Yorkshire & North East

Shibden Mill Inn

Shibden Mill, West Yorkshire

Wine is a serious business at the picturesque Shibden Mill Inn and the pub's enthusiastic members of staff go to great lengths to ensure their customers enjoy it.

They don't just focus on serving up the right wines to accompany food in the pub's restaurant and bar lounges - they also make sure they offer a selection of wines by the glass to service ever-increasing bar sales to other customers.

Removing myths

The Shibden boasts an extensive list of wines, many of which are aimed at people enjoying a special occasion. But mainstream and by-the-glass offerings are not forgotten by Glen Pearson.

He says: "We have worked very hard to

develop our list to cater for customer taste and I believe we offer an excellent choice.

"Our philosophy is to take away the myths that still surround the world of wine and encourage customers to try different varieties."

Employees at the freehouse are trained in all aspects of wine service and encouraged to talk to customers about wine and make educated suggestions on their choice. So far, five members of staff have passed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust intermediate course.

Customers also get involved, thanks to a monthly wine tasting evening, "Grape Expectations", which also takes the form of a quiz. The evenings have proved so popular that they are now booked up weeks in advance.

Single-source supplier

To ensure wines are served in tip-top

condition, strict back-of-house procedures are adopted so that bottles are stored at the correct temperature and no bottle is kept open for more than one session.

There are 80 bins on the list with six reds, six whites, two Champagnes and a rosé available by the glass. One supplier, Cellar 28 from Rastrick, provides all the pub's needs.

Glen reports: "We are growing wine sales by 4% year-on-year, undoubtedly influenced by our staff and in-house marketing strategy."