A WINCHESTER wine bar, the first to operate self-service, will close next month, its owner told the Chronicle.

David Nicholson said the Black Bottle on Bridge Street would shut on Sunday July 16.

It comes as Mr Nicholson said he had not ruled out reopening the Black Rat, the Michelin-star winning restaurant which closed last year because of the cost of living crisis.

The Black Bottle opened around ten years ago and pioneered the local use of self-serve wine in the city.

A planning application is currently being considered to convert the bar into a pizza restaurant to be called Polizia.

READ MORE HERE: Proposed pizza restaurant alters shop front plan

Mr Nicholson also owns the Black Boy pub and Black Hole B&B on Wharf Hill and the Black Rat restaurant on Chesil Street.

He said: "I think the concept at the Black Bottle was really very good. The problem, with the increase in all of the costs, it is just unviable. It was never a huge money-maker but it was a quite interesting, fun business that was good for Winchester. Sadly it has got too expensive. There is a cost of living crisis and the luxury glass of wine is being hit."

Self-serve did not really reduce staffing costs, he said. "You still needed staff to manage the customers, if they wanted a gin and tonic or a pint of beer. It didn't reduce staffing but gave the customers more range of wine because it didn't go off.

SEE MORE: Plans to open new wine bar in Winchester in 2011

"It's sad and a shame but these things happen, one shouldn't get too upset about it."

Regarding the Black Rat reopening Mr Nicholson said: "There is always a chance, I just want to see what is happening. The market is up in the air with food and other costs going up. To run it as the Black Rat will be very expensive. The cost of staff, the chefs, waiting staff, gas and electricity makes it currently unviable. But in a year that might have changed. I haven't discounted it (reopening), I just want to see what happens in the market.

"To reopen it will cost £100,000 and I don't have that money at the moment."

Mr Nicholson took over the Black Boy in the mid-1990s and turned it into the city's most popular pubs before expanding the Black empire.