Christobell Giles appointed managing director of Vagabond Wines

Majestic Wine has named Christobell Giles as managing director of Vagabond Wines.

 

The former Vagabond operations director had also served as acting general manager from August.

 

The recruitment process was led by the board of Majestic Wine, which acquired the wine bar business out of administration earlier this year, saving nine wine bars and 171 jobs.

 

Giles joined Vagabond in March 2023, having previously worked at businesses such as Wagamama, Hilton and Megan’s Restaurants.

 

She will now be tasked with growing Vagabond and expanding its wine portfolio across the UK, as well as developing Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET)-trained staff.

 

Giles will also work closely with owner Majestic, which aims to open new wine bars and grow the brand’s clientele.

 

She said: “I’m delighted to be taking on the role of managing director at Vagabond at an incredibly exciting point in the brand’s history. I’ve been a huge fan of Vagabond’s unique proposition since long before I joined the team in 2023, so the opportunity to lead the business is one I can’t wait to get started with.

 

“We have passionate and knowledgeable teams, great momentum and ambitious growth plans – all of which sets us up for a very bright future as part of the Majestic group. I’m looking forward to working with the leadership team at Vagabond and the board of Majestic to deliver on that next phase of Vagabond’s growth story.”

 

John Colley, executive chair and chief executive of Majestic, added: “Christobell has invaluable experience in the hospitality sector and has already made a huge contribution to Vagabond since joining us 18 months ago.

 

“I have been particularly impressed with the way she has stepped up and taken on additional responsibilities as acting general manager since the summer, and I am looking forward to working even more closely with her to deliver on our exciting growth plans for Vagabond in the coming years.”

 

Vagabond was founded by entrepreneur Stephen Finch in 2010 in London’s Fulham and has since grown into a wine bar business with a selection of ‘tap and pour’ wines.

 

Majestic was founded in 1980 and in 2019 separated from Naked Wines Plc following its sale to Fortress Investment Group.

 

It has since opened 20 new stores and bought Vagabond Wines out of administration April 2024 with a view to expanding its commercial B2B business.