ENGLAND’S first “liquid deli” has opened in York, bringing new jobs and a range of quirky tastes to the city.

Demijohn sells liqueurs, spirits, oils and vinegars, ranging from cucumber vodka and gooseberry gin to raspberry or elderflower vinegar.

In an unusual eco-friendly move, the products are sold in re-usable bottles which customers can take back to the shop later when they want a re-fill. The shop, opened by the Lord Mayor of York, Coun John Galvin, to the sound of a Scottish piper, is situated in Museum Street.

Demijohn founder Angus Ferguson said it was the third in a chain, the others being in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He said York was the “perfect location” for its first English branch, because it was a centre of fine food and drink as well as having a healthy visitor market.

He said the business was a cross between an old fashioned grocer and an Italian cantina (wine store), with customers encouraged to taste products before they made a purchase.

“This makes a visit to the shop better than going to your local bar,” he said.

“By tasting the products, customers know what they are buying and are enlightened further by learning more about how to consume them, such as in different cocktail recipes, dressings or sauces.”

He said the shop’s 60 products were stored in huge glass demijohns, which sat on shelves made from the wood of an ancient fallen beech tree from Fife.