The importance of being Bertie

Burlington Bertie has traded in cigars in the heart of London for 11 years. Dominic Roskrow spoke to Vimal Shah

Talking to Vimal Shah of Burlington Bertie about the impending smoking ban is a strangely paradoxical experience.

If you’re looking for a positive spin on events post July 1, then he’s definitely not the man to talk to. But if you want to sense evolution, survival and gutsy determination then through the fug of gloom, Vimal’s most certainly your man.

Shah launched Burlington Bertie 11 years ago in the heart of the City of London, but his association with tobacco goes back much further than that – 25 years in fact.

“I started in tobacco in 1982 and taught myself everything there was to know in the area of pipe tobacco and it went on from there. But the idea for this business came about during a three year break when I worked in an accountancy firm.

“I began to realise that me and offices didn’t get on. Sitting on my backside looking at numbers wasn’t for me at all.

I’m more of a people’s person so I started to look to doing something else.” Acigar business seemed the logical way to go and because the accountancy firm used the word ‘Burlington’ a lot and Vimal liked the word, he thought it would make a good company name.

The ‘Bertie’ bit was suggested by someone else because it made for a catchy and unusual name.

“It was only later that I found out that this strange character was a woman dressed up as a man with a top hat and smoking a cigar. It all seemed to fit in perfectly and the rest, as they say, is history. The name has caught on and made us very well known.” They.....

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By Dominic Roskrow

Section : Retailer watch

Page number : 10

Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 11 on 11/05/2007.

This article is 21 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements.



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	The importance of being Bertie Burlington Bertie has traded in cigars in the heart of London for 11 years. Dominic Roskrow spoke to Vimal Shah Talking to Vimal Shah of Burlington Bertie about the impending smoking ban is a strangely paradoxical experience. If you’re looking for a positive spin on events post July 1, then he’s definitely not the man to talk to. But if you want to sense evolution, survival and gutsy determination then through the fug of gloom, Vimal’s most certainly your man. Shah launched Burlington Bertie 11 years ago in the heart of the City of London, but his association with tobacco goes back much further than that – 25 years in fact. “I started in tobacco in 1982 and taught myself everything there was to know in the area of pipe tobacco and it went on from there. But the idea for this business came about during a three year break when I worked in an accountancy firm. “I began to realise that me and offices didn’t get on. Sitting on my backside looking at numbers wasn’t for me at all. I’m more of a people’s person so I started to look to doing something else.” Acigar business seemed the logical way to go and because the accountancy firm used the word ‘Burlington’ a lot and Vimal liked the word, he thought it would make a good company name. The ‘Bertie’ bit was suggested by someone else because it made for a catchy and unusual name. “It was only later that I found out that this strange character was a woman dressed up as a man with a top hat and smoking a cigar. It all seemed to fit in perfectly and the rest, as they say, is history. The name has caught on and made us very well known.” They..... To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door. By Dominic Roskrow Section : Retailer watch Page number : 10 Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 11 on 11/05/2007. Subscribe Buy this issue More from this issue Preview other issues This article is 21 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements. Copyright Cigar Buyer © 1999-2009. All rights reserved. To use or reproduce part or all of this article please contact us for details of how you can do so legally.