As the sun sets on another British summer, as gardens try to hide themselves under carpets of leaves and squirrels, satisfied that their larders are sufficiently well stocked, bid each other good night and curl up for the winter, we must turn our thoughts to things festive. Here at Connolly’s that can mean only one thing….ridiculously long hours spent sourcing, packing and distributing many thousands of bespoke Christmas gifts for customers who are not prepared to accept an “off the shelf” solution to their gift requirements.
Our cellars underneath Birmingham’s railway arches resemble a cross between Santa’s North Pole hideaway and an episode of Peaky Blinders as our team of dedicated packers fling themselves enthusiastically into their task whilst discussing the misfortunes of Birmingham City in fluent Brummie. Into gift boxes and hampers go a whole array of goodies – wines from all corners of the globe, spirits aplenty with whiskies, gins, vodkas, cognacs and more, Normandy Ciders and English Ales and a veritable delicatessen of foodie delicacies; chocolates, patés, jams and cakes, pesto, pasta and plum pudding the list is endless. And at the end of the day, as they turn to go home the smiles on the faces of our gallant team are a joy to behold as they gaze upon the mountains of shiny cartons, gift wrapped wooden boxes and wicker hampers that their labours have produced.
So, to summarise……………….
You really should have been there………………
There are tastings and then there are tastings and last month we served up the most phenomenal Italian Masterclass in the company of Michael Palij, Master of Wine, who steered us through some of his most recent discoveries (notably a Sardinian quartet which provided all the evidence you need of the revolution taking place in the island’s vineyards and cellars).