Wine and Wallop is on its way

Early this year the License was granted for a new bar in West Didsbury on Lapwing Lane, to be opened in what had remained a deserted video rental store for the previous 12 months.

Owner of Burton Road's 'Folk' cafe bar, Justin Parkinson, saw an opportunity to redevelop a building, which was very much under loved, knowing West Didsbury had a great customer base after over 10 years of trading there. The plan was to take the old shop and develop it into three floors of new and exciting space. The new project is lighter, cleaner and airier than Folk. Having spent over 15 years as an interior designer and builder this will be the culmination of a lifetime of work, spanning venues such as The Lime Tree, The Lead Station and obviously Folk itself.

The new space, aptly named Wine & Wallop, has been transformed through the inspiration of the 1980s wine bar phenomena, which was started by old wine merchants adding a basement bar to their shops with something to nibble on while you sampled their vintages.

As you walk in to the property the interior really makes a statement. Close attention has been paid to detail. Key feature pieces include 300 year old Canadian Pine walling, upcycled lights from old Factories, Blackpool Illuminations and a bar top made out of reclaimed panga-panga flooring. These grab your attention as you explore the building. The first floor has been converted to give a mezzanine and double height ceiling with graceful chandeliers hanging over head. A new staircase has been added to the building and a glossy polished plaster finish can be seen on the walls. A final touch of a wood burner courtesy of local suppliers 'The Stove Room' ensures that the bar is spacious yet remains cosy and inviting.

The feel of the space is industrial meets jaded glamour. From the exterior the front of the building has been revamped and an extension has been added at the back to allow for the extra staircase. A piece of artwork now adorns the gable wall produced by Mark Jermyn from Salford based screen printers one69A, who also used their screen-printing technique on the floor borders.

At the top of the building we find a function room which has been opened up into a 6 meter high vaulted ceiling with a huge disco ball. This had to be brought in through the 2nd floor window. The function room will aim to cater for a number of small events and will have its own bar making it perfect for anything from small parties to community meetings and workshops.

The main bar has space for 13 hand pulled ales; a great venue for beer tastings and small beer festivals. We plan to have many of these as well as wine tastings and food and drink pairing evenings for the public to attend. Wine and beer flights will be available and merchants and brewers will be in attendance to discuss their products and share some of their delightful back stories. We would eventually like to have a club membership available for extra discounts and first refusal invites to such events.

We will not work using the business model seen in many other bars and restaurants with high percentage margins pushing prices shockingly steep and will instead work towards making a smaller cash margin on our wines in order to keep prices affordable and make the interesting varieties we have chosen more accessible. A team of knowledgeable staff will aim to be both informative and informal and will not be looking to outsmart customers with facts and knowledge. An emphasis will be placed on understanding why customers like a particular wine or ale and what similar drinks they may enjoy. Our wines will also be served responsibly in 125ml Glasses which is the best way to make sure you can try a few.

We are hoping to bring additional life to the Lapwing Lane Arcade which has recently been rescued from dilapidation by the hard work of the Friends of Lapwing Lane Arcade (FOLLA).

Our wines will range from far and wide concentrating on exclusive bottles from smaller family run and boutique vineyards. We will stock some of the finest ales and beers across the board taking advantage of the large choice available through the many micro-breweries popping up throughout the North and further afield.

A large stock of wines from around the world will allow us to take the customer on a journey through wine. We hope to liven up some familiar names by sourcing new and exotic twists on well know varieties such a more interesting Pinot Grigio or a white Chateauneuf du Pape, whilst also sharing some new wines we have found on the way such as a pleasantly surprising South African red from the Meerlust Estate.

We won’t just be serving drinks for consumption on the premises. The wines will be available for takeaway as will bottles of beer and we will even have the option of filling a 4 pint flagon at the bar to enjoy at home.

The food offering will be simple but of the highest quality and we will go to great lengths to ensure that we have the best products. We have sourced amazing free roaming Jamon Iberico de Bellota - acorn fed and lovingly cured for 3 years. We will also have cheeses, meats, olive tapenade, smoked mackerel pate and homemade bar snacks including – pork scratchings, pickled eggs and home roast nuts.

To finish off we will have single estate coffee, exotic loose leaf teas and tasty home baked cakes for those who are looking for a mid-morning coffee or a break from the day’s hustle and bustle.

We hope to add to the already vibrant and thriving community providing a place of local interest and adding to the areas heritage along the way - rather than another Costa or Starbucks peppering the high street. The location of the bar is perfect for those who take advantage of the new tram line or get the bus to West Didsbury from the city centre.

We have already built a strong following, taking advantage of Social Media and the trusted ‘Folk’ brand, to spread the word of what is set to be a real West Didsbury treat. We are looking forward to delivering what seems to be a most anticipated new wine bar to the cities suburbs.

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Posted: Wednesday 17th September 2014
ID: 10647 - 1220