A Norfolk pub has reopened from lockdown with a new wine boutique.
Dereham’s Coachmakers Pub and Restaurant, on Norwich Road, reopened on May 20 following work to create the area.
Pub manager Haley Turner said: “We’ve been wanting to do it for a long while. I’ve got my WSET - it’s a world-recognised wine course.
"You take more courses and you can then become a sommelier, which I would like to do.”
Ms Turner said the idea had come about through discussions with the pub’s wine supplier, Wine Fantastic, of Felixstowe.
“They’ve also got a wine boutique there, so this is a partnership, as such,” she said.
“One of my customers who comes in, a gentleman - he used to be a French teacher.
"This has worked out quite well - when he goes in the wine boutique, he gets me to pronounce them [the wine names], and I’ve been having little lessons with him, whenever he comes in for a pint or a glass of wine.
“Learning about all the different regions they come from is quite a task,” she added.
Bottles are available for takeaway purchase or to have in the pub, with QR codes on the menu providing in-depth information about each of the wines.
“These are all from small vineyards, none of these are stocked in supermarkets,” said Ms Turner.
Looking ahead at the possibility of restrictions being re-imposed if the pandemic were to rear its head again, Ms Turner pointed out: “If we do get closed down again, at least I’ll still be able to open the boutique.”
The reaction from customers has been positive, she said.
“It’s been absolutely brilliant… They’ve said how beautiful it looks and spotted some of their favourite kinds of wine,” said Ms Turner.
She added: “There’s not many places you can go just for a glass of champagne [rather than a bottle], if the ladies fancy champagne on a nice evening.”
With Portugal now back on the amber travel list, Ms Turner pointed out: “We have a few customers from Portugal. We cover quite a few Portuguese wines, so that’s been a big hit with them.
“They can have a bottle of their favourite Portuguese wine, which they can’t really go and get from Portugal at the moment.”
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