A NEW wine shop has opened up in the city centre this week. 

Bottles Wine Shop and Merchants has moved into a unit in Reindeer Court, filling one of many empty units in the shopping centre. 

Richard Everton, who also owns Bottles wine bar just around the corner on New Street, says his new shop has already attracted plenty of customers. 

He said: "It has gone really really well. We have been offering wine tasting sessions in the evenings and opened to customers on Thursday. The response has been absolutely fantastic. Really positive. 

"People have been so complimentary and seemed surprised by just how many wines we stock. We have 600 bottles on display as well as accessories such as decanters and ice buckets. Worcester really needed a proper old fashioned wine supplier in the city centre. I think this will do great things for footfall in the city."

Mr Everton has bought two units in Reindeer Court which has seen an upturn in businesses occupying units in the last couple of months, after we reported earlier in the year some independent stores had left citing high rents.

He said: "We plan to open up the first floor of the wine shop for customers to have personal private tastings in groups of up to 20. We will serve cheese and meats and talk through the wine pairings with them, it should make for a fun thing to do on a sleepy afternoon. 

"I have also bought a second unit which we will be using as a food hall and delicatessen, I think there is a real gap in the market for quality artisan food in the city centre. We are taking things back to our roots as a family business that has been trading in wine and food for over 100 years, first starting in Ombersley. 

"We are really happy with what we are building here. Reindeer Court has a lovely feel to it already and our plans will only build on that."