Morrisons' wine buyer to open Leeds bar
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 14 August 2012 14:41
- Written by Gemma McKenna
A Morrisons' wine buyer is set to open a new upmarket wine bar in Leeds later this week, alongside her technology entrepreneur business partner.
The new business Cuvée Leeds, located alongside the canal at Granary Wharf, will offer wines, Champagnes, spirits and cocktails.
Technology entrepreneur and director of web design and marketing firm JG1 David Jenkins, and his partner Melissa Yorke, wine and Champagne buyer at supermarket Morrisons are behind the bar.
Cuvée Leeds will offer a large selection of fine wines and Champagne and use a range of wine storage and preservation systems. It will also have touch pad menus to allow customers to choose their wines by inputting their tastes and preferences and choosing from recommendations.
Both Yorke and Jenkins are already involved in the drinks industry as Jenkins has developed touch screen wine kiosks for two of the big four supermarkets while Yorke, a Cambridge law graduate, worked first for Asda and now for Morrisson’s as wine buyer.
Jenkins said: “We have used our industry expertise to inform the design and culture of the bar, offering a technologically savvy generation a fun and informative way to enjoy great-tasting beverages and as many of our wines will be offered by the glass, we can make fine wine affordable, to be enjoyed in an elegant and relaxed environment.”
The bar will employ 12 staff and front of house will be headed by James Lorimer, formerly of York’s Hotel Du Vin in York.
A spokesman for Morrisons said Yorke has "no plans" to leave her role at the supermarket.
Granary Wharf is is already home to a range of independent food and drink venues including microbrewery the Hop, Brazilian restaurant Fazenda and VINeately.
