WHILE Buckfast Tonic Wine was created by Benedictine monks, it has long been synonymous with negative sides of drinking culture in Scotland.
But it has recently made the move from corner shop to supermarket shelf, as we revealed that Morrisons had started selling the fortified tipple.
Love it or hate it, the controversial drink is a titan in the beverage industry after posting massive sales figures of £50million in the last year.
The booze has reported enormous profits despite having only 23 employees on their books.
We sent Senior Features Writer COLAN LAMONT to go beyond the bottle and delve into the notorious bevvy.
Infamous booze brand Buckfast has posted an impressive set of sales figures recently.
Almost £50million worth of the 15 per cent proof wine — made at Buckfast Abbey in Devon— was snapped up by drinkers in the 2022/23 financial year.
J Chandler and Co, the company that distributes the wine, enjoyed a boost of £1.6million, from £48.2million to £49.9million, with the bulk of cash coming in from UK buyers.
And that allowed the firm to make royalty payments of more than £3.9million to the Buckfast Abbey Trust, a charity which supports the community of Benedictine monks living there.
But despite its charity work the drink has a darker side. Buckfast — which usually costs around £10 for a 75cl bottle — has been linked to violence due to regular incidents throughout the years.
In December 2016, a sheriff said there was a “very definite association between Buckfast and violence”. Meanwhile, a BBC investigation found the drink had been mentioned in 5,638 Strathclyde police crime reports between 2006 and 2009.
And in 2015, the Scottish Prison Service reported that more than 43 per cent of inmates had consumed Buckfast before their last offence.
It’s not clear why irresponsible drinkers in Scotland chose to make Buckfast — produced nearly 500 miles away from Glasgow and Edinburgh— their favourite choice.
BUCKFAST IS BRILL TRIP
DESPITE being one of Scotland’s most common (and controversial) drink choices, there is a real sense of mystery surrounding the world’s most famous tonic wine.
So I headed down to the home of Bucky in Devon. As soon as I got out my taxi in Buckfastleigh, I felt like I had wondered into the setting of a travel agent advert, passing so many beautiful beaches.
Made by monks, the winery itself is set apart from the main part of Buckfast Abbey. But they love being associated with its history – with the monastery dating back to the 11th century.
Meanwhile, parts of the complex are modern with a hotel, pizzeria and gift shop all on hand.
The Abbey is a sight to behold. Free for all to enter, the building is beautiful and fascinating.
If you do happen to find yourself in the West Country, I would highly recommend adding Buckfast Abbey to your travel itinerary for a small refreshment.
The statistics don’t align with the wine’s values when you consider its humble history. Donald Reid, lecturer in Gastronomy at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, believes the controversy is far more nuanced than most realise.
He said: “Bucky isn’t so much wildly popular in Scotland as notorious.
“It only amounts to about 0.5 per cent of alcohol sales in Scotland and, while it’s famously a buzz drink mixing sweet alcohol with lots of caffeine, there are cheaper, stronger alcoholic drinks out there. And there’s nothing Scottish in its history or production — it’s made by monks in Devon.”
With very limited marketing and advertising, the origins of its cult following raise more questions.
The story begins in 1897 when the nephew of a French monk visited Buckfast Abbey and brought with him a recipe for a Tonic Wine. Nine years later, Anscar Vonier was elected Abbot and led a huge restoration effort to rebuild the monastery.
By the early 1920s the monks were working hard at trying to sell their Tonic Wine. But the medicinal taste combined with severe licensing laws after WW1 made life very difficult.
In 1921, alcohol could only be bought between 11.30am to 3pm and 5.30pm to 10pm — and not at all on Sundays. But Buckfast, which was sold at pharmacies as medicine as well as in wine shops, could be bought any time.
J Chandler and Co Ltd, a London-based wine merchant only intervened by chance after owner Robert Joyce visited the Abbey with his daughter on a family holiday.
He explained how he could help them obtain a license and a partnership was developed that exists to this day. The business only grew from that point on.
Any association with crime seems even stranger when you consider the surroundings of the Abbey. The medieval market town of Buckfastleigh is one of Devon’s most picturesque locations and is famous for its nature and outdoor pursuits.
Despite often being associated with “ned culture”, the booze boasts some very successful supporters. Singer Lewis Capaldi, 27, has made no secret of the fact that Buckfast is his favourite drink. He even necked a bottle on stage at the 2020 Brits when he bagged two gongs.
Music megastar Ed Sheeran, 33, also admitted his first drunken experience was due to a night out drinking Buckfast in Scotland. Meanwhile, Liam Gallagher, 51, is also a known fan alongside more unlikely lovers such as One Direction’s Niall Horan, 30, and US skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, 55.
Academic Donald said: “While it’s made in Devon, what is Scottish is the notoriety, the associations with violent crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder.
“The Scots are very good at taking something that’s transgressive and that could easily be used as part of a negative stereotype of Scotland, but making sure they ‘own’ it before it can be turned against them, typically by being given a dose of dark humour.
“So Bucky gets called ‘Wreck the Hoose juice’ and has cult status.”
And nobody takes their Buckfast as seriously as regular Scottish punters. In 2021, radio producer Rory Barraclough buried a bottle on the grounds of TRNSMT music festival in Glasgow Green so he could recover it at the event.
And nail technician Nicola Ramsay, who owns the beauty salon/tattoo studio Dollhaus in Glasgow city centre, even incorporated her favourite drink into her wedding.
The 36-year-old wanted to include the booze when she and hubby Scott exchanged vows. She says: “Like loads of others, I first tried Bucky with my pals likely sitting at the Goma or the Clydeside.
“I love Bucky, it’s always either a good start to the night, or a deeply terrible — but funny — end. I love a wee Bucky with pals, it always has a place in my heart. I think it’s best ice-cold out the fridge, straight out the bottle. Best enjoyed outdoors.”
Despite often attracting criticism, Nicola hasn’t experienced any stigma as a female fan of the tipple. She adds: “I’ve always just associated Buckfast with Glaswegians. I’ve never known any gender to drink it more than others, it’s a class drink for class people.
“I think we used to get judged for it a wee bit more than we do now, it used to be seen differently for sure. Now if you crack open a bottle, folk just want a bit.”
And uni lecturer Donald reckons at the end of the day Buckfast may be produced by monks, but it has been taken to the hearts of Scots.
He added: “It’s a bit provocative, but it manages to disarm moral judgement while not quite glamorising the dark issues behind it.
If you don’t get that there’s a dark side to it, you have missed the point.
“But if you don’t also get the irony, that it’s the Scots laughing at themselves and some of society’s inadequacies before anyone else does, you’ve missed the point as well.”
