A Cornish wine merchant has been named the UK’s best independent retailer by drinks industry bible Harpers Wine & Spirit.
BinTwo, a hybrid wine cellar, bar and coffee shop in Padstow, has topped the list of The UK’s 50 Best Indies 2019.
The awards ceremony took place this week at London’s Honourable Artillery Company. Organised by Harpers, the awards celebrate the best independent wine merchants in the UK.
The judges called BinTwo “a vibrant modern benchmark among wine merchants in the UK”. Its plans for a micro winery in Cornwall stood out, along with its thriving reputation as a community hub and specialist merchant.
BinTwo’s owner Mike Boyne said: “I’m stunned, winning this award was completely unexpected.
“It’s surreal to think we are up with some of the big boys in the industry. I’ve always been in awe of what they do, and in comparison I’ve always felt it must look like we spend our time messing about.
“Speaking with some of the panel, they like our sense of play, that we’re always taking on projects and trying something new. For example, we’ve already made our own gin and worked with winemakers to produce our ‘Jammy Git’ wine brand.
“We’re currently working with a local winemaker to produce something I don’t think has been made in Cornwall before. This will be on sale at the shop from spring 2020, and if all goes well we have ideas for what I think would be the smallest winery in the country.”
