A Suffolk mum has taken the plunge and opted for a change of career after she opened a new wine bar in Felixstowe.
Owner Deborah Hale served her first drinkers at The Little Wine Bar, in High Street in Walton, last Friday.
Deborah, who previously worked in corporate human resources, decided to start her own bar after being inspired from working in a nearby wine store.
"It went really, really well and there was loads of people from Walton who came to see what the new place was like.
"It was really successful and I was moved by how many people turned out for us and it was a really good atmosphere."
Deborah revealed she had to stop working in HR so she could care for her deaf son when he was born 12 years ago.
"He has since proved that he no longer needs my full attention," Deborah said. "I really have to do something because I can't stay in the house all the time, and I used to work one night a week at the Wine Boutique in Hamilton Road.
"The minute I started working there, I kind of had wine bar envy.
"When I knew I needed to go back to work, I thought I can't go back to what I used to do, and I think I might have had a glass of wine in my hand at the time and the two things just came together and we thought to open a wine bar."
"It started with excitement at the beginning when we started planning and then it got increasingly more scary.
"But now it's good. We are open and we are trading so now we just have to see how we move forward."
Deborah said she is pleased with the start she has made with her business – which has already been awarded a Plastic Free Champion award from Surfers Against Sewage – and prides herself on offering a selection of vegan wines and wines not normally found in stores.
She added: "It is really important to me that the wine that we have is ethical and is not mass marketed because I do not want to sell anything that people can find in a supermarket.
"I sell reasonably priced wine that will make people say 'wow' and I really like pleasing people with the wines."
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