A FUNDING boost from Finance Yorkshire has enabled an independent wine merchant to complete its relocation to new premises.

Bon Coeur Fine Wines Limited, which is based near Masham, North Yorkshire has used a £100,000 investment from the funding body to finalise a long-awaited move to a 32,000 square foot site at Melsonby, close to Scotch Corner.

Bon Coeur was founded in London in 1994 by Yorkshireman James Goodhart, who relocated the business to his homeland in 2008. During that time it has established itself as one of the UK’s leading independent wholesale wine merchants, serving a range of trade, corporate and private clients nationwide.

Samantha Goodhart, who runs Bon Coeur alongside her husband James, said: “We have been looking for the right property for over two years. This is the ideal location for the business and features 8,000 square feet of offices, showroom space and tasting rooms.

“It will also feature a demo kitchen as we firmly believe that wine is as much about enjoyment as education. Yorkshire is home to many first-rate chefs and restaurants and has become something of a gastronomic powerhouse. We are aiming to achieve the same level of sophistication and knowledge when it comes to wine.

Finance Yorkshire Investment Manager Jonathan Craig said: "We are proud to be associated with the business and have every confidence in Jamie and Samantha and the rest of the team.”

Finance Yorkshire provides seedcorn, loan and equity linked investments, ranging from £15,000 to £2m to help growing businesses.