How did you get hired at Wine Co?
I’d been buying wine from the Shop since my first September in St Andrews and that Valentine’s Day, I went in to get a red Burgundy to pair with some sweets for a galantines night. It was a typically Scottish night, cold and pouring it down with rain. I’d gotten half-way out of the door of the shop after my purchase when Peter asked if I wanted a job. I said yes. He said I could take some time to think about it to which I replied that I’d thought about it, and yes, I’d like the job. The rest, is history.
Why do you like wine?
In short, it’s a drinkable art form. My family has always been interested in wine and I’ve had the opportunity to try sips of phenomenal wines from an early age. There is a simple pleasure in a glass of wine which is very well made. I’ve enjoyed discovering small producers who truly make wine as a labour of love and expression of art.
What is your favourite Wine Co memory(ies)?
It’s hard to choose, but here are my top three:
Doing a spontaneous sleepover in the Shop with Ben. It gets quite cold.
Throwing a dance party on a random Tuesday with Ben and Sidney and having one of my philosophy tutors walking in on us jamming while I was meant to be concentrating on a presentation for her. She said, “I’ll never mention this again if you never mention how much wine I buy here.”
Honestly, just doing coffee runs for the Shop and picking up sweet treats for the team.
Do you think you’ll stay in the wine trade?
I love the industry but I’m not sure. I’m looking at working for an importer in London or I may look at some in the USA. Might switch it up and join the State Department. No clue really, who knows!
Peter's thoughts
Laura has been a mainstay of the shop since before lockdown and has become a dear friend. She has brought the correct amount of crazy into the wine world - multiple colours of hair in varying degrees of curliness, rota requests to factor in nail appointments, ongoing love for Taylor Swift and the dirtiest sense of humour ever to come out of a vicar's daughter. Not having her pop into the shop nearly every day just to say hi will be leaving a big gap in my day - I'd usually factored in an hour of not getting anything done, simply to have a chat with her!
I will miss her working for me, but far more than that, I'll simply miss her being around.
