North London independent All Good Beer has opened a second shop following the purchase of nearby Weino BIB, established by Kirsty Tinkler in Dalston in 2016.
The Hackney Downs indie, which started out in 2019, was Tinkler’s preferred buyer and will continue her policy of offering wine on tap.
Tinkler is moving to South Africa with her partner, where she plans to make wine. She will be returning to the UK at least once a year to run Vessel, the sustainable wine fair she set up last year.
All Good Beer has been owned by Karen Millar and Linda Pace since 2023.
“Lately we’ve noticed a shift in our sales and wine is slowly overtaking beer in terms of popularity,” says Millar.
“Our range is vast and varied and, being in Hackney, the majority of our customers are keen to opt for something natural. Our best seller by the glass is an orange Gewürztraminer.
“We charge a flat-rate corkage of £12 to drink in, which allows punters to drink something very special for incredible value.”
Millar says the deal she struck with Tinkler was “serendipitous”.
“We had long-terms plans to expand but perhaps not quite so quickly,” she says. “I’ve known Kirsty for years, but it was a shared regular who mentioned to me that she was selling the business and asked if I’d be interested in taking it on. There were quite a few interested parties and Kirsty chose us, which is lovely.
“I’m very much aware of the great sense of community Kirsty has fostered during her tenure on Balls Pond Road and I want to ensure that her regulars still feel at home in this next incarnation. Still lots of wine by the glass and to take away, but we’ll definitely be adding draught beer and expanding the can selection for off-trade and drinking in.”
She adds: “We currently offer refills for our wines on tap at Hackney Downs and plan to continue this in Dalston. Mindful consumerism when it comes to the environment is something we consider to be very important.”
Tinkler says: “I am selling up because my partner got a dream job. She left over three months ago with our dog for Cape Town, where she is from, so I am excited to join them.
“I have recently completed a winemaking course at Plumpton College and am super excited to try my hand at winemaking. Being able to sell the shop is facilitating this new adventure. I’ll be buying grapes and building over the next few years.”
She adds: “I’ve loved my life at Weino BIB; I feel super proud to have achieved the normalisation of posh natural box wine. That said, it is true that business is really hard at the moment and when this new opportunity knocked, I jumped.
“I intend to sell wine to the UK, possibly breaking my own rules on how far wine should travel, but hoping sea shipping and alternative formats will help me negate this.”
