Member Article

Firth & Co help to banish those post-Brexit blues

Leading Yorkshire wine merchants Firth & Co have hosted a prestigious dinner at the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass near Driffield with one of France’s finest wine producers.

Andrew Firth, of the Northallerton-based wine merchants, teamed up with Samuel Guibert, the owner of the world famous Mas de Gassac wine estate in Languedoc, to present a six-course extravaganza of quality food and wine.

“It was an honour and a privilege to welcome Samuel to Yorkshire. His superb wines are widely and justifiably regarded as amongst the finest in France and the combination of those wines, and the stunning food at the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass, was irresistible.

“The relationship between the Mas de Gassac estate, Firth & Co and the Pipe and Glass is getting stronger all the time and it’s a relationship of which we are very proud. It’s reassuring that, despite and the doom and gloom of Brexit, that the English and French have lots in common, especially a love of good food and wine.”

Samuel Guibert explained: “We started working with Firth & Co about four years ago when Andrew contacted us in order to craft a special blend for the Pipe and Glass. We worked on the project for six to eight months, before shipping the first order in early 2014.

“It has been a very positive partnership and enjoyable relationship with both Andrew and The Pipe. For this reason I accepted, when I was asked, to come and host a Mas de Daumas Gassac event.

“We hope to strengthen the partnership between Gassac and Firth/The Pipe and also increase the awareness and knowledge of our Mas de Daumas Gassac Grand crus wines amongst the Pipe’s customers.

James Mackenzie, the owner and head chef at the Pipe and Glass explained: “My wife Kate and I have known Andrew since we opened the Pipe and Glass. He has been a great supporter of us and our business. We have used Firth & Co because Andrew has a real passion for independent producers and he delivers a personal service to his customers, ensuring true care and attention which fits with our business ethos.

“This wine dinner was be our second collaboration with the Mas de Gassac wine estate, who are one of the best wine producers in France and it’s great to be able to showcase their wines everyday with our trio of Pipe and Glass house wines. The dinner was a fantastic opportunity to showcase a selection of the estates premium wines to our customers”.

Meanwhile Firth & Co, who are expanding, have moved from Bedale to bespoke offices and a warehouse at Lowfield Farm, Ainderby Steeple.

“Our move to these ideal new premises is an endorsement of the steady progress we have made since Firth & Co was founded eight years ago. Apart from the self-contained office space, we have a reception area, where we can hold wine tastings, and a 1,000 sq ft warehouse to store our wines.

“We have established a strong reputation for being a niche supplier of excellent European wines at competitive prices. We pride ourselves on a swift and personal service and are proud of the fact that we supply some of the very best hotels and restaurants in Yorkshire and the North East.

“These include the Star Inn The City in York, owned and run by Michelin-starred chef and long-term customer Andrew Pern; the Pipe and Glass near Beverley, also Michelin-starred; the Blue Lion in East Witton; the Pheasant Inn, near Helmsley; The Bay Horse, Hurworth, near Darlington, The Golden Lion, Osmotherley; 1884 Dock Street Kitchen, Hull; and the White Horse and Griffin in Whitby.

“We also run a very successful bespoke private customer service, providing wines for clients across Yorkshire and the North East. Our new premises will enable us to provide an ever better service, with a wider selection of quality wines, predominantly from Europe, but also from the new world, too,” he added.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .