THE WINE MERCHANT. An independent magazine for independent retailers
Issue 149, August 2025
Dog of the month: Monty Monty’s Wine Shop, Aberdeen
London wine group looks to franchises to fuel expansion Mayfair House group has opened its 10th bar and shop in the capital – and hopes that another five will soon follow
L
ondon’s Mayfair House group has
opened its 10th shop and bar in the capital – and has its sights set on
another five branches.
June saw the opening of Courtyard Wine
Cellars in Covent Garden. “It’s our biggest shop to date, at 2,500sq ft,” says Mayfair
House boss Nathan Lowry. “It’s got seven vaults and we’ve got different things happening in all of them.”
Lowry founded Pall Mall Wine in 2012
and, despite some self-confessed mistakes along the way, has found a successful
takes the site –they just want to get it
what deals are available. It’s possible
because it all ends up costing you money.
it, and landlords will even put a capital
rented. Then someone falls flat on their face.
“You’ve got to work with the right people,
So in terms of offering a franchise, I think the experience that we’ve got in opening sites, and keeping them open over 10 years, is very valuable.
“We know what’s happening in the
market. We’re very close to all the
landlords and the agents, and know
to negotiate very good property deals
with landlords if you know how to pitch contribution in.
“That’s why being part of a franchise
is strong, because there’s an established
history. The franchisee knows roughly what the shop’s going to look like and they’re sitting alongside all of that expertise to
help get them a site that’s going to work.”
blueprint that’s allowed rapid expansion.
The group includes Shepherd Market Wine House, Traders Wine Bar & Shop, Amelie’s Wine House, Brook’s Mews Wine House,
Cecilia’s Wine House, Maltby Street Wine House, Angelique’s Wine House, Cherry Tree Yard and Voila! Wine Bar & Shop.
Potential new venues in Lowry’s sights
are in Kings Cross, Marylebone, Fitzrovia, Kings Road and the South Bank.
“For the next wave of sites, I’ll either do
them myself or, if I find the right franchisee, I would take the lease and train them and
put together a franchise package,” he says. New entrants to wine retailing face a
number of challenges that Lowry believes can be simplified with a franchise.
“The most important thing is getting the
property right,” he says. “And very often, people who are new to business will get
sold to by an agent who doesn’t care who
North Wales independent Vinomondo has teamed up with a Llandudno business to create a new venture called Eatons. Read how it's all come together on page 5.