TWO sisters will today open a champagne and cocktail bar they hope will become one of Durham City’s most fashionable venues.

Whisky River, in the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, which will create six jobs, has been set up by Kate and Hollie Shepherd.

Kate, 25, formerly an accountant at Durham University, and Hollie, 23, who was cafe manager at Chapters of Durham, have been working on the Whisky River project for over a year.

They took possession of the site three months ago and have since embarked on an intensive programme of preparation, fitting out and decorating the bar, and developing their menu of cocktails.

Kate Shepherd said: “Hollie and I have always wanted to work together and Whisky River has given us the perfect opportunity to do that.

“We decided early on in the project that the bar had to be somewhere that we would want to drink and visit with our friends.

“Getting to this stage has been incredibly hard, but we’re delighted with the outcome.”

Richard Toynbee, manager of Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, said: “Whisky River is a welcome addition to Prince Bishops.

It brings something a bit different to the centre.”