A historic wine merchant which dates back to 1842 is toasting its future after gaining expert advice to improve its energy efficiency and reach new customers in its rural setting.
Sheldon’s Wine Cellars was opened as a wine shop in the 19th century by Richard Badger at its current location at New Street in Shipston-on-Stour, and after being passed down through generations of the family and bought by another business, current owner Shane Slater took it over seven years ago.
The original and extensive cellars are now open to the public, with tours taking place once a month at the venue, which stocks wines from every corner of the globe, along with spirits and made-to-order cocktails.
Shane met with Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub Account Manager, Nina Bale, and she referred him to several business support programmes including the Warwickshire Business Energy Advice Service (WBEAS) and Project Warwickshire.
The pilot BEAS programme is being run in the West Midlands through the West Midlands Combined Authority with Warwickshire County Council being allocated £1.25 million, with further funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Project Warwickshire is being delivered by Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Warwickshire County Council to provide a free package of business support to leisure, hospitality and tourism firms.
Shane was visited by Carl Britton from Coventry City Council to carry out an energy audit to help the business reduce its energy bills and received advice through Project Warwickshire about possibly setting up a café.
Shane said: “When we took over my vision was to create a destination wine shop for discerning wine lovers which we have achieved by re-stocking the shop, opening up the cellars and providing quality advice.
“All the members of staff, including our accountant, are accredited through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust which globally recognises that we have the ability to deal with customers in a meaningful way.
“I met with Nina and she helpfully spent some time here to understand our business before giving me some insightful guidance and connecting me to the WBEAS and Project Warwickshire support.
“This is a historic building with very little protection against the elements which means we sometimes go to the cellar to keep warm in the winter!
“Carl helped me understand the energy footprint of the building since the loft insultation is an issue. We need the premises to be at a certain temperature because of the wine and some of the windows are single-glazed. Thanks to Carl, we now know that there are grants available which we haven’t used as yet.
“The advice through Project Warwickshire was brilliant and helped me understand the process of running a hospitality business. We have decided to continue tidying up the space and use it for our occasional events rather than put ourselves under undue risk as a full-time café venture at this stage. The advice and knowledge was invaluable in making the right decisions at this moment in time.
“Our focus is on running monthly tasting events and providing great advice. We take as much pleasure in finding somebody a great bottle of wine for £12 that they haven’t experienced before and loving it as we do selling a bottle for £200 because of the impact it can have.”
Councillor George Finch, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “The Business Growth Warwickshire programme supports Warwickshire’s businesses to access tailored funding and support. It’s great to see how the advice provided has created opportunities for Sheldon’s Wine Cellar to create improvements within their business.”
Nina Bale, Account Manager at Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, said targeted business support is really important however long a company has been in operation.
“Stepping back and looking at the overall picture of a business in the short, medium and long term is really important to help owners select the best options for their company, which is having increasing relevance in the current economic climate,” she said.
“At the Growth Hub we realise the importance of targeted business support to help stimulate growth and resilience and the support we have provided to Shane has also served as a catalyst for wider engagement with the rural business community in Shipston-on-Stour and the surrounding area.”
Warwickshire County Councillor Jo Barker, who also represents the Shipston-on-Stour ward, added: "I am so pleased that Sheldon's has been able to access support via WCC and the Growth Hub. As well as being a County Councillor, I run a business myself, so I know how much any support is worth.
“Shipston is incredibly lucky to have so many great local businesses – working together on events like Celebrating Shipston – where local food and drink suppliers (Turners, Richardson Hills, Taste of the Country and Sheldon's) have got together to put on a showcase of their produce at the Bower House. Cheers Shane et al!"
WBEAS was launched as part of the £4.6 million Business Growth Warwickshire Programme developed and commissioned jointly by Warwickshire County Council and the five district and borough councils in the county, with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the County Council. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is funding an expansion to the service as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority-led pilot.
The Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) is a pilot scheme led by the Mayor of the West Midlands, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ). It is providing businesses across the West Midlands with free energy audits and match funding to cut their energy usage and bills. Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is the lead delivery partner for the Warwickshire area with further funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Coventry City Council has been appointed by WCC to deliver the energy audits.