A fireside chat over a disappointing bottle of wine prompted a Bradford couple to resolve to ditch their day jobs and set up their own business.

Sandra and Richard Jeffray made the decision to launch their own wine merchants - known as Hops, Scotch and Berries - after deciding they needed a break from the norm.

The couple, an accountant and engineer by profession, were convinced there was a demand for high quality wines sourced from small independent vineyards around the world.

Twelve months after they launched the project, the company has already built up a customer base of local restaurants, bars and individuals. And they have launched their own website boasting a selection of more than 500 wines.

The couple - who admitted they had no experience of the trade - are now studying for a diploma through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

"When we first decided to do this, everybody was telling us that we were crazy, but we were determined not to be put off," said Mrs Jeffray.

"We have learned a huge amount from the course already and everybody we have spoken to in the industry has been absolutely fantastic."

The couple have invested in a new van to give the business a professional image. And the hunt for wines proved productive.

"After trawling through the Internet and talking to people, we have managed to source some really excellent wines which we think are not available anywhere else in the country," she said.

The business is not yet making enough to allow the couple to give up their other jobs.

But Mrs Jeffray, who runs an accountancy consultancy service from home, said she was confident it would soon be possible to concentrate on the wine business full-time.

"I have always been really passionate about wine and Richard has really taken to it well," she said.

"I've said to him for a long time that you can never get rich working for somebody else, so we are hoping that this business will prove that!"

The company's website is now up and running at www.hopscotch.co.uk.