Most luxury travel agents don’t get their start in the supermarket’s frozen foods aisle – but for Helen McEvoy, that’s exactly what happened.
The Birmingham native’s journey in tourism dates back to a university placement at Sainsbury’s, where she shadowed the peas and chips buyer for a summer season.
It was hardly, as Helen puts it, “the height of glamour.”
But it was also her introduction to the world of commercial buying – how products go from the factory to the shelves. “It was so interesting, and it made me think, I could do this job,” Helen told TTG.
After graduating, she earned a spot on Sainsbury’s Graduate Buying Scheme – but this time, she was assigned to the Beers, Wines and Spirits [BWS] department.
Over the course of the next two years, she would earn her WSET certifications and even launch the supermarket’s first Grüner Veltliner under the Taste the Difference brand – a wine which was later awarded a gold medal by the International Wine Challenge.
Her career continued to grow; she joined major wine retailer, Laithwaites, where she scaled the division to 12 stores and 54 concessions, and won the prestigious title of 'Rioja Retailer of the Year'.
Helen, pictured with partner Mike, discovered her viticulture passion after a university placement at Sainsbury's led to a two-year wine buying stint
After a brief stint as a school business manager, Helen realised how much she missed working in the wine industry. The spark to return arrived on New Year’s Eve 2024, during a visit to her close friends, Abi and Matt, in the Western Cape town of Somerset West.
“My husband Mike and I were sitting in their garden drinking Chenin Blanc and talking about how lucky we were,” Helen recalled. “We realised so many people are missing out on these experiences and we wanted to introduce more people to them.”
Helen felt particularly passionate about promoting South Africa’s wine estates, which she describes as “destinations in and of themselves.”
Unlike the chateaus and cantinas of Europe, South Africa’s wine farms often function as open-air resorts that cater to both adults and children. Many have craft markets and play areas, while also offering family-friendly activities like non-alcoholic wine tastings and treasure hunts.
“They are so varied – it’s not just about the wine,” Helen said.
It was this desire to share her knowledge of South Africa (once home to Helen’s husband) that prompted her next decision.
“That evening was really the very start of Wine Travel Experts,” she said. “Within three months, Mike and I were talking to different people at our local gym who ultimately became our holiday franchise company!”
Helen and Mike arrived at the idea of setting up two businesses: first, Wine Travel Experts, a UK travel agency led by Helen that’s part of Holidays Please (Hays Travel), and a parallel DMC called Wine Travel Experts SA, led by Abi – who runs the Chenin Blanc Association in South Africa – and Matt, a qualified South Africa tour guide.
The Wine Travel Experts team with Anthony Kock, head white wine maker at Spier
This dual concept therefore allowed Helen to offer clients the hidden gems of South Africa’s wine scene as well as its cultural and natural attractions, without having to consult different suppliers.
“The reason we do it ourselves is because nobody else can do it the way we can,” Helen explained. “These wine estates aren’t always open to the public, and they wouldn’t typically host a customer on a package holiday.”
Helen also believed there was “absolutely a gap in the market” for an agency that could package luxury wine holidays.
“I couldn’t see how a consumer could explore those wine regions without taking a bit of a chance, booking different wineries separately to the accommodation and transport,” she said. “When we started, we couldn’t see anyone doing this.”
Over the past nine months, Helen has designed numerous bespoke wine trips for her clients. She is especially proud of a £23k booking for a UK couple, who wanted to travel to South Africa as a 70th birthday celebration.
Helen was recently awarded New Woman in Franchise by EWiF [Encouraging Women into Franchising]
As first-time visitors to the country, Helen ensured they received the finest introduction – complete with a safari expedition and private tour of Cape Town.
The couple also spent time in Stellenbosch at Ken Forrester’s winery, widely known as the ‘Home of Chenin Blanc’, as well as Journey’s End Winery, which is strictly open for tastings by appointment-only.
What made the experience so unique, however, was their access to Matt and Abi’s jackpot combo of local knowledge and wine expertise.
“They got talking and realised they all loved cycling, so they stayed an extra day to do a cycling vineyard tour and meet the winemakers,” Helen said. “This really isn’t something you could just casually do on your own.”
Less than a year into her new venture, Helen is already being recognised across the industry. In May, she received the national award for New Woman in Franchise by EWiF, an entity that celebrates women business owners.
She is now keen to expand her relationships with wine suppliers, and most importantly, continue her lifelong education in the “ever-changing” subject of viticulture: “I have to tell people: ‘If I geek out on wine, please tell me to stop!’”
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