Despite the Coronavirus pandemic and numerous lockdowns, a little wine shop was opened in Bridport.

Morrish and Banham arrived in South Street in November 2020, just at the start of another lockdown. Luckily, wine merchants were able to stay open.

Mark Banham started Morrish and Banham with his wife, Caroline Morrish, in 2015 in Brewery Square, Dorchester.

"We were really taking all the experience I had accrued over the many years I have been in the wine trade," Mark said, "I started as a 15-year-old work experience school boy in Essex and have been in the wine trade all my working life.

"We managed to attract customers with our blend of knowledge and experience and, hopefully, our really down to earth advice. I think that's why people come to us because we know a lot about our wines but we don't want to preach to people about them; we want to show people the same things we see in them. Our ultimate job is to match the right wine with the right person for the right occasion.

"We don't sell the wines we want to sell; we sell the wines that people want from us - it's really listening to your customer."

They then developed the wholesales side, as well as an online business, which helped immensely during the pandemic. Alongside sales, Morrish and Banham plays host to tasting events, designing the shops to accommodate people for these and having the wines on display around the room.

Then Mark and Caroline met Alasdair Warren, owner of the Electric Palace and Electric Pub Company, and he asked Mark if he would like to be involved in the ventures and Morrish and Banham joined the fold in April 2020.

Mark added: "We were then in lockdown but we have been working in that time and opened the second shop [in Bridport], and we've been working with the pubs in that time as well - it's been a really busy time for us."

Mark said it has been "wonderful" since opening the shop in South Street - where he first lived when moving to Bridport.

"It's been great to find lots of old customers and also it's great to welcome lots of new customers too… we have something for everyone.

"I am particularly really proud of our house wines. We spent more time getting those right than anything else because if your house wines - your most modestly priced wines - are fantastic, then it gives the customer great confidence and it gives me more pride and enjoyment from something like that, something that is super-duper for not much money; that's what really makes me happy.

"We are really looking forward to really getting started, we very much want to take our place in the community, look after our existing customers, meet new customers and really grow the Morrish and Banham business in Bridport."

Pop in and see Mateo and Mark in the Bridport shop next to the Electric Palace.

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