A toast to trusted relationships

Wine is in the McGrath family’s DNA. Patrick grew up in the wine trade – his late father was a Master of Wine, and they were the first father and son Master of Wine combination in the world.

Patrick started out working as a Retail Assistant in Victoria Wine, and during his career, he’s worked for Grants of St. James’s and Mentzendorff. He joined Hatch Mansfield as Managing Director in 1994.

“Our main business is importing wine, and we represent a number of internationally acclaimed, family-owned wine producers, including Taittinger,” explains Patrick. “In the past ten years, our turnover has grown substantially. Back then, we were turning over about £50 or £60 million. Now, we’re turning more than £120 million.”

In a pioneering joint venture with Taittinger, the business bought 69 acres of Kent countryside and began planting vines in 2016, aiming to launch a premium English sparkling wine within ten years. “Domaine Evremond’s first bottle should be here this September,” says Patrick.

Domaine Evremond is, like Hatch Mansfield itself, very much a ‘friends and family’ venture, reflecting the independent, family-focused philosophies of both companies.

It’s a personal, long-standing relationship – not dissimilar to Patrick and his company’s relationship with their St. James’s Place Partner.

Helping employees retire comfortably

Apart from Patrick, there are people working at Hatch Mansfield who have been there since the company was founded 30 years ago. “We started out as a very young team – now we’re starting to retire,” he says. “And John has helped so many of my staff retire early and retire well.”

Last year, John helped three Directors retire well before 65 on excellent pensions. They’re now looking forward to well-deserved and comfortable retirements.

“I got a WhatsApp today from one Director who’s semi-retired now,” adds John, “showing me the once-in-a-lifetime Antarctica cruise he and his wife are planning. It’s personally rewarding to be able to say to someone: ‘Go ahead and book that holiday – you’ll have more than enough money.’”

Later this year, Domaine Evremond will open its first bottle of sparkling wine, toasting the brand-new vintage – and also raising a glass to the ongoing relationship between Patrick, the Hatch Mansfield team and John.

“I’ve come to rely on the fact that my staff are so well looked after by John and his team,” says Patrick.

“John and St. James’s Place are financial-advice specialists. We’re not, we’re wine specialists. In the end, it comes down to trust. There’s no point using an organisation as professional as St. James’s Place unless you trust them to give good advice. It’s a personal relationship.“

This is just one client’s story and each situation is unique. The advice given to Patrick was provided after a full evaluation of specific needs, circumstances and requirements, and was correct at the time it was given. The solutions provided may not be suitable for everyone, and the information provided here does not constitute advice.

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.

Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.