Bites

WA Cleanskin Cellars owners, Marie and Steve Cloughley, have won their appeal to retain their Claremont store liquor licence.

The licence, granted on the condition that they could only sell cleanskin wine in unbranded bottles, was contested by the Liquor Store Association of WA three years ago.

The couple had been waiting for a final decision since appearing in the Supreme Court of Appeal in early February 2008.

"We are glad this issue has been judged by common sense and our business has been vindicated by the state's highest court.

The legal case has been a complete waste of money and public resources," Mr Cloughley said.

"We hope the new Liquor Amendment Act avoids this exact scenario where commercial interests attempt to block new concepts in the liquor industry." The couple also applied for a new licence for their Malaga store but haven't received a response as yet.

--- While downtown Perth and Fremantle have been privileged incubators for small bars, entrepreneur Brendan Aitken is currently working on activating suburbia with a couple of wine bar projects, in Shenton Park and Mt Hawthorn, which have been given the green light by the local councils.

Located on Nicholson Road, the Shenton Park venue will be called The Suite Wine Bar.

The Mt Hawthorn bar will be on the first floor of homeware store, Lavender Blue, on Scarborough Beach Road, but a name hasn't been decided as yet.

--- Following the closure of Henry's of Subiaco in March, Subicentro's Harlequin Café Bistro will also be shutting its doors in June, to be replaced by Yutaka Yamauchi's restaurant, Ha-Lu.

Harlequin was set up by former Sheraton executive chef Fritz Hansal and his wife, Katherine, and former Sheraton banquet and events manager Paul Schreuders.