Vagabond Wines is set to establish the UK’s largest urban winery at Canada Water, a bold move backed by Majestic following its acquisition of the wine bar chain out of administration. Majestic purchased Vagabond last year in a £6.5 million rescue deal and has since pledged to significantly expand Vagabond’s English wine production. The new 6,000 sq ft facility, situated on the ground floor of the Dock Shed—a recently completed mixed-use development—will house a 100-tonne winery with an annual capacity of up to 100,000 bottles. It will also feature a Vagabond bar incorporating the brand’s signature self-pour wine machines along with multiple event and private hire spaces.

“This urban winery is unlike anything we’ve done before,” said Vagabond managing director Christobell Giles. She described the initiative as a “cathedral to wine,” designed to immerse visitors in the winemaking process and connect them directly with the stories and passion behind every bottle. Giles emphasised that wine should be “alive, expressive, and social,” rather than “living on a dusty shelf,” capturing Vagabond’s philosophy of making wine a vivacious and interactive experience.

Majestic Group chief executive John Colley added that the project had been in planning for several months, with the first guests expected later this year. He noted that the investment demonstrated Majestic’s confidence in Vagabond’s potential and its intention to expand the brand beyond London to major towns and cities across the UK. This aligns with Majestic’s broader strategic vision following its purchase of Vagabond in April 2024, which secured nine operational venues and preserved over 170 jobs. The acquisition, seen as a strategic effort to engage younger wine consumers and enhance Majestic’s hospitality presence, excluded underperforming locations such as Vagabond’s Canary Wharf and two Gatwick Airport sites.

Vagabond has built a reputation since its 2010 founding as a pioneer in urban wine discovery, with bars offering over 100 wines by the glass via self-serve machines, creating a distinctive customer experience centred on accessibility and exploration. The brand’s commitment to urban winemaking is evidenced by its existing small-scale winery in Battersea, London, where it produces award-winning wines from grapes sourced within a two-hour radius to underline sustainability and locality. This artisanal approach reflects Vagabond’s philosophy of minimal intervention, working with nature to craft wines that are expressive of their environment.

The forthcoming Canada Water site aims to build on this ethos but on an unprecedented scale, combining the winery with social spaces and a bar that invites visitors to engage fully with the winemaking journey. Majestic conveys optimism about doubling Vagabond’s estate footprint in the next three years, with new bars planned for St Paul’s and Liverpool Street later this year, signalling clear ambitions for national expansion.

This initiative not only secures Vagabond’s future but also marks a significant evolution in the UK wine scene, bringing production and consumption closer together in vibrant urban settings. By integrating winemaking with interactive social environments and self-pour technology, Vagabond and Majestic seek to redefine how wine is experienced, targeting a demographic eager for discovery and participation in the beverage’s craftsmanship.

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Source: Noah Wire Services