Pub Awards: Best Wine finalist - The Waterfront, Plymouth

The pub, a St Austell tenancy, was wrecked by huge waves in February 2014 and closed by the brewery. But, just two years down the line, it has been transformed into a bustling local hub with a strong focus on wine. Bellman and Milan do their utmost to engage customers with the list, which features several regional wines from Devon and Cornwall and a large number by the glass.

Value

The Waterfront offers phenomenally good-value reds, whites, and rosés and makes sure its staff talk enthusiastically about wine and can recommend solid food pairings. Plans are underway to introduce a programme of food and wine evenings with local producers and to continue to drive the team’s knowledge and understanding of grapes, vintages and matchings.

Upselling is key to the pub’s growing wine trade, down to the way in which the wine list itself is written: Bellman and Milan use sly repetition and reminders to encourage customers to try various products.

They’re also keen to make sure their wine list is suitable for customers with dietary requirements, tagging up vegetarian, ‘green’ and organic wines on the list.