Pride and Provenance: Wines and spirits worth thousands up for auction after sudden closure of one of Halifax's favourite restaurants

The stock is from Pride and Provenance – the family run business next door to The Piece Hall which shut in March.

The couple who ran the award-winning restaurant, James and Melanie Thompson, told the Courier at the time they tried everything to avoid closing but said there was nothing else they could do.

Insolvency specialists appointed to handle the winding up of the business have now instructed auctioneers Eddisons to dispose of Pride and Provenance’s furniture, furnishings and other assets, which have been removed from the Horton Street premises to Eddisons’ Scunthorpe auction centre for the sale.

Eddisons director Paul Cooper said: “These are difficult times in the hospitality industry.

"Pride and Provenance had spectacularly good ratings on the restaurant review sites and the closure has been greeted by considerable shock and sadness.

“The problem is that the industry is currently facing multiple challenges. Dining out is discretionary spending so establishments are having to cope with a belt-tightening public - at the same time as they’re getting hit with rising costs.

“This auction is just the latest in a string of restaurant, bistro and bar disposal sales that we’ve handled in the past few months.”

The auction extends to 150 lots – over half of which are the contents of the bistro’s extensive cellar.

“We’re talking well over 600 bottles of wine, dozens of bottles of spirits and a wide variety of liqueurs,” said Mr Cooper.

“In addition to the alcohol stock, the auction includes some smart restaurant and bar furniture, plus a range of professional quality kitchen equipment.

“We have lotted the auction in such a way that members of the public have just as good a chance to get involved in the bidding as trade buyers, indeed former customers will know more about Pride and Provenance’s furniture, furnishings and drink than anyone.

“It is an exclusively online sale so people can bid from literally anywhere.

"Everything is being sold without reserve so there could well be some bargains.”

The illustrated catalogue is available on Eddisons’ website. The sale viewing session is at the Eddisons Auction Centre in Scunthorpe tomorrow and the auction is scheduled to end at 1pm on Thursday.