Frustrated Swindon bar owner applies for off-sales license with plans to home deliver cocktails

Cocktail fans missing a screwdriver or seabreeze because pubs and bars are shut could be in for some good news.

Two young businessmen behind a new bar – the Vault Bar and Lounge – which should have opened last month are hoping to be able to offer his cocktails for off-sales.

Alex Mastrodomenico and Matthew Barr have transformed half of the post office building in Victoria Road into a bar – he was given planning permission to make the change last year.

They have now applied for a licence to sell alcohol off the premises.

Alex said: “We got a premises licence for the bar, and we would have opened  in April, if the lockdown hadn’t stopped that.

“We have applied for a license for off-sales now- to try and keep the business turning over before we are able to open. We haven’t been able to get any government grants because we hadn’t opened.”

But if the licence is granted, it won’t be beers and wines that Alex is hoping to sell. He said: “We want to sell cocktails – we’d mix them ourselves and bottle them and people can order and we will deliver them.

“We’ve come up with a special range for summer – specialising in fruity ones – rum punch, say or a passion fruit martini.

“We plan on selling these once a week and all information to do with the sales will be added to our social media pages.”

Alex added: “Our bar has been in the  making for nearly two years and we are really excited about launching it to the public once the current situation has passed but adapting to our current situation we want to bring the luxury of cocktails to people’s homes.”

Alex hopes to have a decision on the licence application by the end of the month. He said: “As soon as we have that then we’ll be able to deliver cocktails.

“And we’ll be ready to open as soon as lockdown is lifted and bars and pubs can open up again – we were just a few days from our planned opening, so it’s all ready to go.”

Permission to split the Post Office building in Victoria Road was granted in 2018. The post office continues to operate from the right hand unit as you look at it, with Alex’s plans for the left hand, and slightly larger unit, approved last year.