| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Welwyn Garden City, England |
| Products | Alcoholic beverages |
| Employees | <50 |
| Website | www.threshergroup.com/ |
First Quench Retailing was the largest independent off-licence retail chain in the UK, with around 1,200 shops operating under several retail brands, though all have now been closed. Its head office was based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. On 29 October 2009 it was announced that the company had entered into administration.
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The company was originally formed as First Quench Retailing by the merger of the Whitbread owned Threshers and the Allied Domecq owned Victoria Wine in August 1998. This brought together the 1,470 Thresher Wine Shop, Drinks Cabin, Wine Rack and Huttons brands with Victoria Wine Cellars, Haddows, Martha's Vineyard, and The Firkin. Allied Domecq later sold their 50% of the company to Punch Taverns in September 1999.
In November 1991, Threshers, then owned by Whitbread alone, bought the Peter Dominic Group from Grand Metropolitan for £50m. The Bottoms Up brand of shops, formerly owned by Peter Dominic, was retained. Peter Dominic was separated from GrandMet's IDV group in 1989 to become a retail division.
The company was purchased by the Japanese private equity firm Nomura Holdings in October 2000 for £225m.
Terra Firma Capital Partners purchased the company in April 2002.
The collapse of rival retailer Unwins led to Threshers buying 200 stores, with the remaining 170 stores closing. The stores were rebranded as either 'The Local', 'Thresher' or 'Wine Rack'.[1][2]
In June 2007, Thresher Group was sold to the equity company Vision Capital for around £250 million.
Following a number of changes to branding, the company was renamed First Quench Retailing from Threshers Group.
The brand names Thresher's, The Local, Bottoms Up and Victoria Wine were subsequently purchased by Midlands-based newsagent, off-licence and convenience store operator Dave's Discount Group.[6]
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