| Leading wine merchants Best Cellars celebrates | | | | the same quality wines as the popular high street |
| 20 years of success on the 1st November 2009. | | | | stores, with each and every wine having been |
| Husband and wife team Jonathan and Emma | | | | tasted by both Jonathan and Emma personally. |
| Richards started their wine business with the | | | | The commitment to value was reflected in the |
| opening of their first high street store in | | | | online business just as it was on the high street, |
| Ashburton, Devon back in 1989. Since then, the | | | | with a choice of differing price levels and regular |
| business has gone from strength to strength, with | | | | special offers. Similarly, Best Cellars retained their |
| the past two decades seeing Best Cellars | | | | focus on customer service with the online arm. |
| progress from the local to the world stage thanks | | | | The easy-to-navigate online wine shop features |
| to Bestcellars.co.uk, the successful online arm of | | | | full and detailed descriptions of all of the wines, |
| the business. | | | | making selecting the right wine simple in a matter |
| Twenty years ago, Jonathan and Emma sought | | | | of clicks. The company also sought to be as |
| to turn their mutual passion for fantastic wine into | | | | flexible as possible in offering the ability to order |
| a profitable family business based on quality, | | | | wine online. Customers can order any number of |
| expertise and outstanding customer service. The | | | | bottles, from single bottles upwards; purchase |
| first high street store in Ashburton in Devon saw | | | | mixed cases of wine, including fantastic choices of |
| Jonathan’s 20 years of experience in the | | | | Christmas wine; choose from some excellent wine |
| drinks industry prior to starting the company put | | | | gifts online; get wine delivered the next day; or |
| to excellent use: creating a stock list of only the | | | | send wine by post with ease. Best Cellars are |
| finest wines and Champagnes to suit all budgets | | | | understandably proud of an excellent security |
| and palates. The couple’s hands-on approach | | | | record for online ordering, but are also happy to |
| to the every-day running of the business meant | | | | take orders by telephone. |
| that customers could regularly draw on their | | | | In the competitive world of wine retailing, Best |
| friendly and expert advice. A dual commitment to | | | | Cellars have managed a level of longevity and |
| value and customer service solidified the | | | | success that any big brand would be proud to |
| business’s success, which led to the opening | | | | boast. Perhaps the reason behind the success of |
| of their second high street shop only one year | | | | the past 20 years is Best Cellars’ ability to |
| later, in Chagford, Devon. | | | | retain a local approach to hands-on customer |
| The natural next step for this family business was | | | | service while extending the business from high |
| to mirror the success of their high street wine | | | | street to online retailer. Customers get all of the |
| shops online. In 1999 they launched | | | | value and convenience of a national online store, |
| Bestcellars.co.uk, a website that was fully | | | | with the friendly and personal service of a local |
| e-commerce enabled from day one, offering both | | | | high street shop. With a successful combination |
| regular customers and new customers alike the | | | | such as this, the next 20 years bode just as well |
| opportunity to buy wine online. From the date of | | | | for Best Cellars. |
| its launch, the online wine shop was stocked with | | | | |