A father-of-two who started a wine business in lockdown has branched out to open a second shop in Lavenham to meet demand from a new wave of stay-at-home drinkers.
Will Chaytor has opened L&B Wines next to The Greyhound pub in Lavenham’s High Street, having opened ‘The Wine Box’ in his home village of Boxford back in April.
Mr Chaytor, 50, who used to work in IT, owned the premises in Boxford’s Board Street and over the years had leased it to a shoe company, an antique shop and more recently Box Valley Wines.
The wine shop closed down in April leaving him with an empty shop, so he decided to take it on himself and rename it The Wine Box.
“The Wine Box is going really well and the lockdown has obviously helped,” said Mr Chaytor, who runs the two wine shops with the help of his wife Myalee.
He said people are looking for a greater selection of fine wines than is on offer in most supermarkets, as well as the opportunity to learn a little about what they will be drinking.
“We have had a lot of support and positive feedback from people, so when the retail shop came up in Lavenham I jumped at the chance to open a second shop.”
Mr Chaytor knows Lavenham well and said he was attracted by the “high tourist trade”, with many people visiting what is considered to be Britain’s best preserved medieval village.
“There are always people around,” he said. “It really is a busy village and it is a great opportunity.”
In his shop, Mr Chaytor stocks everything from a £6.95 Italian red or white, to more expensive bottles between £50 and £100, aiming to provide something for everyone.
He offers a selection of wines from around the world, including organic, bio dynamic and natural, along with a variety of local and fine spirits.
He hopes L&B wines will become an “experience” for the community and can provide a service for those not comfortable visiting pubs and bars.
“We will never compete with the big supermarkets,” he said. “But hopefully we will provide a place where people can choose from a nice range in a small shop and have a chat about wine.”
Mr Chaytor said the new opening is scary in the current climate, but knew it was an opportunity he could not miss.
He is excited about the future of the shop – which opens from 11am to 4.30pm every day – and hopes Lavenham will get behind him.
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