IF you can't come to the pub, the pub will come to you.

That has been the spirit of innovation the hospitality sector has been demonstrating during the Covid-19 restrictions.

And it is how a new cheese and wine tasting experience has come to be.

Former bar owner Carl Peters launched Decent Drop in both a response to less people going out due to the pandemic and the rise of Zoom video chats as a way for friends and family to keep in touch.

Decent Drop’s wine menu comprises six 125ml wine bottles per person and six British artisan or continental cheeses.

Both the wine and cheese menus change regularly – so you could come back a few months later and have a totally different paired tasting experience.

Warrington Guardian:

There has also recently been a wine and chocolate tasting.

The Zoom tasting sessions take place on Saturday evenings at 7.30pm and run for around an hour and a half. The informal video call, part of the experience, enables customers to discover a little more about the wine, the pairings and helps them to discover what their preferences are.

The experience has recently been rolled out into Warrington after a successful launch in Greater Manchester.

Carl said: “As the lockdown of 2020 drew over us like a dark, pub-less cloud back in March, we decided to get great wine and cheese out to the good folks of Great Britain.

“We’ve seen an amazing response and our Zoom calls have been busy with customers really enjoying the tastings. We’re delighted to launch in Warrington and Cheshire and we can’t wait to see some locals taking part in the experience.”

People can get can involved with the Zoom chat as much or as little as they want to – or just do the tasting experience without the video in their own time.

Carl added: “Our main aim is to bring a unique experience to those who may not have tried this kind of thing before. We wanted to ensure an offering that was both fun and informative and could serve as a kind of ‘night out’ from your living room.

“We don’t expect people to have any prior knowledge about wines and cheeses before they order and join the zoom tastings – although of course, winos are always welcome and they usually bring some great contributions to the virtual tasting table.”

A wine and cheese two-person pack costs £50 (£27 for a one-person pack) and includes crackers, chutney, and full tasting notes compiled by in-house wine guru Ian Howard.

Once customers order on the website, Decent Drop will organise delivery, generally for Saturday morning.

Upcoming tastings include organic wines on October 24 and a Halloween special on October 31. Go to decentdrop.com