Farthinghoe Fine Wine
Farthinghoe Fine Wine, a world-class wine merchant and cellar manager with a 50-year heritage, partnered with HWEB to transition from legacy, admin-heavy systems to a frictionless, tech-enabled portfolio ecosystem. By replacing analog spreadsheets and manual processes with HWEB’s unit-based architecture and automated integrations, Farthinghoe eliminated operational bottlenecks, empowered its sales team to focus on client strategy, and successfully unlocked new revenue streams, including single-malt whisky casks.
The Client Profile
Next-Gen Technology Meets 50 Years of Sourcing Heritage
Founded in 1975 by Simon Cox MW and based in Oxfordshire, Farthinghoe Fine Wine is a premier second-generation fine wine merchant and cellar manager. Serving collectors worldwide, ultra-high-net-worth portfolios, and the global trade, the company prides itself on delivering first-class client service. Farthinghoe’s core mission is to enable the seamless enjoyment of wine and masterfully crafted liquid by blending an unrivaled sourcing heritage with cutting-edge technology.
The Challenge
Eradicating the "Relevance Gap" and Spreadsheet Bloat
Business Objectives
The fine wine market has historically suffered from a distinct "Relevance Gap," divided between bloated, slow legacy merchants and tech startups lacking genuine wine pedigree. Farthinghoe set out to bridge this gap and become the ultimate "Modern Merchant"—combining world-class, human-led client interaction with a completely frictionless, tech-enabled portfolio ecosystem. The goal was to take wine back to being admired on the table, not monitored on a spreadsheet.
The Bottlenecks
Farthinghoe’s ambitious global growth plans were heavily restricted by a previous website and ERP system that were no longer fit for purpose. The business was trapped in time-consuming, old-school industry workflows:
Administrative Burden
The admin team was constantly bogged down by slow systems, manual data requests, and complex stock reconciliations.
Misallocated Resources
High-performing sales professionals were spending critical hours acting as delivery managers rather than identifying market opportunities and sourcing the right wines for clients.
Lack of Client Autonomy
Collectors lacked dynamic, real-time control over their holdings, leaving them to manually track valuations across multiple merchants and warehouses, often losing track of drink-by dates and holding unbalanced portfolios.
The Selection
Sourcing an Intelligent Wine Platform
Farthinghoe required more than a generic stock-keeping ERP; they needed an evolutionary platform purpose-built for the unique nuances of fine wine broking, complex data sets, and global logistics.
"Emmanuel and Helena were the deciding factor. The quality, capability and functionality of their previous builds, as well as a reputation and trust that stretches far and wide across the trade made the partnership a no-brainer. HWEB’s unit-based architecture (UID), the ability to track the specific 'life story' and cost stack of individual cases, combined with seamless Liv-ex integration without having to create messy 'dummy POs,' was exactly the infrastructural leap we needed. Furthermore, Emmanuel’s agility and willingness to partner with us on custom API builds gave us total confidence. Ultimately, we didn’t want to go down the same route as everyone else, and Hweb offered a unique partnership opportunity."
The Solution
A Frictionless Portfolio Ecosystem
Farthinghoe successfully migrated its operations to HWEB, leveraging a suite of tools designed to automate administration and enhance the user experience:
Advanced E-Commerce & CMS
A revamped digital storefront featuring optimized design capabilities for a premium brand presentation.
Client Sub-Account Structures
Giving collectors direct transparency and dynamic, real-time control over their portfolios and valuations.
Instant Broking & Trading Tools
Empowering the team to execute complex trades and asset transfers with a few clicks.
Global Transfer Routes (GTRs)
Providing immediate, accurate landed pricing across international borders.
CRM Automation
Seamless integration with HubSpot to automatically trigger highly personalized client journeys based on real-time platform data.
The Implementation Experience
Backed by flexible, round-the-clock support, the transition was rapid and intuitive. The team achieved operational confidence quickly, integrating the software deeply into their daily workflows without the friction typically associated with enterprise software migrations.
"HWEB is the backbone of our entire strategic focus right now. It automates the heavy lifting so we can focus on our clients, strategy, and finding the wine icons of tomorrow."
The Benefits
Scaling Operations and Launching New Asset Classes
Operational Impact
By automating manual administration and streamlining stock reconciliations, HWEB has freed the Farthinghoe team from spreadsheet management. The sales team has shifted entirely away from logistics coordination and back to high-value client advisory roles, marketing, and strategic sourcing.
Client Experience & Revenue Growth
The customer journey has been completely transformed. Clients now enjoy full, frictionless autonomy over their wine portfolios, allowing them to handle transactions seamlessly:
- Instant browsing and digital checkout
- Real-time portfolio valuations
- Local and global delivery arrangements
- Direct asset liquidation and selling
Future-Proofing
With a robust infrastructure in place, Farthinghoe has already expanded its digital footprint. The flexibility of the HWEB platform allowed the merchant to successfully launch entirely new asset classes, including single-malt whisky casks, and serves as the foundational engine powering their upcoming, disruptive 'Liquid' Cellar Plans.
Farthinghoe Fine Wine, Oxfordshire