Chef’s plans to open wine bar serving platters and charcuterie plates

The former Unknown Coffee, which looks set to become The Corkscrew. Photo: Lauren Cope (Image: Archant)

Samuel Beggi was born in Essex but spent his childhood in Italy, before returning to England in his teens.

By the time he was 18 he was working in bars and restaurants in London but, now 22, has decided to open his own eatery.

The Corkscrew will open at 60 to 62 St Benedicts Street in Norwich city centre, in the former home of Unknown Coffee, which closed in late December last year.

Mr Beggi said: "The concept of this place is not really fine dining or anything, it's to get people together and have some wine. It's really going to be a wine bar with some small plates and platters, a sharing concept."

The former Unknown Coffee, which looks set to become The Corkscrew. Photo: Lauren Cope (Image: Archant)

He said he was encouraged to set up the business in the fine city by his sister, who lives in Norwich and is married to Fabio Miani, head chef at The Wildebeest and winner of the EAT Norfolk Food and Drink Awards 2019 gong for best chef in the county.

"I was getting a bit bored of London and decided to come here," he said, "and I like it. This place came up just before Christmas and I thought it could work."

He currently has a premises licence application lodged with Norwich City Council, which would enable him to serve wine at the business.

With a decision on the bid due to be reached by mid-March, he said, all being well, he hoped to open by the end of March.

According to the application, if the licence was approved it would come into force on March 1 and would apply during the business' opening hours, from 10am to 10pm Mondays to Thursdays and 10am to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

The application says the plates would include charcuterie offerings, including cheese and ham, and similar cold dishes.

Do you have a Norwich story we should be writing about? Email lauren.cope@archant.co.uk