Independent Salisbury wine shop scoops national award
Artisan Wine & Spirit Company have been recognised
An independent wine and spirit shop in Salisbury has been named Small Independent Merchant Wine Buyer of the Year at the annual Wine Buyer Awards in London.
Artisan Wine & Spirit Company on Winchester Street is run by Simon Hill and Liz Coombes.
Simon said it was brilliant to win the award, adding: “It’s the first year of the Wine buyer’s awards, buying is one of the keys to developing a successful business.”
Liz added: “We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved in such a short space of time and to win such a prestigious award is just incredible.”
He said that the award shows that they are understanding the market and getting the right wines at the right price.
“Our ethos has always been to get the best quality for the best price,” Simon said, adding that the judges of the award said the store had been doing the right things since day one."
Liz and Simon have been involved in the wine trade since the mid-1990’s and had always dreamed of having a shop, which has recently celebrated being open two years.
“We know the trade inside out,” Simon explained, “We know what’s good, we know the pitfalls to avoid and we’re having great fun doing it.”
The range at Artisan Wine and Spirit Co doesn’t stock the brands you find in a supermarket, making it a unique experience.
“The range covers wines from all over the world, we’ve found our South African range is one of the countries best.
“We’ve also got an amazing selection of gins. Because we have limited shelf space, we don’t just stock everything,” he said.
Rum and Whiskey are also popular, and the store continues to stand out by selling what Simon describes as “adult” flavour crisps with aioli and camembert flavoured crisps.