Dear Jim,

 

I am the ex-manager of Oddbins Westminster.

I have just got this email from Simon, which I consider an ultimate insult from the person that is responsible for the demise of our company.

I have not found back a job in the wine industry yet, and the market doesn’t look very good for ex-oddbins employees. I hold him personally responsible for the financial difficulty I am in (and I really am…) and cannot believe the cheek of it.

 

Anyway, I thought you might want to publish this, if you do, feel free to include my name.

 

Yours sincerely,

Gwenole Quiel

From: Simon Baile [mailto:simon@excellar.co.uk]
Sent: 10 June 2011 18:55
To: gwenquiel@
Subject: Ex Cellar 35% Off Wine Voucher

"In quick time they were at the wine-pipe; for a moment the new hands seemed at a loss for the means of getting the wine to their mouths; but the "wide-a-awake" boy sliped (sic) off one of his shoes in a twin­kling, dipped it into the cask and drank. "Drink, you devils, drink!" he said; "its all one how much you drink, only don't get drunk!" And again he filled his shoe, and again he drank. The previous debauch in con­nexion with the new, soon tum­bled him on the ground; and he lay there gradu­ally sinking into stupidity; but, as he took his leave of conscious­ness, he admon­ished the others to take care of themselves; to take as much as they could rightly carry; but not to get drunk, saying, as he sunk lower and lower him­self, "Fill your boots, boys-fill your boots! Give me one small drop in a shoe to make me well again, for I'm- I'm-." Alas, poor hu­manity! There lay in the deep­est degradation, as good a fight­ing soldier, and, when he could not get drink, as cleanly and ac­tive a fellow as ever the English army pos­sessed."

* Terms and conditions apply: purchases must be made by people over 18 - offer is subject to availability - a valid email address is required - offer only applies to wine - no further discounts - other discounts & deals do not apply

Interesting discussion on Tom Cannavan's Wine Pages' Wine Forum over whether the sending of these emails has contravened the Data Protection Act.

 

Around 4pm today Simon Baile (Ex-Cellar Ltd) concluded a deal with Deloitte to take over 6/7 shops. One of them is believed to be Farringdon – apparently also Canonbury, if anon's comment in previous post is correct. Am hoping to have further details later. Baile will now to have to negotiate with the landlords of the shops concerned to take on the leases.

More details when I have them.

Oddbins branch@3007/308 High Holborn, London WC1

When staff turned up at 9am this morning they found that their landlord's bailiffs had taken control of this Oddbins and padlocked the door. Given that Oddbins applied to go into administration on Friday and is awaiting a vote this coming Thursday on the proposed CVA, the landlord may have acted hastily and jumped the gun. Anyway some six hours later the shop was open again, although it is clear that they are struggling with a lack of stock. The shop, however, looks better stocked than the Dulwich Village branch.

Oops! Companies House issued a First Gazette against Ex Cellar Ltd for failing to file documents on time. The necessary documents were duly filed and the company dissolution notice withdrawn. Ex Cellar Ltd is the company that owns the four Ex Cellar wine merchant branches and is a separate company from Ex Cellars Investments Ltd.

Good post from Château Bauduc in Bordeaux about their neighbour's hit for £120,000 in the Oddbins debacle.