Butlers decamps to Kemp Town
Level 3 and is now
running her own shop and bar in the Castle Quarter area.
Butlers Wine Cellar in Brighton has
She’s working with
reluctantly closed the doors of the
suppliers including
shop it has called home since 1979 and
Enotria&Coe, North
retrenched to its smaller Kemp Town
South Wines and
branch in the city.
Alliance. “I’m going
Henry Butler and Cassie Gould believe
for things that I like
the landlord of the original premises wants
but I’m also looking
to convert the building to residential use.
for unusual wines
Although Gould says they were sad to
and things that will
leave the Queen’s Park Road shop, there
interest will my
are upsides to the move. “It wasn’t our
choice,” she says. “But it’s worked out all
customers,” she says.
“I’m very organic and
cap
right.
vegan-friendly and
“We are thinking how we can make the
I like those styles of
most of the space we have in Kemp Town.
wine.”
It’s a good site for us and we like it here. People know us here.
“The shop is pretty rammed, so we’re
looking at possibly changing the layout.” The duo have been weighing up the
About 20% of the
Emily Wilson has a Spanish wine specialism at the new store
range consists of
Spanish wines and Wilson says she’s
looking forward to
possibility of moving Butlers to a bigger
downsizing, though Gould admits that not
growing that with the help of Alliance.
and wholesale revenue streams.
wine requirements.
Spanish vegan option too.
site, such as an old pub, where drinking-in
could be added to their retail, e-commerce “That would be the dream,” says Gould.
“Somewhere that we could offer bigger
tastings and more events. Obviously, with the way things have turned out over the last couple of years, it would probably
be silly to invest in somewhere that was predominantly events-based.”
No staff have been lost as a result of the
all Butlers’ Queen’s Park Road customers have migrated to Kemp Town for their
“Some have switched to online ordering,
but quite a few we have lost. People are
creatures of habit. It’s a 15-minute walk between the two shops, really.
“We’re on Deliveroo now, which is new
for us and gives us a bit of exposure.”
offered, and she’s managed to source a
Wilson says having the bar area in the
shop, which seats 20, encourages the
customers try the wines in store by the
glass and will allow her to hold tastings,
beginning with a chocolate and wine event earlier this month.
Macclesfield’s new indie opens
branch has opened in Sudbury, Suffolk. The
La Dulce Vendimia opened in
was officially opened by the town’s mayor.
Macclesfield last month.
There are already Wine-Boutique branches
Owner Emily Wilson previously owned a
tea room, but her growing interest in wine saw her sell her business to take a role as The store first opened in 1979
Platters of Spanish cheese and meat are
a pastry chef and tour guide at Holmfirth Vineyards in Yorkshire.
Since then, she has gained her WSET
THE WINE MERCHANT june 2022 4
• John Greenwold’s latest Wine-Boutique hybrid shop and bar, which charges a £7 corkage fee for drinking on the premises,
in Felixstowe, Dereham and Frinton. • The owners of Edinburgh’s Dreadnought pub have bought The Wee Leith Shop, which they plan to transform into “Edinburgh’s tiniest offie”.
