The Bromley premises of European Fine Wines Ltd:
11 Bromley Common, Bromley BR2 9LS (Google maps – street view)
Accounts overdue since 30.11.2012
www.efwines.com – This website is currently offline
Was still on-line earlier today
The signs suggest that European Fine Wines Ltd (also called EFWines) has ceased trading and is likely to go into liquidation. The company was set up on 15th August 2005 and has been one of the longest running dubious wine investment companies.
I received an email this morning telling me that all the staff had been 'sacked'. The Bromley phone number has been unable to any calls throughout today as 'all of our lines are busy'. The company accounts have been overdue since 30th November 2013 and the company website (www.efwines.com), which was live earlier today, is now off-line and suspended. It is reported that the debts of European Fine Wines Ltd are between £500K and £1 million. It remains to be seen whether any of this is wine ordered by its clients. I suspect that there will be a number of clients who will now discover that they have paid over the odds for their investment wines.
On 16th April 2014 European Fine Wines Ltd changed its registered office from 68 Lombard Street in the City of London to 131 Edgware Road, London, W2 2AP – the address of chartered accountants Bright Grahame Murray.
About us – from website before it went down
'the aim was to run a company'
About EFWines (from their website)
'EFWines is a leading wine merchant who pride themselves on offering a diverse portfolio of Europe's finest wines for enthusiastic wine collectors. Established in 2005, we are specialists in building portfolios and known for bringing our thousands of customers returns that they can toast to, read what collectors are saying.
The aim was* to run a company that not only offered collectable wine but also offered a complete personal service. Building relationships with customers is key to our business model, and after advising customers on how to build a portfolio of the most collectable wines, our account managers maintain regular contact with our clients, providing a current assessment of the fine wine market, together with a review of their holdings.
We are a team of people who care passionately about fine wine. Over the past seven years we have hired key members of staff who have previously worked in property** and finance sectors, before bringing their expertise and knowledge into the fine wine market, turning their interest and passion for fine wines into their profession.
Part of the team’s objective at EFWines is to always strengthen and expand our base of technical knowledge and to keep developing our palates. All members of staff are encouraged to develop their own wine knowledge, and most hold WSET qualifications.
In 2010, the company decided to take advantage of the huge demand for quality wines in the Asian market. We now have offices in both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland; with staff fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and, of course, English, we truly are able to speak the language when it comes to selling our (and your) stock of both consumption and premium grade wines into what is now the world's most important market.
We use the specialist fine wine storage facilities of Vinotheque, operated by the respected bonded warehouse operator London City Bond, (LCB) for the storage of your wine; your collection is stored under your name and under bond, which means there is no duty or VAT to pay. You are also able to access, view and manage your account online through LCB’s website. Using their independent inspection services, we are able to provide a condition report, including photographs, of the wines before you purchase.
'EFWines is a leading wine merchant who pride themselves on offering a diverse portfolio of Europe's finest wines for enthusiastic wine collectors. Established in 2005, we are specialists in building portfolios and known for bringing our thousands of customers returns that they can toast to, read what collectors are saying.
The aim was* to run a company that not only offered collectable wine but also offered a complete personal service. Building relationships with customers is key to our business model, and after advising customers on how to build a portfolio of the most collectable wines, our account managers maintain regular contact with our clients, providing a current assessment of the fine wine market, together with a review of their holdings.
We are a team of people who care passionately about fine wine. Over the past seven years we have hired key members of staff who have previously worked in property** and finance sectors, before bringing their expertise and knowledge into the fine wine market, turning their interest and passion for fine wines into their profession.
Part of the team’s objective at EFWines is to always strengthen and expand our base of technical knowledge and to keep developing our palates. All members of staff are encouraged to develop their own wine knowledge, and most hold WSET qualifications.
In 2010, the company decided to take advantage of the huge demand for quality wines in the Asian market. We now have offices in both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland; with staff fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and, of course, English, we truly are able to speak the language when it comes to selling our (and your) stock of both consumption and premium grade wines into what is now the world's most important market.
We use the specialist fine wine storage facilities of Vinotheque, operated by the respected bonded warehouse operator London City Bond, (LCB) for the storage of your wine; your collection is stored under your name and under bond, which means there is no duty or VAT to pay. You are also able to access, view and manage your account online through LCB’s website. Using their independent inspection services, we are able to provide a condition report, including photographs, of the wines before you purchase.
View which wines we currently have in stock and note that our list is updated regularly. If there are any wines that you have in mind and are not on our list, let us know as we are able to source wines that are not currently in stock.
The combination of our expertise and our strong relations with suppliers places us at the forefront of our trade, ensuring we can offer attractive prices to those looking for healthy returns on their fine wine portfolio.
Let us share our enthusiasm and knowledge with you, start building your knowledge today by calling 020 3236 0100.'
Notes:
* Interesting use of past tense – was!
** Presumably land banking – directors Scott Assemakis and David Evans struck off in 2013 for their part in these scams.
Will the associated companies live on?
32-year-old Jonathan Ross Barr is now the sole director of European Fine Wines Ltd. Back in July 2013 European Fine Wines Ltd had two of its directors – Scott Assemakis and David Evans – banned from serving as UK directors over their part in two land banking scams. See here.
