Tobacconists have warned that a new plain-packaging regime could wipe out Britain\u2019s specialist cigar industry, forcing family businesses to close and potentially rendering millions of pounds of vintage stock worthless.<\/p>\n
Ministers are considering extending cigarette-style plain packaging and graphic health warnings to cigars, a move that traders say would dismantle an industry built around craftsmanship, heritage and distinctive branding.<\/p>\n
The proposals would strip traditional handmade cigar boxes and bands of centuries-old artwork and branding, affecting an estimated 120 specialist businesses, many of them small, family-owned firms.<\/p>\n
The campaign against the plans is being led by James J Fox, the 140-year-old London cigar shop whose customers have included Sir Winston Churchill.<\/p>\n
Daniel Freeman, its director, told The Telegraph: \u201cFrom the day it comes in, we will become unprofitable.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the cost of repackaging imported cigars would make premium products commercially unviable, while driving customers<\/a> to buy abroad.<\/p>\n \u201cPlain packaging<\/a> will instantly kill the industry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Jemma Freeman, chairwoman of Hunters and Frankau, the UK\u2019s sole distributor for Cuba\u2019s Habanos SA cigar brands, was even more stark.<\/p>\n She said the measures would \u201cend this business<\/a> in between three to five years\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be a total wipe-out,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n The threat extends beyond retailers. Edie Sahakian, whose father fled Iran during the revolution before establishing Davidoff of London in 1980, said the proposals could destroy the family business<\/a> before it could be passed to the next generation.<\/p>\n Mr Sahakian said: \u201cIf this plays out, there will be no business to pass on. It\u2019s the end, it\u2019s game<\/a> over in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the regulations would also force the company to repackage millions of pounds\u2019 worth of rare vintage cigars held in storage, potentially making them \u201cworthless\u201d.<\/p>\n Laurence Davis, owner of Sautter Cigars, warned that stripping legitimate products of their distinctive packaging could create<\/a> a bonanza for counterfeiters.<\/p>\n Labour was \u201cgiving the world of cigar forgery the opportunity to just go wild\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n The Government insists no final decision has been taken.<\/p>\n A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: \u201cWe are currently consulting on plain packaging requirements for all tobacco products, as part of our effort to tackle a habit that remains the single leading<\/a> causes of preventable death, disability, and ill health in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll stakeholders, including specialist tobacconists, have been encouraged to contribute to this consultation, and we will consider their responses carefully before any final decisions are taken.\u201d<\/p>\n