Gilbeys, Wine and Horses: A Biography

This is the story of two generations of a famous gin- and wine-dealing family, the Gilbeys. With a father who ran both an inn and one of the last horse-drawn coach runs, it was perhaps inevitable that the Gilbey brothers should combine a trade in drink with a love of horses. This book tells how, by innovative marketing and pricing strategies, the Gilbeys came to dominate the British trade in wine and spirits, grasping the opportunity to turn the beer-drinking British populace into wine-drinkers. They also never forgot their family’s traditional interest in horses. The first Sir Walter Gilbey was the driving force behind the establishment of the family firm and was instrumental in founding the Shire Horse Society. His son, Henry Walter, was famous for his ideas on correct horse-riding dress. The royalties from the sale of this book will go to the British Horse Foundation, the Dressage Supporters Group, the London Harness Horse Parade and the Gilbey Archive.