Norwich-based wine retailer Virgin Wines scoops prestigious industry gong.

The city's Virgin Wines has been crowned Wine Club of the Year by the International Wine Challenge (IWC).

The accolade was bestowed on the company's WineBank membership, at the highly competitive industry awards in its 40th year.

The IWC praised the firm for "navigating a challenging wine market by keeping up with the current consumer trends, for example the introduction of lower ABV and vegan wines."

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With more than 130,000 customers, the WineBank scheme rewards wine enthusiasts with considerable benefits, including 20pc interest on money saved into their accounts each month.

This, coupled with further perks, has enabled Virgin Wines' customers to earn £4m of savings annually.

Reacting to the win, chief executive officer Jay Wright said: "We are thrilled to receive the IWC Wine Club award.

"Thank you to our loyal members and partners for making this achievement possible.“

Alongside the celebration, the IWC co-chairwoman Helen McGinn, said: "Their service-driven proposition has successfully increased membership by over a third, highlighting their commitment to customer satisfaction and innovation."