Wine merchant now boasts a flourishing alley in a former Greenwich brewery as part of its portfolio of bars, restaurants and hybrid shops
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As a pioneer of city wine bars with a distinctive Victorian feel, Davy’s decision to open a bowling alley in Greenwich at first glance looks a little out of character for a 156-year-old wine merchant.
Launched just over a year ago, Vintners Lanes is tucked away behind Davy’s Wine Vaults and offers bowlers six three-quarter-length lanes amid the storied bricks of the old Lovibonds brewery-turned warehouse.
It’s a far cry from the sport’s traditional UK home – vast metal sheds on retail parks packed with AMF equipment and the multi-sense assault of arcade machines.
“I think I first went bowling in my 30s and that experience was exactly what I didn’t want Vintners Lanes to be,” said James Davy, chairman of the business and the fifth generation of his family to work in it.
“While the game was fun, what went with it was less so.
“What we wanted to do was to create something that provides a really good experience for customers throughout.
“That’s working for us now and we’re immensely proud of it.
“If you’d said to me at the beginning of this project that it would look like this and perform this way, I would have bitten your hand off.”
recognised across the pond
James is somewhat prone to modesty.
Last April, Vintners Lanes was named amongst the seven best venues for the sport in the world at the 40th annual Bowling Centre Architecture And Design Awards in Texas – the only alley to be recognised in the UK.
Lauded for its interior, it marries the polished exacting woods of the lanes, sleek steel racks of black bowling balls and subtle screens with the cosy comforts and antiqued aesthetic more commonly found across the Davy’s portfolio.
Having operated as a wine merchant since 1870, the company opened The Boot And Flogger near Borough Market in 1965, marking its entry into the hospitality sector.
That glorious establishment started a trend for wine bars in the capital with its owner going on to open at many more sites including a lengthy stint in Canary Wharf.
Over the decades, the business has grown and changed.
Today it operates wine bars, tapas spots and wine shops on its public-facing side.
It also continues to run a thriving wholesale operation, supplying wine to a wide range of customers and businesses.
It’s an expression of a company that, despite trading for more than a century and a half, isn’t averse to a bout of evolution here and there.
In fact, Davy’s long had plans for its former warehouse in Greenwich, initially intending to convert it into office space.
skittles over workspace
“We canned that idea after Covid as people weren’t going into offices,” said James.
“We had already done a joint venture with Houdini Escape above Davy’s Wine Vaults in Greenwich and we really liked the vibe of different people coming into our venue.
“We looked again at the space in the warehouse we had at the back of our Greenwich venue – beyond Vintners Yard – which coincided with the arrival of our new CFO, Mark Carrick, who already had bowling in his mind having previously worked for Tenpin.
“We asked ourselves whether we could physically fit an alley in there and the answer was ‘yes’, which quite surprised us.
“The length of the lanes is normal for an urban location and we’ve managed to fit six in alongside a kitchen and bar, making the venue self sufficient.
“The building itself is beautiful and really deserves to be seen.
“We’re open every day for bowling and also offer kids parties and even corporate events.
“Vintners Lanes has been a very interesting journey and it’s starting to mature into a good business.
“We’re getting lots of bookings, but there’s still more space for us to fill.
“Vintners Yard, just outside, is really attractive to people walking past and it helps that we’re right next to the station.
“We host live music sometimes as well as other events, like beer festivals, as it’s become a bit of a destination.
“It’s full of old wine bar furniture with a bar and a barbecue shed – it’s an exciting place to come to.”
changes in hospitality
James, who joined the business in 1992 and has seen extensive change over that time, said the hospitality sector was currently making the news for the significant challenges it faces at present.
Notably, Davy’s took the decision to close the Crusting Pipe – a wine bar it opened in 1980 in Covent Garden after its performance in the evenings dropped away making trading no longer sustainable.
“Sadly we left that area and some customers were appalled – even angry – but, after 8pm, the business had changed over the years and it took a dip post-Brexit and then again after Covid,” said James.
“If you’re losing a session a day, that’s not sustainable and we have to be careful about how we operate. It is now more expensive to employ people and to run the premises we have.”
Despite the economic headwinds, James believes there’s still opportunity for good businesses delivering value to customers.
He said: “We hear about closures in the news, but there are plenty of people doing well.
“It’s still a fantastic experience to go to a nice venue that’s well run – it’s a good use of money and time and everybody benefits from that.
“The closures are partly to do with cost, but also a consequence of evolution. Hospitality has become slightly more difficult – especially when you’re providing a service to commuters as much of our business does.
“But it’s more rewarding when you can make it work. I’d like us to open more hybrid wine shops in the future, where you can get a drink as well as buy a bottle.
“You’ve always got to be glass half full – where we’ve got it right, it’s wonderful to see.
“With Vintners Lanes, the venue appeals to an adult audience, although we really welcome kids.
“It’s a place where parents choose to bring their young ones and we probably sell more and better wine than most bowling alleys.”
key details: Vintners Lanes
Vintners Lanes is located directly behind Davy’s Wine Vaults next to Greenwich station and is open daily.
A single game of bowling costs £12.95 per adult.
Find out more about the venue or make a booking here
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