Gloucester Road wine bar inspired by the ‘caves à manger’ of Paris launches first lunch menu

Cave, the wine bar, shop and deli that opened on Gloucester Road just as Covid-19 hit the UK in 2020 is celebrating two years’ in business with a brand new lunch menu launch
Cave owner and founder Martin Hagen is passionate about sustainability in the wine industry.Cave owner and founder Martin Hagen is passionate about sustainability in the wine industry.
Cave owner and founder Martin Hagen is passionate about sustainability in the wine industry.

After a troublesome start to their opening with the pandemic hitting soon after getting the keys, Cave is celebrating their two-year anniversary with the launch of their first-ever lunch menu.

The new menu will feature ​​sandwiches, focaccias and toasties and a selection of small plates, alongside specially selected wine by the glass.

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Cave opened in March 2020 as a wine bar, shop and deli, serving food and wine sourced from small-scale sustainable producers.

As well as serving small plates paired with wine, organic cider and locally brewed beer, Cave also hosts wine tastings, pop-up food events, oyster deliveries to the local area and runs a local and nationwide online shop with everything from deli items to hand-prepared hampers of wine.

Bringing a slice of Europe to Gloucester Road

​​Cave owner and founder Martin Hagen tells us how he wanted to bring a slice of Europe to Gloucester Road.

“We modelled Cave on the numerous caves à manger of Paris, where you can have a glass of wine and some cheese perched at a bar and then take a bottle home with you,” he said.

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“We wanted to showcase small batch production wines that are made organically, bio dynamically or sustainably.

“We love to showcase unfamiliar grape types and regions and we also hold a solid collection of rare and sought-after bottles for all you wine geeks out there.”

Each wine will be specially selected for you at CaveEach wine will be specially selected for you at Cave
Each wine will be specially selected for you at Cave

Having launched this month, the new lunch menu marks coming through a tough first couple of years for the business, and is a symbol of how incredibly successful the business has managed to be.

“2022 is the year we hope to see our model in full swing,” he added.

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“We’ve had a rollercoaster first two years’ trading and hope that this year just brings more stability and a little bit of normality back into the world. We hope 2022 will bring people back to their pre-covid patterns.”

So, as well as the deli produce, what can people expect from the new lunch offering?

“We have started to produce some amazing sandwiches that feature lots of our amazing deli produce from the shop. We are trying to elevate the humble sandwich into something next level delicious,” Mr Hagen tells us.

“We are also offering a lunch deal with one of our amazing sandwiches and a glass of wine for £13.

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“You can sit in and enjoy a made to order sandwich with a glass of something delicious.

“What more could you want? There will also be some other plates on offer, with things like a charcuterie plate, Cantabrian anchovies and a cheese plate making an appearance.”

Think charcuterie plates and cheese plates for what to expect at Cave BristolThink charcuterie plates and cheese plates for what to expect at Cave Bristol
Think charcuterie plates and cheese plates for what to expect at Cave Bristol

‘Sustainable wine production is wine made in a thoughtful way’

A large part of the ethos at Cave comes from Mr Hagens’ passion for sustainability in the wine industry.

As a result, the glass of wine you’ll find yourself enjoying with the new menu won’t just be any old glass of the good stuff.

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With Fairtrade Fortnight underway across the UK at the moment, what does Mr Hagen feel is most important about Cave’s approach to wine?

“Sustainable wine production is wine that has been made in a thoughtful way with ecological responsibility at the forefront. Sustainable winemaking refers to how the wine is made in the winery,” he explains.

“In commercial winemaking there are many permitted additives and chemicals that can be used to manipulate the wine to become something far removed from the raw material.

“These can be things to make the wine sweeter, more acidic, have a deeper colour or bring out particular flavours and aromas.

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“We choose to only work with growers who do not use any of these additives during their winemaking process and end up with a product that is as close to fermented grape juice as possible.”

Cave owner and founder Martin Hagen is passionate about sustainability in the wine industryCave owner and founder Martin Hagen is passionate about sustainability in the wine industry
Cave owner and founder Martin Hagen is passionate about sustainability in the wine industry

And what else is Mr Hagen looking forward to in 2022 at Cave?

“We have also launched a new website which we will be putting a lot of energy into this year and I’m super excited to see where this takes us.

“We want to add something else into the world of online wine sales.”

Watch this space...

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