About us

With the legacy from his father’s will Denis Byrne bought a share in Mr Thistlethaite’s business and on his marriage to Janet be borrowed sufficient funds from his mother to buy out Mr Thislethwaite completely so that until the First World War Denis Byrne supplied most of the local population with groceries, animal foods and a few wines and spirits.

The business passed down from Denis to his son George, then to grandson Michael and now to great grandsons Andrew, Philip and Tim. Over a period, groceries and animal foods were discontinued in favour of the family’s true love wine and spirits. With this genuine love of the business as it now is and ever-increasing family involvement, staffing the shop has never been a problem but the premises at Victoria Buildings have hardly altered at all since they were built in 1879. We still have, to our customers delight, scrubbed floorboards, huge oak counters, huge shelves from floor to ceiling (most can only be reached by ladder) and the original brass, hand wound till. It is a warren of cellars, nooks and crannies all stacked with an unbelievable selection of wines and spirits from all over the world. A visit to D. Byrne & Co., is indeed a rewarding experience on a number of counts, just to see the vast array of bottles and casks is an experience in itself but our prices are pruned severely representing further rewards in the form of unbeatable value!

We are understandably proud of the awards that have come our way over the years. In 1991 and again in 1993 we were acclaimed “Best Independent Wine Merchant in Britain” by the Which? Wine Magazine and for nine consecutive years the same magazine voted D Byrne & Co.,” Northern Wine Merchant of the Year”. Neither have we escaped the notice of television and “Vintner’s Tales” was extremely complimentary, praising in particular, the quality of our product and the low pricing of it! The icing on the cake though was when in our 125th year we were voted “Best Small Independent Wine Merchant” in the International Wine Challenge.

We have crucial contacts worldwide resulting in over 300 Scottish malt whiskies and some serious bargain offers in our Malt of The Month Promotions. We also cover Irish whisky and Bourbon in great depth and we stock an incredible 30 varieties of Vodka. A huge range of Port wines is stocked with all major shippers being represented in around 100 bins. We take the time to talk to the customer and explain the styles and value available. These include 150 beers from around the world, 90 varieties of sherry and an unusual selection of teas and coffees.

So we continue to strive as a true family based business to keep pace with the ever changing product availability from all four corners of the world and whether it be a young family member just working on a Saturday morning or one of the permanent staff, you are guaranteed a warm welcome and expert guidance in the search for your ideal beverage. As The Observer reflected, “If ever there was a wine shop, created by wine lovers for wine lovers, this is it.”

We look forward to your visit.