FOOD + DRINK
insideTHE BUSINESS :
CORKK
BRINGING ENGLISH VINEYARDS TO THE HIGH STREET
CORKK , AN ENGLISH WINE SPECIALIST , HAVE RECENTLY OPENED A BOTTLE SHOP AND WINE BAR IN THE HEART OF CANTERBURY , JUST BY THE CATHEDRAL . THEIR AIM IS SIMPLE , TO CELEBRATE THE EMERGENCE OF HIGH- QUALITY ENGLISH WINE AND SHOWCASE THE WIDE VARIETY OF WINES ENGLAND NOW PRODUCES . ALL WINES ARE SELECTED BY CLIVE BARLOW , MW , WHOSE TASK IS TO CHOOSE FROM THE GROWING NUMBER OF PRODUCERS WHO OFFER WINES OF INTEREST WHICH EXPRESS THE TRUE VARIETAL TYPICITY OR THE VINEYARD CHARACTER , ALLIED TO THE PRODUCERS ’ OWN VIEW ON WINE . HE LOOKS FOR QUALITY , CHARACTER AND VALUE .
At the shop you can buy from a selection of over 100 wines , sample a variety of wines from their enomatic machines or sit down , relax and enjoy a bottle of wine or two with a platter of locally sourced food .
An Interview with Ewa Gent , Corkk ’ s Store Manager and Sommelier
My interest in wine came at a really young age , probably without even knowing it . My dad used to make his own wine when I was a little girl back in Poland . I was always curious by the process , the time and effort he put into it and the joy he got from enjoying a glass . I obviously didn ' t understand what it was about , just that it was really fascinating .
My first major role in wine was as restaurant manager / sommelier at Love ' s Restaurant , Birmingham . Working with Claire Love really opened my eyes to English wine , something at the time I knew very little about , but have continued to watch and enjoy as the English wine industry grows .
When I moved to Kent I started working with Clive , which grew my passion for the industry further . I then took a role as assistant head sommelier at The Pig Hotel in Bridge where I had an opportunity to increase my focus on wines from Kent and the new world .
Working with Jonathan and Clive again at Corkk is great . I love our current selection of English wines with real focus on wines from Kent .
I am excited to be working on a project that will have us here at Corkk work even closer with producers in the area . I want to give people the opportunity to see exactly what Kent and the UK has to offer and to show that the quality level is high and getting higher .
I love sharing my passion with our guests and seeing them enjoying a glass of Kentish wine is just the best !
www . corkk . co . uk
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