Wine shop slur claim

COMPLAINT . . . Phil Garratt outside Winos in George Street

A disgruntled wine merchant has complained to the BBC after his shop was shown in the controversial “Panorama” programme which highlighted Oldham’s drinking culture.

Phil Garratt, owner of Winos in George Street, claims the programme showed a shot of his premises and linked it to remarks made about the role of larger supermarkets.

The segment in the programme, “The Truth about the Happy Hour”, shown last month, mainly analysed Tesco’s influence as the cheapest seller of alcohol per unit in the borough.

But Mr Garratt, who has run one of the North’s most successful independent wine stores for 25 years, complained that the programme branded his shop as a bargain-booze outlet.

He said: “The commentary was linked to film showing outlets offering cheap drink.

“Winos is a highly-reputable business specialising in quality wines for a discerning market.

“I was offended that we were lumped in with supermarkets. We just don’t offer drinks in this manner.

“In the main, customers buy our wines and specialist beers because they have a genuine interest in sampling quality products. We also supply the area’s top bars and restaurants with a wide range of highly-acceptable wines because they know we can find something unusual and unique for their guests.”

In a letter from the BBC’s complaints department to Mr Garratt, a spokesman states: “An extremely brief shot of Winos was shown.

“This was seen during a very brief piece on all the off-licences and supermarkets in Oldham.

“It discussed the possibility of introducing a cap on base selling in conjunction with recent licensing legislation.

“No comment was made about Winos in any way.”

The letter adds: “I hope this allays your concerns, and, with your complaint in mind, I can assure you I’ve registered your comments on our audience log.”