Hoole based business Chester Beer & Wine celebrated 10 years as a successful specialist independent off licence with a portfolio tasting event at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel.

Over 140 enthusiastic customers attended the walk around tasting on Wednesday, May 13 where they sampled wines and spirits from 14 different suppliers and importers from all over the country.

Owner Samantha Jackson said: “We wanted to mark such an important milestone with a real celebration for everyone and this has certainly done that! The Doubletree by Hilton was the obvious choice as a venue as it’s a lovely hotel with a gorgeous room and really helpful staff.

“Our suppliers have been incredibly supportive to come along and show a range of wines and spirits from their portfolios, and our customers have been so enthusiastic – really enjoying the wines and chatting to all the suppliers about the wines and spirits they were showing. A fantastic time was had by all and we will certainly be doing it all again next year!”

Guests enjoying the wine tasting

The attendees obviously agreed – Frances Clarke, a regular shopper at Chester Beer & Wine enthused: “The event has been fantastic fun, really well organised and a beautiful venue. We’ve had an absolute ball and we can’t wait to do it again next year!”

Chester Beer & Wine opened its doors on May 13, 2005 (then called Scatchards of Chester). “The shop was embraced by the local community right from the start” recalls Sam Jackson: “All our tasting events were well attended and we had a loyal customer base very quickly. Hoole is a fantastic area to set up a business because the residents love getting behind great local independent shops. We are lucky to have such amazing customers.”

Chester Beer & Wine has also previously enjoyed success with national awards: National Independent Beer Retailer of the Year twice and runner up four times, plus runner up for National Wine, Drinks and Community Retailer of the Year, so they are certainly used to the sweet smell of success.

The event has certainly been a success for the shop and the local community, and here’s to the next ten years for Chester Beer & Wine!