Meet Our Experts

At SPAR, we take wine very seriously. We are proud to work with Master of Wine, Philippa Carr. We run a Wine Club for our retailers to have specialist education and training. And work closely with vineyards, cooperatives and wineries to ensure the best quality wine for our customers.

Philippa Carr

My Favourite Wine: How can I possibly choose?! But if pressed... I’m very fond of Chablis, Albarino and New Zealand Pinot Noir. Otherwise, my favourites are the white in the fridge and the red in the rack!

Philippa Carr, Master of Wine

It all began when a passion for wine was sparked at University where running the student Wine Circle went glass in hand with my studies in English Literature.

Launching into the wine trade on graduation I’ve shared my infectious enthusiasm for wine with customers, colleagues and friends through many and varied roles, including buying and blending wine for major retailers, managing a fine wine merchant, leading the wine courses at Leith’s School of Food & Wine, judging at international wine competitions, presenting at corporate and consumer events and being actively involved in wine education.

In the 1990’s I passed the arduous exams to become a Master of Wine – a qualification so exclusive that more people have gone into Space than have become a master. There are only 409 Master of Wines in the world.

After a decade of creating award-winning wines for a major supermarket I returned to SPAR where I am thrilled to work as a Consultant creating deliciously exclusive own brand wines for SPAR’s customers.