Books / Bookshops
Pair wines with books at Bristol’s newest bookshop
Wine glasses clink between cosy bookshelves as customers browsed through Bristol’s newest bookshop.
The BookCellar opened on Stokes Croft on Friday morning, welcoming eager readers into a space that combines books with curated wines from Bristol-based DBM wines.
The product of a long-held dream from husband-and-wife team Claire and Tom Bartley, the new shop hopes to offer more than somewhere to simply source your next read.
Full of quiet nooks and crannies, and shelves stacked with more than 2,500 titles, the couple have designed as a place to slow down.
Wine in one hand and a book in the other, what could be better? – Photo: Olivia King
At the heart of the shop is the concept of pairing books with wines, something Claire insists should feel fun rather than intimidating.
“We’re booksellers first and foremost,” she said.
Working with DBM Wines, the team has matched wines with books for their book clubs and are also happy to share personalised recommendations for any customers upon request.
The novel Circe by Madeline Miller, for example, has a suggested pairing with a wine from Greece, where the book is set.
Claire said that at The BookCellar “you can judge a book by its cover” and then select a wine to suit its aesthetic.
The space is dog-friendly, as Claire and Tom’s rescue dogs, Bertie and Gromit, can attest to.
Bertie (left), named after P G Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster, and Gromit (right), a tribute to Bristol’s famous four-legged icon, joined Claire and Tom at The BookCellar’s opening – Photo: Olivia King
“There’s a lot of connections between wine and books that you actually start to think about more, and it just becomes quite good fun,” she added.
Tom praised BookCellar’s general manager Pete, who hand-selected the thousands of titles that now line the shop’s shelves.
“He’s done an amazing job curating,” Tom said.
Pete explained that the aim was to create a space that sparks conversation.
“We chose books that communicate that we’re an interesting place that wants to foster interesting conversations and interesting wines,” he said.
Bristol-based DBM wines and the BookCellar team have collaborated to match books with wines – Photo: Olivia King
That sense of community runs throughout the shop’s plans.
Alongside five separate book clubs, each with “its own personality”, BookCellar will also have silent reading nights every Monday from 6.30pm.
“There’s no music, no chatter, just reading,” a sign inside the shop explains.
The shop’s logo, affectionately nicknamed ‘Rosie the Reader’, was designed by Tozer Signs, who has also created signage for several independent businesses across Stokes Croft, strengthening the shop’s connection to the area’s creative community.
The team is already looking ahead to future plans, including a monthly subscription package pairing a selected book and wine with a note explaining why they complement one another.
For Claire and Tom, the idea grew out of their own favourite pastime: unwinding together with a good book and a glass of wine.
Clare said: “We had this idea and we were like, ‘Are people gonna get it and enjoy it?’.
“But people have been really excited by it, and that’s always nice to see.”
Main photo: Olivia King
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