Hinckley’s new café and wine bar is off to a busy start

New café and cake-come wine and cheese bar opens in Hinckley as owner, Claire, fulfils her dream and hopes to reinvigorate Hinckley nightlife.

Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, visited the café when it opened to wish Claire luck and talk about what prompted her to open in Hinckley. The café is dog friendly, so Dr Luke took along his two whippets, Roux and Ada.

To accompany their coffee or wine, visitors can choose from sweet or savoury snacks, including cakes, brownies and flapjacks with vegan and gluten free options also available.

On the first Wednesday of every month a silent book club will be held at Epicurean Lounge from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Claire describes it as ‘BYOBook’ welcoming readers of any kind – including ebooks, audiobooks, comics and textbooks – for an hour of quiet, sustained reading followed by optional socialising.

Epicurean Lounge is open Wednesday 09:00 – 18:00, Thursday 08:30 – 21:30, Friday and Saturday 08:30 – 22:30, closed Sunday to Tuesday.

Claire Corbett, owner of Epicurean Lounge, said “To own my own wine shop has always been in the back of my mind. I left a corporate career to pursue a dream, and I’ve been blown away by the support I’ve received since I opened. Everyone from old school friends I haven’t seen in years to new people I’ve never met before have come through the door to wish me well.

“My daughter helped me to pick the name. An epicurean is someone who derives pleasure from food and drink, and when she told me about it, I thought ‘well that’s me… and I can’t be the only one!’ so it stuck.

“Everyone is welcome at Epicurean Lounge; people bring in their dogs, parents with young children use it as a space to catch up with friends and now, on the first Wednesday of every month, we’re hosting a silent book club where people can socialise, read for an hour in silence and finish off the evening with cheese and wine. How perfect!”

Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “It was a real pleasure to meet Claire and hear what had inspired her to leave a corporate career and open Hinckley’s newest café and wine shop.

“We all know how welcoming our community is and it was great to see business buzzing on only the second day.

“Whether you’re looking for a cosy spot for a coffee and slice of cake in the day, or a warm and bustling space for a glass of wine after work, do drop by and support if you can – I have no doubt Claire will greet you with a smile!”

Claire plans to host events and wine tasting evenings in the future. Visit ‘Epicurean Lounge’ on Facebook or visit at 118 Castle Street to find out more.