There’s a curious affinity between wine merchants and railways arches. It’s partly because they have a resemblance to cool, dark wine cellars. It’s also because rents have traditionally been pretty affordable.
Arches are home to all kinds of independent businesses, not just wine merchants, and as such they are a national asset. We don’t know for sure what will happen when Network Rail sells them off, but let’s not kid ourselves that rents are likely to stay the same.
Understandably, there’s a lot of nervousness among arch-based wine merchants about what will happen once their new landlord emerges. The lack of communication from Network Rail hasn’t helped matters.
We’ve spoken to a few of them in the August edition, where you’ll also find a profile of Corney & Barrow’s Newmarket branch, coverage of our Bristol Round Table Event, a look into the future of Rioja, and predictions about when, if ever, the gin bubble will burst.
