The people @ execellars

If Andy wasn't running this business, he would be his own best customer (in fact, he strives to be his own best customer anyway). Andy simply loves wine, tasting it, sharing it, talking about it, learning about it, drinking it, buying it, and yes, why not, selling it, and in the process sharing his passions and enthusiasms with you.

He was virtually weaned on the stuff. His earliest holiday jobs from the tender age of 14 were with wine merchants, and he joined the famous Fortum & Mason fine wine department straight out of school. This led to various important (and hugely enjoyable) sales and marketing roles with multinational wines and spirits companies and eventually to the creation of Topsham Wines. This popular independent wine shop in the pretty estuary town outside of Exeter was noted for its eclectic and intelligent selection of wines, as recognised by the fact that Andy was nominated for the national award of "Pol Roger Young Wine Merchant of the Year" in 1989.

After some ten years, he sold the business, and whilst in ‘enforced exile’ concentrated on Event Management and other activities within the hospitality industry. This gave him the opportunity to once more become a normal customer(!), observing trends; watching how new wine regions emerged from utter obscurity to the world stage; tasting, drinking, and noting how wine became ever more important in our daily lives. It was this fresh perspective that provided the inspiration for the launch of execellars in 2002.

In 2007 Angie joined execellars, Angie sorts out the website, wine list design, Andy's diary, assorted paperwork and tries to keep it all up to date. She is valiantly trying to taste her way through the list.

You may also have met Jamie our driver or as some of you know him our 'Bit of Posh' or possibly Andy's apprentice. As for wine I know Jamie likes a bit of Fizz...