In 1963, entrepreneur Ahmed Pochee established a small business delivering "bin-ends" and "oddments" of wine to restaurants and clubs in the West End of London.

"[5][6] In early 2011 Oddbins closed a third of its branches, reducing the number remaining open to under 100, leading to a proposal to enter a company voluntary arrangement (CVA).

[7] In April 2011, Oddbins went into administration, following the breakdown of talks over the CVA after objections from HM Revenue & Customs, which is owed nearly half of the chains' total debt of £20 million.

[8] On 26 April, Whittalls Wine Merchants, part of Raj Chatha's European Food Brokers, bought 37 of the shops from the administrators in a move that saved 200 jobs.

She had an innovative approach to buying, looking to explore the less familiar categories whilst challenging the classic regions for value and point of interest for the engaged Oddbins customer.