I have bought some bottles on-line recently as most of the old off-licences seem to have disappeared, so I’m really pleased to have found Ampthill’s branch of Cambridge Wine Merchants who have an impressive array of whisky stacked on their shelves.
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| Cambridge Wine Merchants in Ampthill |
They
currently have something in the region of 90 different malts in stock and have
plans to increase their range. The stock is always changing, but they probably
have the best range of malts in Bedfordshire. In addition to stocking distillery
bottlings they have a good selection of Signatory bottlings and even have their
own bottling. When I visited the had just taken delivery of some new additions;
Spring Bank CV and 10 Year Old as well as many Signatory editions -
Fettercairn 1996, Highland Park 1991, Ben Nevis 1993, Auchentoshan 1997.
There was also the full Glenmorangie range on display.
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| The wall of whisky in Ampthill |
The shop is owned by Chris Woodhall who has an expert team around him, who he enthusiastically introduced me to. They are all WSET qualified with loads of wine industry experience:
Jordan has more years in
the wine industry than he cares to remember and started out in Oddbins in the
good old days, when there were only a handful of shops. He went on to open many
of their most successful shops including Milton Keynes and top London stores.
Needless to say, his wine and spirits knowledge is second to none. Champagne is his favourite tipple and he’s been
lucky enough to visit some of the top houses in France.
Eze is the newest member of the team and originally from Argentina but now lives in Ampthill with his English
wife, Vicky. All the staff here are WSET educated and Eze has passed his
Advanced exam as well as having a degree in food technology. Before starting
work at the shop Eze worked for the IWC (International Wine Challenge) and did
some mystery shopping. Once he even ‘mystery shopped’ Cambridge Wine Merchants!
Jane, who when she’s not working at the shop, project manages the local Vineyard at Old Warden with BRCC and Shuttleworth
College. They produced their first vintage in 2010 and they regularly sell out in
the shop. She loves wine and regularly holidays in the wine regions of France
and has visited many vineyards there as well as touring around Scottish
distilleries in an attempt to find her perfect Whisky.
Nick used to own the wine Merchants on Dunstable Street, Ampthill until he
sold the business in 1993. He has maintained a keen interest in wine and is
very knowledgeable indeed. Italy is his specialist subject and if he’s working
in the shop expect to be pointed in that direction.
Chris,
the owner, has always had an interest in wine and has visited many wine regions
around the world in France, Australia, New Zealand and very recently South
Africa. He approached Cambridge Wine Merchants in 2009 to ask if they'd be
interested in opening a shop in Ampthill - the rest, as they say, is history.
After many months planning and doing Wine & Spirits Trust exams to advanced
level, they opened to immediate success. Chris says “I really enjoy working in the
shop and meeting the people of Ampthill and the surrounding area. Nothing
pleases me more than introducing someone to a new wine and seeing the
excitement in their face when they discover they love it.”
They also offer a Wholesale service to pubs and restaurants as well as offering bulk discounts, free glass loan and a generous ‘sale or return’ policy for weddings, parties and other events.
You
can find them at 12 Church Street, Ampthill, Bedfordshire MK45 2EH,
Telephone: 01525 405929 / 0775 274 3513
Email: ampthill@cambridgewine.comI would like to point out that I have no connections with Cambridge Wine Merchants, other than being a paying customer. I have not asked for nor have received any payment for writing this blog post. I have written it because I support local businesses where justified, I love having this shop on my doorstep, and I want them to maintain a great whisky selection as I'm not a huge wine drinker!
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