NOTHING COULD HAVE PREPARED OUR BUSINESS FOR 2022…

11/01: Dad went into hospital suffering a mini-stroke. In otherwise good health we expected to bring him home next morning, but were told at 7:30am he’d “tested positive and been moved to a Covid ward”. Then banned from visiting and kept in the dark for days.

22/01: 6am. The hospital asked us to come and say our last goodbyes…

For the first time in 19 years our online shop closed for 2 weeks as we came to terms with our loss.

24/02: Life goes on, however one month later I emailed: “We are thinking of you all at @goodwine and sending our prayers. I can't imagine what you are going through and just hope it will be over very soon.”

For 5 years we’d supplied Ukraine’s high end food and wine chain, Good Wine, and suddenly our friends there were at the epicentre of a war zone…

“Today we woke up because of explosions near Kyiv,” came Yuliia’s reply.

28/02: “One more insane day. Even more dreadful and ruinous then before… We found out what is war...the most miserable, inhuman, evil side of it.”

Then things went quite. A year ago today I emailed: “Dear Yuliia, I hope you are all safe and well wherever you are.”

She immediately replied: “Thank God, I’m safe. I don’t know when this terrible situation come to an end. Today our main warehouse in Kyiv suburb servicing all stores was hit causing much damage (swipe). Alcohol is forbidden to sell during war time so business is now rearranged for local food and charity food preparation.”

10/03: “Our company is slowly coming out of the shock after having our stock destroyed, our history and our great plans for the future teared apart. We continue to open 2 stores in Kyiv for 4 hours a day to provide food for citizens.

“All our restaurants continue to cook for those in need: hospitals, retirement homes, orphanages, and for sure for our army and defenders. Our employees mostly continue to work to keep our Good Wine family alive.”

And persevere they did, adapting and reopening across Ukraine, and even ordering from us again from last July; testimony to the strength of human spirit and defiant in the face of devastation and turmoil. 🌏🙏🏻