An Afternoon in Wetherby: Independent Cinema, Cheese Boards and Fabulous Wine

I thought summer had arrived a couple of weeks ago as I was enthusiastically slapping sun cream on my legs. Alas, as usual, it was British springtime making a fool out of me.

Still, I can’t complain too much because miserable weather does create the perfect excuse to go to the cinema — and recently, my best friend and I have unexpectedly found ourselves becoming cinema people. Normally, we’d just head to the pub and wait for films to eventually appear on television, but my friend likes a plan. We vaguely mentioned seeing the Michael Jackson movie and before I knew it, tickets were booked and we were sat in the cinema with snacks in hand.

Then today, she had tickets booked for The Devil Wears Prada.

Now, I’m not here to offer a deep film review, but I will say this — if you live in Wetherby, or any town lucky enough to still have an independent cinema, go and support it.

I moved to Wetherby five years ago and I absolutely love it. It’s packed with lovely independent shops, great places to eat and genuinely friendly people, but one of the town’s real gems is Wetherby Cinema.

When I was younger — I’m 46 now — going to the cinema felt like a proper event. There were intervals where you could stretch your legs and stock up on ice cream or Fruit Gums before the second half started. Somewhere along the line, cinema trips started feeling rushed and forgettable.

But this little independent cinema brought all that nostalgia flooding back.

It’s warm, welcoming and full of character. Instead of feeling like you’re being hurried through the doors, it encourages you to settle in and enjoy yourself. There are proper drinks, cakes, sweet treats, Yorkshire crisps and all those little touches that make an afternoon feel special rather than routine.

So there we were this afternoon with glasses of wine, crisps and sweets, surrounded by other groups of friends doing exactly the same thing. Everyone chatting before the trailers started, people laughing together, nobody in a rush to leave. It felt less like ticking off a film and more like an actual day out.

And honestly? The Devil Wears Prada was brilliant.

But the afternoon didn’t end there because, as somebody who has written about food for years and whose personality is largely built around cheese, I’d already spotted somewhere nearby on social media that immediately caught my attention.

A wine shop where you can sit and eat cheese.

OMFG. My dream.

That’s how we ended up at Once Upon A Vine, and honestly, I’m so glad we did.

At its heart, it’s a wine shop — but it’s also so much more than that. Inside, there are cosy little tables surrounded by shelves of wine, people chatting over glasses and beautifully put together cheese and charcuterie boards landing on tables around the room. It somehow manages to feel stylish and relaxed at the same time, without even a hint of pretentiousness.

What I loved most was the mix of people inside. There was a French bulldog charming everybody in sight, a couple of kids sat happily with their families, groups of friends drinking wine and people popping in to pick up a bottle for home. It felt welcoming in the best possible way — the kind of place where everybody fits.

And then there was Richard — or Rich, sorry mate, I’m still not sure which you prefer.

Hospitality genuinely needs more people like him.

Yes, he knew his wine and cheese inside out, but more importantly, he knew how to make people feel comfortable. He chatted to us properly, made us laugh, guided us through the cheeses and somehow turned a spontaneous stop for wine into one of those afternoons you end up talking about long afterwards.

That kind of hospitality is an art form, and it’s something you never forget as a customer.

We ended up sharing a personally curated cheeseboard, drinking arguably too much wine and chatting away with staff and other customers like we’d all known each other for years. Those are my favourite kinds of places — the ones you stumble into unexpectedly and leave feeling happier than when you arrived.

I think we’re all quick enough to complain when things disappoint us, but we should be just as loud about celebrating the places that get things completely right.

Because afternoons like this remind you that independent businesses aren’t just somewhere to spend money. They create atmosphere, community and memories. They give towns personality.

So this is my little love letter to Wetherby Cinema and Once Upon A Vine.

Wetherby is very lucky to have you.

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Joanne Brook-Smith is a writer and editor with two decades of publishing experience. She launched Crave Magazine during the Covid period to create a fresh, inspiring space for food, travel and lifestyle content.