'Upmarket' alcohol shop set for Newbury

Inn at Home to move into former Kitchenmonger store on Bartholomew Street

A NEW upmarket store selling fine wines, spirits and beers is set to open in Bartholomew Street, Newbury, this summer.

New company Inn at Home Ltd, which was formed in October 2014, wants to open its very first shop of the same name in the building previously occupied by Kitchenmonger.

West Berkshire Council has this week approved the alcohol licence and a full planning application is expected to be submitted in the coming weeks.

If permission is granted, the new store is expected to open in July.

The shop which will open from 9am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 6pm on a Sunday, is promising to stock wines and beers that you “can’t find in a supermarket.”

It also says it will give shoppers the opportunity to chat about, taste and explore traditional favourites and new brews before purchasing and help customers chose the right drinks for a particular occasion, offer advice on serving and provide guidance on food pairings.

The idea for the store came from Hampshire resident David Marklew and his friend Simon Douglas over a pint of ale.

Mr Marklew, who lives in Longparish, said: “We sat there thinking, wouldn’t it be nice to have a shop that sells beer.

“We’ve spent the last two years thinking about it, writing a business plan, checking the product range and discussing the best place to open.

“Newbury is a vibrant place which really seems to be on the up at the moment, particularly with the new shopping centre at Parkway.

“It is in a great place and it has a good positive feel about it.

“The whole town has a lot going on and that really excites us. I don’t live far from Newbury and I regularly visit.”

Mr Marklew has a wealth of retail experience having previously held senior roles with HMV, Virgin and TK Maxx.