A TRIBUTE TO OUR FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN TONY HAMMOND

1936 - 2015

Born in Cheshire in 1936 Tony most definitely broke the mould. He was mischievous, clever and visionary. Always ambitious Tony started his business young, realising there was a gap in the market for supplying Havana Cigars to local celebrities and businessmen, and soon after started supplying Champagnes to restaurants and private clientele throughout Cheshire. His love of fine wines and champagne was born, a love that would last a lifetime. In 1960 Tony established Hammonds of Knutsford which quickly became a leading North West supplier of Wines spirits and champagnes. His personal life was full of family holidays in the lake district where he would enjoy a glass of ice cold Ruinart on Lake Windermere, and if you asked him he’d have probably said that they were the best spent hours of his life, surrounded by his loving wife Jean and children Johnny and Charlotte. Tony was also a great collector and had many impressive collections, in particular his 60 years’ worth of “pump clips” was a sight to behold. Tony had another lesser known love for animals, his dogs in particular were considered family. Tony and Jean had a menagerie of pet animals for years that included Guinea fowl, Chickens and an adorable but noisy Donkey called Jack. Tony certainly was a busy man, for someone that never had a passport! he lived to work hard at the business he created and did so until his very final months.

Tony had a passion for the industry, and served the trade for over 55 years. He is fondly remembered and sadly missed by his family and all those that worked with him over the 55 years at Hammonds.