Fifteen years ago, a small bar in Fulham poured its first glass and changed the way London drank wine. Vagabond was born with one simple idea: to make wine fun. No velvet ropes, no raised eyebrows — just bottles you could explore, flavours you could discover, and a space where everyone belonged.
Our very first sale? A petit château Bordeaux. We’d spent weeks saying Bordeaux wasn’t going to be our thing, and yet that’s what walked out the door. Proof that Vagabond has always been full of surprises.
Back in 2010, Richard Hemming MW spotted it straight away in JancisRobinson.com: “Self-service can sound soulless, but here it is anything but. Vagabond has managed to make wine feel democratic, adventurous, and fun – something far too rare in the wine world.” Fifteen years on, those words still capture who we are.
2010–2014: The Experiment
Fulham gave London its first taste of Vagabond. Soon, Charlotte Street and Victoria followed, and with them, our self-pour machines. For the first time, guests could explore wine at their own pace.
Not every move was perfect. We chased global ambitions with airport sites — bold and exciting, but ultimately too complex and too far removed from the neighbourhood soul that makes Vagabond thrive. Important lessons were learned.
2015–2019: The Breakthrough
These years were all about growth and reinvention. We opened new sites, experimented with design, and launched our Urban Winery in Battersea. For the first time, wine was being made in the city, in full view of our guests. Industrial tanks, hand-picked grapes, and glasses poured just metres from where the wine was born — it proved that wine doesn’t need to be rural to be real.
2020–2021: The Wilderness
Then came the pandemic. With bars closed, we pivoted to takeaway bottles, online tastings, and digital connection. It wasn’t glamorous, but it kept the spirit of Vagabond alive and reminded us that what mattered wasn’t the four walls — it was the community around the glass.
2022–2024: Recognition and Renewal
As the world reopened, so did we — stronger, sharper, and hungrier. Awards rolled in: Innovator of the Year at the IWC 2022, Boutique Winery of the Year at WineGB 2024, and Best English Still Wine at the IEWA 2025 for our Solena. Our buyers were recognised as one of the best on-trade wine teams in the country. Even our HR team and business model got national nods.
And in 2024, Vagabond joined the Majestic Wine family, giving us the platform to scale with confidence while staying true to our roots.
2025 and Beyond: The Adventure Continues
This year, we opened our landmark site at St Paul’s and prepared to relaunch our Urban Winery at Canada Water — bigger, bolder, and braver than before. It’s the next step in a journey that has always been about curiosity and connection.
Because what makes Vagabond really special isn’t the décor or the machines. It’s the people. The ones in the lanyards, moving through the bars with a smile, some of the best-trained wine pros in the business. They’re here to share knowledge without the jargon, recommend the perfect bottle, and pair it all with seasonal small plates that celebrate provenance and flavour. They’re the ones who turn wine from a product into an experience.
Vagabond by the Numbers
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15 years since Fulham opened its doors
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15 bars opened in total, 10 today
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3.25 million guests welcomed since 2010
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~1,000 wine pros trained since day one
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252,300 Iberico croquettes devoured (and counting)
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110,600 glasses of Vagabond Bacchus poured
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Over 9,800 different wines stocked
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Awards haul: Innovator of the Year (IWC 2022), Boutique Winery of the Year (WineGB 2024), Best English Still Wine (Solena, IEWA 2025), plus multiple others
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The constant: Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc, on pour since 2010
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The first bottle ever sold: a petit château Bordeaux
Fifteen years in, we’re still guided by the same principles: adventure, opportunity, connection, and expertise without ego. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this — the best part of Vagabond will always be the people and the stories shared around the glass. The next fifteen years? We can’t wait to see what bubbles up.