VETERAN Glasgow restaurateur Alan Tomkins has sparked huge interest from an online wine delivery service his family business has relaunched in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Mr Tomkins, whose portfolio includes Urban Bar& Brasserie, Vroni’s Wine Bar and Blue Dog, reactivated the operation after closing his venues under government measures to halt the spread of Covid-19.
The operator originally launched wineorama.com in 1999 at the height of the dot.com boom. In recent years focus on the operation has lessened as Mr Tomkins prioritised his venues.
Now fully relaunched, the business has already sparked considerable interest, with more than 100 orders received in the first two days. The first deliveries began yesterday and its initial focus will be on Glasgow and the west of Scotland, with hopes to reach more of the country in the long term.
Customers so far include long-standing customers of Mr Tomkins’ outlets. But the bar and restaurant group, which trades as our venues, sees an opportunity to highlight the service on social media, given how much time people are spending online during the lockdown.
Emma MacSween, who heads the operation, said: “We saw an opportunity to relaunch an old business in a new environment. We pulled a website together in about three days, gathered up as much stock as we could and hit go. It’s been a really busy last 48 hours. Today’s our first day out delivering, which is exciting. It’s been constant, it’s been great.”
In the short term, deliveries will made just two days a week, with customers able to select from a 50-strong wine list, based on bottles which have proved to be popular in the venues. If demand dictates, the company will look to expand the service. Ms MacSween, who is Mr Tomkins’ daughter, said family members only are running the operation at this stage. Strict social distancing measures are being followed to protect staff and consumers. Ms MacSween said: “It’s all in the back of the car at the moment, there are going to be multiple runs. But I’m hoping we will advance into a more sophisticated courier system.”
The wines are sourced from Inverarity Morton. Despite suspending trading, all staff at ourvenues have been retained and placed on furlough.
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