New Which Wine When bar and shop to open on Wells seafront

Bert Blaize has submitted planning permission to open Norfolk's newest wine shop sitting on the idyllic Wells Quay.

A former young sommelier of the year, Mr Blaize achieved national attention after being commended by GQ and Imbible.

The wine expert from Staffordshire learnt his craft at La Bell Epoque in Manchester before moving to the two Michelin-starred Le Manoir.

In 2020 he worked with Penguin to publish his book 'Which Wine When' before moving to Holt after meeting his fiancé. 

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The shop is set to open in the Chandlery building in the Quay (Image: Google)

Since settling in north Norfolk he opened his online wine merchant and consultancy business, helping set up wine bars and delis and curating restaurants wine lists.

In his latest venture, he is hoping to set up his own shop.

The 35-year-old said: "Having helped open other people's shops I thought it was time to do it myself.

"Wells is absolutely beautiful, it's a perfect location, in such a well-known building."

The new shop is set to open in the former Chandlery building on the Quayside, with Mr Blaize getting the keys just three weeks ago and a refurb underway.

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Mr Blaize has even named in the top 50 most influential people in the wine industry by Drinks Business. (Image: Bert Blaize)

The shop will be home to a selection of curated specialist wines, with a selection from regional produce such as Flint, based near Bungay.

The shop will offer a £10 corkage fee so anyone can drink one of the wines in the shop enjoying the views over the coast.

He added: "I'm doing this for myself too. I want a space to be able to enjoy a nice glass looking onto the sea in such a beautiful place."

Mr Blaize is planning on opening the shop this summer with a pop-up style and the hopes of becoming more established depending on its success.