WHO LET THE MONSTER
INTO THE CELLAR?

Our wine journey began in 1995.

Back then, there was no Cellar Monster, no website and certainly no Instagram. Just a growing fascination with wine, a desire to learn, and the beginnings of a collection that we hoped would stay with us for many years.

One of our earliest relationships was with Berry Bros. & Rudd, the historic London wine merchant. We were fortunate enough to be looked after by the late Simon Staples — larger than life, wonderfully knowledgeable and always generous with his advice.

Those were very different days. Wine recommendations arrived by telephone and fax, and handwritten notes were perfectly normal. We still have some of them tucked away — little reminders of how our wine journey began.

Over the years, we continued working with Berry Bros. & Rudd and gradually built a cellar of wines we genuinely enjoyed owning. Some were bought to keep. Some were bought because they intrigued us. And quite a few were bought simply because somebody we trusted told us, “You really ought to try this.”

Wine has a funny way of accumulating stories along with bottles.

Then, in 2022, we started sharing more of our collection with friends and people around us. What began casually grew into something rather enjoyable: conversations about what to drink, what to try next, what was worth keeping and what was far better opened over dinner than admired on a shelf.

Somewhere along the way, Cellar Monster was born.

Today, Cellar Monster is our way of sharing that enthusiasm.

We don't believe wine needs to be intimidating, ceremonial or buried beneath a mountain of tasting jargon. A good bottle should ultimately do something very simple: give people pleasure.

So this is our cellar — built gradually over three decades, still evolving, and now rather happily inhabited by a purple monster.