Vagabond Wines, the self-pour wine bar group, has agreed terms to take 6,000 sq ft of space at British Land and AustralianSuper’s 53-acre Canada Water Masterplan, with doors set to open later this year.
The new Vagabond bar will be home to the UK’s largest urban winery – bringing large-scale winemaking, immersive experiences, and over 100 wines by the glass to Central London.
Backed by investment from owner Majestic Group, the winery is expected to quadruple Vagabond’s English wine output, supporting the growth of its small-batch, multi-award-winning still and sparkling range – including the recent Best English Still Wine win at the Independent Wine Awards for Solena, as well as WineGB’s Boutique Producer of the Year 2024.
Under the guidance of José Quintana, Vagabond’s Head Winemaker, the winery will feature standout design details such as a striking concrete egg fermenter and an experimental solera system, allowing guests to see, smell, taste and enjoy wine at every stage of its journey.
The unit is located on the ground floor of the recently completed Dock Shed, a mixed-use building with HQ-ready workspace above and the new Canada Water Leisure Centre to the rear.
The space will feature a working 100-tonne winery, a Vagabond bar with the brand’s signature self-pour wine machines, and multiple event and private hire spaces – from weddings to tastings, winemaker dinners to corporate events. With production capacity of up to 100,000 bottles per year, and space for more than 300 daily visitors, the new winery will offer visitors the chance to see, smell, taste, and enjoy wine at every stage of its journey.
The new Vagabond location will sit alongside a host of experience-led offerings in Canada Water, including the area’s newest leisure and entertainment venue, Corner Corner – home to the immersive Minecraft experience – and the upcoming Titanic exhibition in adjacent venue Dock X. The urban winery is the latest in a series of indoor F&B production spaces, following the opening of Harvest London’s indoor farm earlier this year, which grows salad and herbs used within Corner Corner’s food hall as well as in local restaurants and cafes.
Wine tourism in the UK is booming, with a 55% increase in visitor numbers since 2022, according to WineGB – reaching over 1.5 million wine tourism visits last year[1]. Vagabond’s urban winery will bring that trend to central London for the first time at this scale.
The launch forms a key part of Vagabond’s wider growth strategy, working exclusively with the retail and leisure team at Savills to double the size of its estate in the next three years. The first tranche of openings later this year includes new bars in St Paul’s and at British Land and GIC’s Broadgate, Liverpool Street.
Vagabond Managing Director Christobell Giles said: “This urban winery is unlike anything we’ve done before. It’s a cathedral to wine – a space that lets people get up close to the winemaking process and connects them to the stories and passion behind every bottle. Wine shouldn’t live on a dusty shelf. It should be alive, expressive, and social – and that’s exactly what we’re building.”
Majestic Group CEO John Colley said: “We are really excited to be launching the Uk’s largest urban winery, in a prime central London location. This is a project we have been working on for a number of months and we can’t wait to welcome our first guests later this year. This significant investment from Majestic Group demonstrates the huge potential we see in the Vagabond brand, and we are committed to supporting its expansion into major towns and cities outside of London in the coming years.”
Alice Keown, Leasing Director Restaurants and Leisure at British Land, added: “The addition of Vagabond to Canada Water forms a key part of our vision to create one of the most vibrant cultural and experiential destinations in London. It will be in a prime position surrounded by brand new homes, workspace and the Leisure Centre. The in-house winery will be a flagship attraction, combining innovation, hospitality, and community under one roof.”
The first phase of the Canada Water masterplan completes this summer, delivering 300,000 sq ft of workspace and 13,000 sq ft of retail at Three Deal Porters and Dock Shed, a new leisure centre for Southwark Council and 186 new homes at The Founding. Two further restaurants will also be opening soon, Sushi Revolution and Village Tree, adding to Canada Water’s destination appeal.
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