About Bat & Bottle
Based in Oakham and delivering nationally, Italian wine like you never knew existed.
Shop and Warehouse
Unit 5, 19 Pillings Road
Oakham
Rutland
LE15 6QF
01572 759735
07809 828662
post@batwine.co.uk
Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Manning Unit 5 to cover all hours has proved nigh on impossible with errands to run, producers to visit, wine to taste - so it is worth calling or texting midweek before making the trip, or looking us up on twitter (search: batwine or use http://twitter.com/#search?q=batwine) for frequent updates and our current status.
A Little History
Bat & Bottle was founded in Uppingham, Rutland, in May 1994 by husband and wife partnership, Ben and Emma Robson.
The dream was to buy estate bottled wines of interest and value and sell them alongside cricket bats from the freshly cut boundaries of the beautiful cricket grounds of England …
The cricket bats finally made it to the crease on our Tenth anniversary, whereas the bottles were an instant success.
Our reputation has been earned through the consistent quality of the wines that we have selected over the years alongside the high levels of personal service at which we deliver.
We have developed a taste for wines made by producers who cherish the history and traditions of their hills and valleys. Such individuals make wines with a sense of place and unique character and we make the utmost effort to visit and be in regular touch with these great personalities, for our own pleasure as much as for quality control.
Joined now also by Alex O'Hara, we are uncompromising importers of wine, specialising in Italy which gives us a fantastic array of styles. We buy wines we fall in love with, we de-list wines responsible for hangovers, or if they are not still beautiful the morning after.
We do not buy wines for our customers, we find customers for our wines and though serious when we buy the wine, we try not to be too serious when selling it.
Ben Robson
Ben has always worked in the wine trade, starting at the Sunday Times Wine Club after leaving Bristol Polytechnic and going on to The Rose Tree Wine Company in Cheltenham.
Setting up Bat & Bottle with Emma at the age of 26, Ben is responsible for buying the wine and selling it, designing and writing all of our literature and continues to be chief cook and bottle washer. Ben sneaks off and plays cricket when ever he can get away with it, for amongst others: Staffordshire Gents, Oakham and the Wine Trade Sports Club.
Emma Robson
Emma has a background in administration and management, she makes sure things happen and systems work.
Relocating from Rutland to Staffordshire and getting pregnant in the same week in October 1994, somewhat diminished her thirst for product knowledge and consequently her sales drive, therefore slowing the initial progress of growth of the business.
Her key jobs are: selling wine, translator, pr, personnel, the management of accounts, controlling Ben’s urges to buy wine and being a lush while Ben writes tasting notes.
Alex has joined us
... Sept 2009
After a succesful career as an engineer in the WRNS, Alex O'Hara left to start her family and then chose to start the 21st Century putting her considerable knowledge of alchohol to good use. When she won a Bat and Bottle voucher at a local fundraising quiznight, little was she aware of how much more she had taken on than just a bottle of wine ...
Our Thanks
Our thanks will always be with Helen Allerton and Gill Smith for their longstanding, unswerving loyalty and support.
To Andrew Castell for his relentless and most excellent proof reading.
To Matt Gregory, Pippa Sale and Dick Haszard for their initiative and perseverance; Stuart Williamson and Steve Shaw for offering a steadying hand.
Most of all to Pollyanna and Rosie for living the dream.