Barr is a director of eight other companies: Wine Works Ltd (registered office 131 Edgware Road. Company used to be called EFWines Ltd), Sawa Wines Ltd – in the process of voluntary dissolution (previously called European Fine Wines (2012) Ltd – name change: 20.9.12), EFW Employee Services LLP, Future House (registered office 11-13 Bromley Common), Commercial House Ltd (also registered office 11-13 Bromley Common), Efw Bordeaux Ltd (founded 17.2.2014 – 131 Edgware Road), Ef Wines Ltd (founded 24.2.14 – registered office 131 Edgware Road), and Jrb Associates (founded 25.2.14 – – registered office 131 Edgware Road). Barr used to be a director of Efw Employee Services LLP (from 1st December 2013 to 30.4.2013. Company is now registered at 131 Edgware Road. Niklaus Cashman, formerly a director of The Bordeaux Wine Trading Company was briefly a director from 1.12.2012
—
30.4.2013).
Also at 131 Edgware Road is Efw Burgundy Ltd (founded 17.2.2014, sole director: 52-year-old Mrs Nichole Sanchia Forward) and Efw Rhone Ltd (founded 17.2.2014, sole director: 52-year-old Mrs Nichole Sanchia Forward).
Also at 131 Edgware Road is Efw Burgundy Ltd (founded 17.2.2014, sole director: 52-year-old Mrs Nichole Sanchia Forward) and Efw Rhone Ltd (founded 17.2.2014, sole director: 52-year-old Mrs Nichole Sanchia Forward).
Update 7.6.2014: Registered office changed to 142-148 Main Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 6NZ on 5th June 2014. This is the address of Abbott Fielding Ltd, whose partner Nedim Ailyan has handled an number of insolvencies of wine investments companies including Bordeaux UK Ltd.
they all work for Imperial Wines of London now!
ReplyDeletethat is what I heard too
ReplyDeleteHorrible company. Cold callers, sharks. If they've moved to Imperial Wines of London, it's no good.
ReplyDeleteAre any of these people associated with Prestige Wine Collections. http://www.pwcollections.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteNot contactable and Company accounts overdue.
Any suggestions for the gullible clients?
ReplyDeleteTwo suggestions: check with London City Bond to see if your wine is there. Then wait until a liquidator is appointed.
DeleteIs the Scott A?... http://www.scott-assemakis.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteQuite amusing website
The same person. Curiously I cannot see any mention on the site that Scott Assemakis is a disqualified UK director – banned for 11 years from July 2013.
ReplyDeleteDear Jin
ReplyDeletehave EFW signed up a liquidator or are they just waiting to be struck off????
Ii'm assuming that they will be going into liquidation. As yet there is no note on Companies House to confirm that they are going into liquidation.
DeleteInteresting to see the narcicist that is Scott Assemakis has a website for personal promotion. Of course, he tells everybody about his 'accomplishments' in a multitude of industries, but fails to mention anything about his involvement in various scams such as landbanking with the Property Partnership and Countrywide Land Holdings. Also forgets to mention his ban from being the director of a company as a result of his scams. And also has a selective memory when it comes to making people aware of his stints in prison, first for killing somebody by dangerous driving, secondly for wrecking several parked vehicles while racing with one of other spurious director chums! Perhaps he's holding out for a career as a driving instructor.
ReplyDeleteEssentially just a human being who exists to trouble others and take as much of their money as possible
It's only a few months ago that European Fine Wines Ltd's director Jonathan Ross Barr moved from his substantial detached property in West Wickham near Bromley to a more expensive mansion in Oxted, Surrey. The poor chap must be completely devastated by the demise of his company, particularly coming just a couple of years after the collapse of the Property Partnership landbanking venture with Scott, Dhugal, Dale, Steve, Sonny and the guys. One hopes Jon can find the inner strength to bounce back and set up another wine investment business soon. Or perhaps he could venture into carbon credits, rare earth metals, coloured diamonds, self storage, graphene, or similar?
ReplyDeleteThanks Bevo. Jonathan Barr is, as you can see above, a director of a number of other companies, which may perhaps offer wine investments.
ReplyDeleteI doubt if any European Fine Wines' investors will be upgrading their house on profits made from the wines they bought from the company.
DeleteHi there my mum has just confessed to me that some sales guy harrassed the life out of her and she handed over 3.3k to these idiots some time ago. Can I safely assume that she can kiss this money goodbye? Does anyone have any advice on how I could find out what I can do if anything? Many Thanks
ReplyDeleteYou may well find that the wine was bought. Check either with Carol Hooper at Abbott Fielding or London City Bond.
ReplyDeleteEdited comment from Sonny Morgan:
ReplyDeleteDear Claire,
Please do not waste your time (edited) by Abbott Fielding Ltd (sole director is Nedim Ailyan).
Contact London City Bond then contact the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police. The fraudsters at European Fine Wines Ltd are the same people who were responsible for the Property Partnership land investment fraud. They are also behind several more investment scams involving tens of millions of pounds stolen from victims like your mum.