Shivakumar ‘Shiva’ Kandaswamy, and his wife, Shanthi, have sunk just under £300,000 into converting a former hardware shop into Premier Dunbar – a destination store dedicated to quality wines, spirits and local produce.
No stranger to retail, Shiva already owns a 900sq ft Day-Today store and neighbouring Haddington Wines and Whiskies, a 600sq ft upmarket off-licence, located 12 miles away from the new outlet on Haddington High Street.
With 3,500sq ft to play with at Dunbar, including a shop floor space of 2,500sq ft, the new shop – fitted by Vertex – offered Shiva the chance to bring his ultimate vision to life, offering up a winning combination of Scottish produce and a broad alcohol range to please every palate. “This is a completely new concept to East Lothian,” he says. “I was dreaming of this concept for 30 years – that’s how long I’ve been in Britain.”
Scottish pride
The store’s strong affinity with Scottish produce puts it head and shoulders above the competition. “We have put a lot of emphasis on local produce because East Lothian is the larder of Scotland,” says Shiva. “I’ve got so many local things that no one can challenge me.”
He reels off a huge list of Scottish brands on display, including Walkers shortbread, the Chocolate Tree, Thistly Cross Cider, Tempest Brewing, Stewart Brewing, Giacopazzi’s ice cream, S Luca ice cream, Brand Family meat and Perth-based Praveen Kumar’s authentic Indian cuisine.
Praveen’s frozen ready meals, which Shiva describes as “astounding” have been a runaway success. “In the first three weeks, I had to refill the freezer six times!” Praveen tells SLR. He claims that his sales have been over 400% higher at Dunbar than stores of a similar size.
As a result, the meals are to be displayed in a bigger freezer and Shiva is also looking to increase his backroom freezer storage.
Cave of wonders
Having worked as a head sommelier on cruise ships before coming to Scotland to work at MacDonald Hotels, Shiva was keen to ensure residents of Dunbar are treated to a fine wine offering.
Premier Dunbar’s impressive wine selection caters for all tastes, with rosé and white wines sharing the 350sq ft beer cave with beers, ciders and RTDs. “With wines, we have put all the high street brands on the bottom shelf. It can start as cheap as £5.99 for Isla Negra, which is cheaper than Asda, Tesco and the Co-op across the road,” says Shiva. “Then, as you go above, you have Whispering Angel, some of the finest Sauvignon Blancs of New Zealand, to the traditional Sancerres and Pouilly-Fumés of the Loire Valley, to the driest of the Chablis, some of the sweetest Sauternes and Eiswein, and Tokaji wine from Hungary.” The more expensive white wines are priced at up to £40 a bottle.
A number of bottles are biodynamic, organic and vegan. “They are small batch produced, so cannot reach the shelves of supermarkets,” explains Shiva.
Shiva’s biggest investment was in refrigeration. In addition to a beer cave, the store also has 6.25m of chillers and a soft drinks cave. While he was initially unsure about the latter, Vertex assured him it had been successful in other stores and he states that kids like to pick up drinks on their way to the beach, which is just a five-minute stroll away.
Aspirational ambient alcohol
The red wine selection is housed in bespoke wooden shelving. Premium wines, such as Amarone or Saint-Émilion are priced at up to £45.
Those in search of an aperitif are well catered for. “We have a full selection with port wines and vermouths we are importing from Spain and sherries from Diatomists, which very much appeal to younger [adult] drinkers,” says Shiva.
Malt whiskies and gins from the Isle of Harris, Isle of Brassay, Edinburgh and North Berwick also grace the shelves.
Shiva is already eager to create more shelf space. “I am speaking to James [Morgan at shopfitter Vertex] and we will get them made wider. Now they are only holding three bottles, but we need them to be six bottles deep.”
He remains keen to educate himself further. “Wine and food harmony is such a massive subject to learn – you cannot do it in one lifetime – you need nine lives!”
