A cheese and wine shop will open in Stonegate before Easter, offering food fans the best of both worlds.
But the Cheese And Wine Emporium won’t just stock your common-or-garden cheddar – it will sell some out-there flavour combinations.
The York branch, opening in the Grade II listed property at number 6 Stonegate, will be the company’s fourth branch, and its first in Yorkshire.
Unique flavours
The Cheese And Wine Emporium is run by the Cheshire Cheese Company, which has won international awards for its produce.
All made in Cheshire, its cheese flavours include Sticky Toffee Heaven, Irish Whiskey And Stem Ginger and the best-selling Caramelised Onion & Rioja.
Perhaps the most outlandish is the spicy El Gringo Chilli, Lime & Tequila Cheddar.
Owner Richard Buxton and his team progressed from selling the cheeses on artisan markets to opening their own shops. The first, in Trentham, Staffordshire, launched four years ago.
The shops also sell chutneys, crackers and other cheese-related items, as well as hampers which make popular gifts.
Richard said the shops have proved a success. “What isn’t there to like about cheese and wine?” he said. “It’s a great combination.”
‘An ideal location’
Richard knows York well, and it was always on his list of targets.
“I’ve visited York from a young age and love it as a place, as a lot of people do,” he said. “It’s a great tourist destination with a lot of character and good shops.”
He came on a pre-Christmas trip with his wife Shelly, to enjoy a break and check out potential locations.
That’s when they spotted that 9 Stonegate was available. It was formerly home to gift shop Rabbit Rabbit which closed last December.
April opening
I’m looking forward to it, it’s exciting.
There’s no reason why York shouldn’t perform as good, if not better, than the other shops that we have.
The plan is to have all the paperwork sorted by March 27, then open the shop by the following weekend, April 1.
Then shoppers will be able to get a taste of what’s on offer. Free samples of the cheese are given away “all day every day”.
“People do like to try, and if it’s something they like, they’ll buy,” said Richard.