Vagabond secures £3.5m funding to expand

The business was founded by Stephen Finch in 2010 and now runs five pour-your-own bars in London and an urban winery in Battersea Power Station.

A sixth site is set to open in October 2018, and the investment will be used to launch further locations across the UK.

Vagabond’s self-serve dispensers let customers try 100+ wines by the sample or the glass using a top-up card.

Imbiba, which has also backed Temper​​ and Darwin & Wallace, said Vagabond was a “highly scalable business”. It added that wine the fastest growing drinks sector in the UK, with a growing millennial market accounting for almost a third of the total spend on wine in the country.

“Within the UK hospitality market, Vagabond is seen as a differentiated and focused business model that provides consumers with a high-quality, superior range at an accessible price point,” said Imbiba chairman John Connell.

“It’s a highly scalable business with industry leading site performance metrics and we look forward to supporting Stephen and the management team with their growth plans across all elements of the business.”

Vagabond has sites in Fulham, Fitzrovia, Clapham and Victoria, as well as at Battersea Power Station.