NEWS: In Vino Pecunia

MARK McLAUGHLIN
Evening News (Edinburgh)
May 31, 2010, Monday

Former managers take over stores from collapsed firm

A GROUP of redundant off-licence managers are going it alone with a new independent drinks chain.

Their new Vino stores will fill the void left by the collapse of First Quench, which saw 1,200 branches of Wine Rack, Threshers, Victoria Wine and The Local close down nationwide at the end of last year, including around 45 locally.

As managers of some the chain's most successful branches they were able to analyse old First Quench sales data and pick the most successful stores.

The first new Vino stores are expected to open on Broughton Street and Grange Loan next week, with a third branch on Comiston Road due a few weeks later.

If the first three branches prove successful the team will then look to expand their chain throughout the city.

The venture is the brainchild of former Grange Loan and Marchmont Wine Rack manager Andrew Lundy, 31.

Mr Lundy, who lives in Mayfield, had been working for First Quench for eight years.

He said: "I saw that the writing was on the wall for First Quench, but I had already been thinking about setting up my own off licence business.

"I was going through area manager training at the time so I had access to the area sales figures, and knew where all the good and bad shops were.

"It's been a long six months but we're now just waiting for the licences to come through, and we should hopefully open up by the end of next week.

"It's incredibly exciting, and we're really confident we can make it work. We're starting with eight staff initially with a combined 60 years of experience in the drinks industry."

The new chain will be lifeline to former managers such as Broughton Street manager Ciaran Moen, 31. He said: "First Quench collapsed on 29 October and I was out of a job on 16 December. It was lucky I had another job in a bar or it would have been a lean Christmas.

"Broughton Street was the biggest-selling branch in Scotland, and I'm looking forward to getting it going again.

"We've already had loads of people coming in and asking when we're going to open as we've been putting the displays up."

Mr Lundy said not being part of a national chain meant they would be able to stock more locally sourced products.

He added: "We've already got deals in place with Innes and Gunn, Inveralmond and Atlas breweries, and I'm a big whisky fan so we'll be stocking plenty of local brands.

"Although we won't be going down the three-for-two route, if we can buy in bulk we can still offer some fantastic deals.

"Most of those supermarket deals are a con anyway as they price up the ticket in order to sell at a 'discount', but my policy will be to stay honest to the customer and only sell alcohol for the price it's worth."