Jonathan Ray Jonathan Ray

There’s only one way to break sober October

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issue 07 October 2023

So how’s your sober October going? No, nor mine. I ticked two consecutive days off the calendar, which is more than I’ve managed since, gosh, January. Baby steps, I know, but it’s bloody difficult. Mrs Ray is not helping. One minute she’s chiding me for being a lush with no self-control; the next she’s hovering around with a corkscrew muttering about what a dry old ship it is and asking what a girl must do to get a drink round here. It’s fair to say that tempers have been a trifle frayed.

We perked up immensely, though, when we came to taste the wines for this offer courtesy of Field & Fawcett of Grimston Bar, York, both agreeing that we should start with a clean slate and spit on the inside. Hurrah!

F & F – run by Peter and Cathryn Fawcett – are new to these pages and, on this evidence, are worthy winners of the Drinks Retailing Awards 2023 Independent Drinks Retailer of the Year, putting up an admirable selection that took me and Mrs R all evening to reduce, rather unsteadily, to a final six.

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