The New Zealand Cellar is launching an exciting crowdfunding project to raise funds for its first retail shop. Director Melanie Brown is looking for £35,000 to be part of a one-off retail, events and office opportunity in Brixton, London and has only two weeks to raise the money. The New Zealand Cellar will then have only another fortnight to transform what is essentially a shell into a captivating retail space. Quite the challenge!
The premium online wine company is raising the money on crowdfunding website Kickstarter, which offers ‘rewards’ for pledges. People can donate however much they choose and The New Zealand Cellar is offering eight tiers of rewards for pledges starting from £10 up to £1000+. These rewards include tickets to the launch party of the retail space, limited-edition New Zealand winery prints, Riedel tasting glasses and private wine events with Melanie and her team.
Accompanying the Kickstarter campaign is a short video about the project with some passionate support from heavyweights of the wine trade and beyond in New Zealand and the UK. These include Sean Fitzpatrick, former All Black; Bob Campbell MW, wine writer and educator; Jamie Goode, wine journalist and NZ wine specialist; Matthew Jukes, wine buyer, judge and journalist; Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier; Peter Gordon, Executive Chef at The Providores and Tapa Room and The Sugar Club; Peter McCombie MW, wine journalist and educator; Roger Jones, Michelin Starred chef and wine writer; Tania Bearsley, President of the New Zealand Society UK; as well as New Zealand wine producers. The company is embarking on an exhaustive Social Media campaign and hopes this video will be shared far and wide.
The £35,000 asked for is the minimum amount required for The New Zealand Cellar to build, design and fit their first outlet, from everything from shelves and light fittings to new systems and training. The walls will be lined with their full range of New Zealand’s finest wines, to be available seven days a week. Customers can also taste and buy by the glass or carafe any of the 12 wines being served that day to enjoy at the site. The late licence and event space within the development also offer endless tasting and event opportunities which Melanie plans to extend to travelling winemakers when they visit London.
The reason for the transition from online-only to physical retail space is simple, according to Melanie: to engage, promote and educate customers about New Zealand wine in the UK; to support producers by celebrating New Zealand wine face-to-face with customers.
“We want to create a retail space here that the New Zealand wine industry would be proud of,” she says. “By pledging to support us in becoming London’s first New Zealand wine retail outlet people will be helping to grow the reputation of premium New Zealand wine in the UK and giving it the recognition it deserves. If we can change the perception of just a small group of consumers each week and educate them to spend a few extra
pounds on fine NZ wine, our goals will be achieved.”
http://thenewzealandcellar.co.uk/
ABOUT THE NEW ZEALAND CELLAR
The New Zealand Cellar is an online store offering outstanding New Zealand wines to customers in the UK and Europe. The company opened in June 2014 and is celebrated for embracing the very best wines from the country’s finest vineyards. Offering 200 wines from 72 producers, it focuses on boutique wineries and small producers and offers the most diverse wine platform of its kind in the UK. Founded by wine expert Melanie Brown, her passion, palate and knowledge of the most interesting and rare New Zealand wines is second to none. Melanie was the lead developer of the renowned wine list at London’s The Providores and Tapa Room restaurant, helping it to achieve the largest premium list of New Zealand wines in Europe.
For information and imagery contact Melanie Brown at melanie@thenzcellar.co.uk
Twitter: @NZcellar
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thenewzealandcellar
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nzwineuk