LWC is the UK’s largest independent drinks wholesaler, proudly serving over 15,000 hospitality businesses with a best-in-class portfolio spanning beers, wines, spirits, and soft drinks. With 18 strategically located depots across the UK, we combine national scale with local service, delivering exceptional value, reliability, and tailored support to every customer. Our award-winning range is backed by expert category teams, in-house product development, and exclusive brand partnerships offering quality and variety across every price point. As both a distributor and operator - owning and supporting a group of 40+ managed and tenanted pubs - we understand first-hand the demands of hospitality and are uniquely positioned to support our customers’ success. Founded as a family business back in 1979, LWC remains proudly independent, with a reputation built on agility, trust, and an unwavering commitment to service, innovation, and sustainability.
At the beginning of fiscal year 23/24, LWC made a board-level commitment to drive the social and sustainability agenda, in line with its commercial growth. Recognising the impact and role it plays as a corporate citizen, LWC created a sustainability committee and set about identifying key focus areas and priorities and began implementing strategies to support these.
What followed on was the formalisation of our ‘Headline Commitments’ – targets the business has set to support its journey to Net Zero by 2050 across 3 key areas, Climate Commitments, Operations Commitments, People & Culture Commitments:
Climate Commitments:
• Carbon Footprint Measurement (Scopes 1, 2 & 3)
• GHG Emissions Reduction
• Supplier Engagement - GHG Emissions
• Net Zero
• Accreditation
Operations Commitments:
• Energy Efficient Premise
• Alternative Fleet Fuel
• Alternative HGVs
• Waste Recycling Management
• Packaging
• Paper Usage
• Brochure Printing
Operations Targets:
• All suitable owned premises to be upgraded to achieve the highest possible level of energy efficiency through the adoptions of energy-efficient technologies and on-site renewable generation by 2035
• Deploy HVO at key depots, with progressive expansion across suitable fleet operations
• Replace all HGVs with renewable energy alternatives by 2040
• Recycling strategies implemented at all sites by 2026
• All site purchased packaging to include maximum recycled content available by 2026
• Switch to recycled paper at all depots by 2028. Reduce usage by 30% by 2028
• Brochure paper switched to recycled & greener ink by 2027. Volume wasted reduced
by 75% by 2027
People & Culture Commitments:
• Workforce Diversity
• Skills Development
• Policy
• Philanthropy
People & Culture Targets:
• Commit to at least3 x leadership or line management development programmes per year,
including 1 x Women in leadership programme
• Ensure at least 1% of the total workforce is on an apprenticeship
• Spend at least 1% of the total payroll spend on skills development training per year
• Development of Sustainable Work Travel Policy by 2026
• Increase our% of charity donations in line with annual profit