Even King Charles enjoys whisky from Berry Bros. & Rudd: Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant has been supplying the British royal family for over 300 years. Today, Berry Bros. & Rudd has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. However, the family business is still based at No. 3 St James’s Street, just as it was in 1698, where it looks back on an eventful history – from supplying spirits to a few smugglers during Prohibition, to hiding Napoleon III in the cellar, or weighing the poet Lord Byron on the large coffee scales.

This London institution has its origins in the trade in coffee, tea, snuff and spices. Over time, the focus shifted to something stronger. As wine became increasingly important to the business, spirits also gained in significance. Berry Bros. & Rudd began bottling casks under its own label in the early 19th century, thereby becoming Britain’s oldest independent spirits bottler.