from Edinburgh Uni and is super bright (also unlike his father). He has his WSET level 3 (Merit) wine qualification & likes the odd beer too. He is also Richard's son, but please don't hold that against him. A fabulous swimmer before discovering wine.  He is studying his Level 4 Diploma in wine.

Barney started with us in 2023 and has fitted in to the team like the  true professional he is. He is as keen as mustard, but often headless. We are trying to get him hooked up to a sledge to do carbon neutral deliveries due to his energy levels being off the scale, however, his directional capabilities are limited. Speciality: tail-wagging.