122 jobs secured with sale of final two Vagabond bars

The two remaining Vagabond Wines bars have been acquired out of administration, securing 122 staff jobs.

Joint administrators from Quantuma completed the sale of the sites located at Gatwick Airport to Airport Retail Enterprises (UK) Ltd.

Vagabond was founded in 2009 and offers customers more than 100 wines by the glass from self-pour machines.

It appointed advisory firm Quantuma to review options for the business on 15 March after struggling with debt built up during the pandemic and the loss of its Heathrow Airport bar.

Joint administrators Andrew Andronikou and Brian Burke traded Vagabond, which operated from 12 sites across London, Birmingham and the south-east of England, while they negotiated a sale.

Nine of Vagabond’s bars were acquired by Majestic Wines on 2 April, marking the suppliers first entry into the hospitality space.

The group’s “underperforming” bar in Canary Wharf was not included in the sale and is understood to have since closed.

Andronikou said: “I am delighted to have achieved such great outcomes, which all told means the preservation of in excess of 300 jobs.

“Both acquirers are well positioned to provide funding and operational expertise to support the next phases of profitable growth for the businesses.”