Bodega wine bar joins Weir Mill's growing neighbourhood of indie retailers
A new independent wine bar is set to open at Stockport's most anticipated new neighbourhood - and it's bringing a concept its founders believe is a UK first
Weir Mill, the £60m regeneration of one of Stockport's oldest buildings by social impact developer Capital&Centric, is welcoming its latest independent operator. Bodega, a modern, European-inspired wine bar, is set to open this summer alongside the neighbourhood's growing line up of food, drink and community spaces.
The modern wine bar movement has been quietly reshaping cities like Copenhagen, London, Paris, Melbourne and New York, moving away from formal, stuffy wine culture towards something more relaxed, design-led and community-focused. Now it's landing in Stockport with the introduction of Bodega.
Bodega will serve up a cracking range of wines by the glass, from everyday sips to special bottles, including natural and low-intervention wines. