Brodie Meah and Max Venning’s lockdown project, Shop Cuvée, has opened the doors of bricks and mortar site, just in time for the curfew. Around the corner from restaurant mothership, Top Cuvée, the launch follows staggering Covid success and national expansion.
The online shop began as a way to provide an income for the restaurant forced to close its doors back in March, a pivot that saw the brand explode in popularity for its unique and unstuffy approach to the world of natural wine.
Not to be deterred by empty seats in their year-old restaurant, ever-adaptive co-founders Brodie Meah and Max Venning quickly expanded their local appeal from a hit neighbourhood restaurant to London’s essential lockdown wine supply. Ensuring no-one’s glasses would run dry, or pantries empty, Shop Cuvée was born. Stocking store cupboard essentials and natural wine made available for delivery across London by bicycle courier, even providing chilled bottles ready to be poured in local London parks.
Overnight, this treasured neighbourhood haunt grew almost cult-like in following, with requests for delivery coming in from as far as Inverness from fans thirsty for Meah’s no-nonsense, relatable but most importantly, fun approach to natural wines. Responding to the demand, Shop Cuvée went nationwide, delivering next day and alongside their monthly subscription program.
Now, with the beloved Top Cuvée back open for service, serving their seasonal menu Wednesday through to Sunday lunch, bottles continued to fly out the door for deliveries and takeaways. To keep up with demand, the team have launched the high street answer to fans’ home entertaining needs.
Shop Cuvée plays host to hundreds of bottles of natural wines, from recognisable labels such as The Chin Chin Vinho Verde 2018 (£12), and original French Breton Cider (£9.5). Upon further exploration, and under expert guidance, discoveries to be made include juicy reds best enjoyed chilled in the case of Fond Cyprés’ Premier Jus (£19). Funky orange wines, ranging in hue, such as the Brand Bro’s Wilder Satz (£19.99) and Le Coste’s Ripazzo Bianco (£24.50). From their lively petillant naturel selection, TiIllingham Col ’18 (£35) or rosé pet nat ‘Dope’ from Claus Preisinger (£34).
Not ones to neglect the perfect snacks to complement their bottles, Shop Cuvee also have all charcuterie needs covered with rotating selections of cheeses from Neil’s Yard and cured meats from Cobble Lane, freshly sliced and wrapped to go. Straight from the kitchen at Top Cuvée, customers will find house-made delights from Pig’s head terrine to Guinea fowl rillette and their unrivalled whipped smoked cod’s roe Pantry staples will also be on offer from the likes of Belazu, Brindisa and Mariscadora. All bottles and dry products on sale will be available for same-day delivery in London, and very next day nation-wide.
Designed and built in a matter of weeks by the duo (and their wives!), the shop is every bit as colourful and fun as the wines stocked. Playful features include laminated woodchip flooring, fluro latex door dividers and local art, including a shutter mural from local graffiti artist, Panik. A large table for wine tastings, on stools made from bottle crates, will also pay host private dining and events.
Brodie says of the launch: ‘‘If you told me in March that not only would Top Cuvee come back better than ever, that we would have provided thousands of natural wines to London, launched a nationwide delivery service AND that we will open a permanent shop on our beloved Blackstock Road – I’d have thought you were having me on. We cannot begin to thank our customers enough, the shop is for them – come in, say hello – we couldn’t have done it without you! As well as our locals, the shop will ensure we keep on reaching our customers around the rest of the UK – the support and demand has been just incredible.’’