Thu 21 / 01 / 16
Interview with Henry Butler of Butler's Wine Cellar
We caught up with Henry Butler of Butler's Wine Cellar, our joint sponsors of the January and February Chamber breakfasts with Bonett's Estate & Lettings Agents, ahead of the January breakfast.
Tell us a bit about what you do
We are an independent wine merchant, which doesn't mean we are more expensive than other people, and intimidating. It means we hopefully know what we are doing, and provide great value wines at all prices! We have been operating for over 35 years, we specialise in finding delicious wines and hopefully make the subject matter fun.
What is your ‘wine of the moment’?
We have just completed a stock take, which is the worst job in the world, but highlights to our team how many fantastic wines we have in stock at the moment. English sparkling wines will continue to thrive for us this year, which will be enhanced by Brighton hosting the International Cool Climate Symposium. We also love Portuguese wines, there are some very interesting, well made wines, which work really well with food.
What sets Butler’s apart from other wine merchants?
We've always been a bit different to everyone else, not by choice. It would be much easier for us to sell mainstream wines, but that's not what excites us. We have a massive range of wines from £5.99, over 2000 different lines in fact, wines nobody else has in the uK, and we make the whole thing fun, well hopefully we do.
What’s great about wine tasting events – why should someone go to one?
They should come to one of our events, to learn something (this relies on the attendee balancing consumption with information retention). Wine is a social lubricant, so it is fun, people who are into wine are generally good people. We can help you find wines to suit your taste, and hopefully enable you to have more pleasurable experiences. Something like that anyway. If you think you don't know anything about wine, then definitely come, and definitely don't say "I can't come because I don't know anything"!!
Why did you decide to team up with Bonett’s to sponsor the Brighton Chamber breakfasts in January and February?
Because I would otherwise be doing admin and wondering when our customers are going to stop dry January. We've worked with Bonett's for over 20 yrs, if Bonett says it's a good idea, we all muck in. Bonett is one of my oldest friends and customers, so if nothing else we get to have an hour out of work and a nice breakfast.
What’s great about doing business in Brighton?
I was born here, and have always lived here, and love it. We are fundamentally retail but we don't view it as this. We are a business in a community, and our business allows us to get involved in many levels of the business, allowing us to meet many fine people. We are all in it together! Having Butlers has allowed us to straddle many layers of the City we live in, where this is education, commerce, or supporting local charities.
What do you like about being part of Brighton Chamber?
It is very proactive, it provides a wide choice of events, and it is up to us to make the most of it.
Any great wine tips?
- Most importantly, stop worrying, have an open mind, have a good time with it.
- Find a retail outlet you trust, chat to the staff and build a relationship. It sometimes takes time to work out what you like.
- If you buy six bottles always include something you have never tried before.
- If matching wine and food, start by deciding if the food or wine is the most importat, then chose the other to play a supporting role. ie if you want a very fine wine to thrive, serve simple but good quality food without complicated, strong sauces.
- Buy decent Californian wines, our Brighton audience seems to be against them, they have some of the strictest green credentials around, and we happen to have one of the best ranges in town!
Our monthly breakfasts are held Carluccio's and draw in a wide range of businesses from Brighton and beyond. With lots of opportunities for networking, and a thought-provoking business speaker, it's a great start to the day! Listen to previous podcasts here, and book now for 26 February.
Get in touch with Butler's here, or email Henry at henry@butlers-winecellar.co.uk.
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If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk