Manchester is set to welcome a world-class new drinking destination this month (9th December) on Bridge Street with the launch of Portfolio, the UK’s first dedicated Champagne boutique, bringing together over 250 exceptional Champagnes, rare grower bottles, vintage prestige cuvées and an immersive wine experience.
Portfolio is a concept from Julian Pizer, formerly of Another Hand and Edinburgh Castle and Cameron Foster, founder of Deux Six, who specialises in providing unique and exclusive grower Champagnes to the UK trade. Alongside them sits an expert leadership team: Wayne Baxendale as Food and Beverage Director, bringing with him over 30 years of global wine experience from Michelin-starred restaurants to worldwide cruise ships and international hospitality operations, and Nikolai Kuklenko as General Manager, who previously held a role as Head Sommelier at Mana.
At the heart of the concept is one of the largest and most diverse Champagne collections in the UK, featuring over 250 Champagnes from more than 70 producers, with a focus on the region’s best independent growers, exclusive imports and specially selected big houses.
The menu will feature plenty of accessible bottles and 10 Champagnes available by the glass, with top-class grower Champagne starting from £12.50. As well as well-known names, guests will be able to enjoy rare and highly sought-after cuvées, including Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, Jérôme Prévost, Cédric Bouchard, Larmandier Bernier and Egly Ouriet. There will also be vintage prestige cuvées from Cristal, Philipponnat, Pommery, Jacquesson, Pierre Peters and Bollinger, some dating back to the 1990s. This is Champagne at every level, from everyday enjoyment to once-in-a-lifetime bottles.
The space itself is designed as a fully immersive Champagne environment, featuring a striking Champagne wall of 100 bottles, all available for browsing and retail takeaway, and a wall adorned with photos from the team’s many trips to Champagne. Champagne will be served in exclusive Lehmann glassware imported from Reims, with over 10 different glass styles and a strict no-flutes policy.
An open chef’s pass and sommelier station and bar seating will give guests a front row view of the action, whilst a working Champagne cellar will act as a private dining room, created for rare tastings, winemaker dinners and private dining.
With 25 years plus experience cooking around the world in top Michelin restaurants and most recently leading the kitchens in some of Manchester’s most famous restaurants, Julian Pizer is set to match the calibre of drink within the kitchen.
A bar food offering will launch in December, offering the best Welsh charcuterie, British cheeses and accoutrements, taking inspiration from his time at 3 Hands Deli and using the very best from what he sampled there.
Come February, the restaurant will present a totally different outlook to what people have come to expect from him at Another Hand, bringing a range of fun, relaxed tasting menu style offerings ranging from a few bites over a great bottle to a full dining experience in a stunning open dining room with the best Champagne list in the country to accompany it.
Portfolio aims to bring a new Champagne culture to the UK, activating as a hub for Manchester’s hospitality and wine trade professionals, a destination for tastings, masterclasses and winemaker visits, a collaborative space welcoming Champagne makers and importers from across Europe, and a venue where every producer has been personally met and tasted by the team. Most importantly, however, it is a venue for every drinker, be it a Champagne novice or connoisseur, from someone looking for an affordable glass to those after a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The still wine list will also include expert selections from the team with a specialist focus on northern Italy and America, exploring the staff's expert knowledge in these regions.
Cameron Foster explains: "We want to strip back the snobbery of Champagne and make it a wine for everyone, whether that’s a quick glass after work, a special celebration, or discovering grower Champagne for the first time."
Find out more here.