The Mysteries of Montevino Partners

A look at the Montevino Partners website is reassuring it is lists both its founder and its wine experts. However, compare these details with those filed with UK Companies House and questions start to emerge.  

The Founder - Martin Edgerton Gill

You might imagine that Monetvino Partners' company name would be Montevino Partners Ltd and there is a Montevino Partners Ltd, which was incorporated on 17.4.2014. Thomas Roger White (DOB: 18.4.1979) is the sole director. The £1000 share capital is split between £950 for Thomas White and £50 for David Parker. However, Montevino Partners Ltd is a dormant company – accounts for a dormant company to 30th April 2015 were filed on 11.1.2016. 

However, Thomas White informed me that: 
'Montevino Partners Limited was registered straight away as we wanted to protect the name at first, but we use MPL as our retail sales outlet and is not dormant as from November 2014 we have held our premises licence and our barclaycard facilities, we have changed offices at end of 2015 and the premise licensing has been reapplied to new premises, I believe we may be late filling our accounts.'

This is somewhat curious as it was a Thomas White who was responsible for filing the accounts for a dormant company to 30th April 2015. The accounts state: 'The company is dormant and has not traded during the period or subsequent to the period end.' If Montevino Partners Ltd has indeed been trading since November 2014 why were dormant accounts made up to 30th April 2015? I did raise this with Thomas White but so far have no received a response.  

Instead Montevino Partners is the trading name of Spirited Ventures Ltd, which was incorporated on 19.7.2013. Thomas White (appointed 6.5.2014) is now sole director. The previous sole director – John Ellis Jeffrey – resigned on 28.5.2014. Share capital is £1000 – £250 Thomas White, £225 Bilhar Singh, £250 David Parker, £100 Adrian Nurse, £115 Michael Wilson and £35 Peter Pipe.

Although Martin Edgerton Gill is credited with being the founder of Montevino Partners he has never been a director or shareholder of either Montevino Partners Ltd or Spirited Ventures Ltd. When the latter company was incorporated in July 2013 Jeffrey was the sole shareholder with a holding of £1.

I understand that Gill ceased to be involved in Montevino during 2015.

Claudio Martins is profiled as wine director. Martins did work for the company from May 2014 but left by November 2015. I understand that he is not happy that he is still listed as Montevino's wine expert and is seeking to have this removed from the site. 

Thomas White has told investdrinks that: 'We have had the website under development for sometime, as we wish to update various items including the removal of Claudio as mutually agreed amongst several other changes required.'

Daniel Carnio is listed as their wine expert. However, he is also no longer with Montevino Partners. Although a Google search mentions Montevino Partners is on his Linked-in profile, there is now no mention of any involvement with Montevino Partners on his current profile. 

White has told investdrinks that "we are as yet to appoint a new Wine Director as a full time team member but we have sufficient cover by third party consultants as we have used others as agents for buying and selling accordingly".

Although no named wine experts apparently remain involved but Montevino Partners does still have a Michael Moore, whose brother Paul Moore of Manor Hall, Chigwell is disqualified from acting as a UK company director for 14 years – a very lengthy ban that runs from 5.12.2014 to 4.12.2028. Paul Moore was the sole director of Manor Rose Carbon Credit Ltd. Curiously it appears that the deficit is only £201.

Paul Moore's ban is set out in WIREDGOV here: Court closes web of unscrupulous landbanking and carbon credit companies that raised £6.5 million from investors. Among the companies closed was Dakota Partners International CC Limited, a land banking and carbon credits company. Michael Moore was 'responsible for the Dakota sales staff' and was paid £224,900.37 by Manor Rose on £224,900.37.   

'Although Mr Moore asserts that Manor Rose had no inter-relationship with the other companies such as Dakota, it is apparent that this is not so as the provisional liquidator has reported that Manor Rose paid Mr Michael Moore, Mr Moore's brother who was responsible for the Dakota sales staff, the sum of £224,900.37 on 4 November 2010. Despite requesting an explanation from Mr Moore, through his solicitors, on 12 March 2012, Mr Moore has yet to respond.' WIREGOV  

Moore has been charged with fraud and stealing more than £100,000. The case was transferred to Maidstone Crown Court with a preliminary hearing on 1st May 2015 and was listed for trial on 25th January 2016.    

Details: 
'01-05-2015 Maidstone Crown Court 5 T20157172 / T20157173,
Haydon Driscoll
Michael Robert Moore
Details: For Preliminary Hearing - Case Started - May 1 2015 
For Preliminary Hearing - Case to be listed for Trial on 25-Jan-2016'

The trial was delayed and is now listed to start at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 21st November 2016.

Montevino Partners website was registered on 9.1.2014. There are no Terms & Conditions listed on the site. Thomas White: 'The terms and conditions have been updated within our paperwork and should have been reinstalled on the website.'

I think I will probably pass on Montevino Partners – thanks.  


Update 26th July 2016

On 5th July 2016 First Gazette notice for a compulsory strike-off of Spirited Ventures Ltd was issued. The company's accounts have been overdue since 30th April 2016. However, the strike-off was suspended on 19th July 2016 following an objection. 

On 13.7.2016 Montevino Partners Limited filed active accounts to 30.4.2016. The company made a loss of £6360.  

Update 11th August 2016 On 8th August 2016 Spirited Ventures Ltd went into voluntary liquidation. The resolution to going into liquidation was passed on 26th July 2016. Ninos Koumettou, 1 Kings Ave, Winchmore Hill, London N21 3NA was appointed liquidator on 8th August. The total deficiency is stated as £691,326.93. The largest creditor is Australian wine producer Clarendon Hills (£210,601.92) followed by HMRC (£155,694.75). There is also a loan from Thomas White, the sole director, of £208,869.

All of the creditors listed are trade plus Thomas White, so the deficiency assumes that all clients of Spirit Ventures Ltd (trading name Monetvino Partners Ltd) received their wine.

Thomas White is the director of three other wine companies: Montevino Partners Ltd, which is owed £40,371.76 by Spirited Ventures Ltd, Wine Genie Ltd (incorporated 9th April 2015) and 8 Wine Club Ltd – founded on 14th November 2014. Wine Genie Ltd faced a compulsory strike off for failing to file the first annual return on time. Monetvino Partners Ltd filed dormant accounts up to 30th April 2015. The latest accounts to 30th April 2016 show a loss of £6360.    

White was also the sole director of Influx Global Ltd – founded on 12th June 2014 and dissolved on 19th January 2016.