Vagabond bolsters senior team ahead of growth plans
Wine bar business Vagabond is shaking up its senior management team with four senior appointments - two who have worked at parent company Majestic - as it eyes up future growth. The post Vagabond bolsters senior team ahead of growth plans appeared first on The Drinks Business.
Wine bar business Vagabond, which was bought by Majestic in April last year, is shaking up its senior management team with four senior appointments as it eyes up future growth.
It has appointed Jack Merrylees, who previously headed up content, brand and PR at Vagabond’s parent company, Majestic, as its new head of marketing and PR. Merrylees spent ten years at Majestic before joining English winery Balfour in May 2023, where he was group marketing and PR director across the winery and hospitality operations.
The company has also brought Majestic’s Patrick Rummens on board in the newly created role of head of property. Rummens has worked closely with the Vagabond team for the last few months in his role as Majestic’s head of asset management but his new role will see him assume overall responsibility for identifying and acquiring new sites for the wine bar business across the UK.
It has also promoted operations and openings manager Sarah Cavill, who has 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, to head of operations. She takes over from the Christobell Giles, who was named as Vagabond’s new managing director last year. Prior to joining Vagabond in 2019, Cavill held management roles at Browns Restaurants, Le Pain Quotidien and Villandry. She was instrumental in opened Vagabond’s Monument, Shoreditch and Birmingham bars.
Phil Holby has also returned Vagabond as openings and operations manager, after moving to Airport Retail Enterprises as general manager last year following the closure of Vagabond’s airport bars in Heathrow and Gatwick. Holby’s hospitality career includes time at Browns Restaurant in Bristol, Laurel & Regent Inns, Walkabout owner Intertain and Stonegate Pub Company, which acquired Intertain in 2016.
Vagabond's managing director Christobell Giles said she was thrilled to welcome the new appointees, and looked forward to working with them "during this exciting chapter for the business as we accelerate our growth plans throughout 2025 and beyond".
“The re-opening of our revamped bar in Battersea later this month is just the start of a pivotal year for us, and I can’t wait to introduce even more new customers to Vagabond’s knowledgeable, passionate teams, and our unique explore and self-pour wine bar experience,” she said.
The shake up of the senior team underscores "the fresh focus and investment at Vagabond" following its acquisition by Majestic, it said, noting that Majestic planned to invest in Vagabond’s long-term future, including opening new wine bars, growing the brand’s customer base and furthering the wine education of its expert teams.
According to the company, Vagabond has seen strong trading momentum in recent months, having grown like-for-like sales 16.3% in six weeks to 23rd December.
