A burning passion to champion the bounty of riches from the artisans of Yorkshire, modern Northumbria and all points north will become a reality for a Beverley couple on Saturday (17 September), with the opening of Northmen Spirit in the town.
Situated in Cross Street, the new bottle shop will celebrate producers of specially selected craft beer, spirits and wines, made by independent local distilleries, breweries and vineyards, where the focus is on small batches of individual, high-quality products.
It’s the first time such an interesting collection of locally produced small batch wines, beers and spirits will have come together under one roof in the town, according to Northmen Spirit owners, husband and wife Tony and Heather Wallis, who live in the town centre.
Tony, who was born in Beverley and is the manager of the new bottle shop, said: “Heather and I share a mutual passion for hunting out very special, small batch wines, beers and spirits and we plan to bring several small producers together, showcasing what they bring to the table.
“It has been a great adventure to source what we think are the very finest – and sometimes hugely underrated – offerings from Yorkshire, Northumbria and the rest of the north and we look forward to sharing the fruits of our search.”
Northmen Spirit, which draws inspiration from the Norsemen who raided the region in the eighth and ninth centuries, before settling and trading, will stock small batch gins from Hothams in Hull and Hooting Owl in Barmby Moor, award-winning wines from Yorkshire Heart Vineyard in York and Brinkburn St Brewery, Durham Brewery and S43, for example.
The couple hopes to cultivate a community of local enthusiasts to share knowledge, tastings and brand stories with, promoting events through its social media channels. Northmen Spirit will also sell online via its website: www.northmenspirit.co.uk
Heather, from Tyne and Wear, who has been married to Tony for 15 years, added: “Beverley is where our hearts are and we are beyond excited to open the doors of Northmen Spirit and welcome people through the doors. With so many great places to eat and drink in the town, we feel strongly that our new shop will be a welcome addition.
“Being an independent business and with a passion for the north, we have the flexibility to bring Beverley the best-tasting craft beers, wines and spirits we can find and bring them to our customers, directly.”
The bottle shop will also stock a selection of artisan products from outside the north of England in its ‘Here be Dragons’ section, such as Blue Aurora English Blueberry Wine from Cambridgeshire, Doghouse Distillery’s Spirits and Aperitifs from London.