Wine... done right
in Huddersfield. “People want to know more and more that they are eating good and drinking good as well,” said Ola.
That notion extends to the food served at Kwas as well.
A small, simple and healthy menu of stews, soups and a few nibbles will be put on in the new year.
Starting on Friday, Kwas will be selling organic, fresh bread made to order by Triangle Bakehouse in Rippondoen.
Husband and wife team, Aaron and Vic - formerly of Handmade Bakery in Slaithwaite - set up Triangle recently and Kwas will be their first regular customer.
Kwas don’t want to be pigeonholed in what they do though. The menu is described as “plant-based” and not vegan. Their wine selection as “real” rather than natural - as most others in the craft wine movement do - because, what if they want to change on the future?
Even the Kwas sign reads “Shop and Bar” with no mention of wine.
“Sometimes we need to be quite clear and not as elusive but then, for example, vegan can sell a lace but I think it can also put people off,” explained Duncan.
“We want them to come and find out for themselves. To come, hang out and relax.”
Ola stressed that nobody should feel intimidated when they come to Kwas if they have limited knowledge about wine.
She said: “We don’t want people to be afraid to come and chat about wine even if they don’t know anything about wine because we are still learning too.
“What I have learned has been from reading books and drinking lots of wine.
“You have to find what you like yourself, we cannot tell you.”
In the new year Kwas will be running tasting sessions, with experts from some of their suppliers coming in to provide a few pointers.
Duncan will be continuing full time at Magic Rock alongside his new venture but he said his employers have been nothing but supportive.
“There’s no real affiliation there but they have been very supportive. They brought me to Huddersfield, via Manchester and via Blackburn and I am appreciative of that.
“We will be serving a couple of their beers in a nod to them because it makes sense and because we like them.”
Duncan added that business like Kwas, Magic Rock and Hoults the long-established wine shop in St John’s Road that will soon be opening a bar themselves - need to work together rather than in competition.
He said: “Particularly in Huddersfield, it’s important to bring people in, to work on the community aspect of the businesses round here.
“Because there’s not a lot of us here, there’s enough but there could be more with a bit of a revitalisation of the high street.”
Kwas Shop and Bar opens today. Hours will be noon to 9pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and noon to 10pm on Friday and Saturday.
The bar will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.