Humble Grape expands with new London bar

London wine bar and shop Humble Grape is set to open a second bar – its first in central London – as it ramps up its focus on corporate events.

Humble Grape’s existing wine bar in Battersea

The new wine bar on Fleet Street, which is set to open from 3 May, will follow similar concept to Humble Grape’s existing Battersea store, but will cater for a  more corporate clientele and have a more luxurious feel. “It is more upmarket, Humble high-end rather than neighbourhood bar, which is what Battersea bar is,” founder James Dawson told db, adding that “Corporates in London expect a bit more of an experience”.

The new site comprises a 3,600 sq. ft space off Fleet Street, next to the St Bride’s Church, which will house a 200 cover bar and restaurant with a small retail area, (around 10% of the space, compared to around 40% in Battersea), an 18-seat private dining room and an event space which can sit 65 with views into the wine-cellar. It will serve an larger menu than the Battersea site, with a greater choice of more substantial dishes.

Dawson told db they had been keen to find a site in the Fleet Street area in order to boost its focus on its corporate events. “Since opening the Battersea shop we’ve gone from a few enquiries for events a week to 3 or 4 a day,” he told db “It is very difficult to run these if you don’t control the space, from a logistic point of view. And the cost of hiring space in the city means it becomes unviable.”

James Dawson, founder of Humble Grape

The plan is to get the Fleet Street site up and running and then look at further sites in Bank, Moorgate and Spitalfield, with the long-term goal of 16 sites in total. However he is adamant that growth needs to be managed gradually to avoid watering down the brand.

The business had “changed massively” since starting selling boutique wines direct from the supplier at pop-ups in 2009, moving into corporate events and later wholesale before setting up the Battersea bar in 2014 on the back of a successful crowfunding campaign. Dawson has already scaled back its wholesaler operation – which supplied around 40 bars, restaurants and gastro-pubs at its height a few years ago- to concentrate on the bars and events business.

Currently the bars represent around 75% of revenue, with the events side contributing around 15% – although this is likely to grow – and retail at around 10%, Dawson said.

“Retail is a focus, but not a main part of our business – it is all part of the look and feel of the brand. But we got disenchanted with selling boutique wines to restaurants who didn’t have the skill set to sell wines that aren’t obvious, big brands,” Dawson admits.

The new Fleet Street bar will stock around 200 wines, including Blackwater Underdog, Chenin Blanc, MMXIV 2014, and Stellenbosch from winemaker Francois Haasbroek, but the list will also include some new producers and few fine with more Burgundies and Bordeaux. There will also be a “huge selection” of wines by the glass and available for customers to buy the the bottle, but Dawson is adamant it will avoid sampling machines, arguing they “destroys the experience” for customers due to the lack of human contact, which he says makes it more difficult for consumer to “connect with the brand”.

The site, which has been unoccupied in recent months, was once home to The Press House Wine Bar and has stone arches believed to be designed by Sir Christopher Wren.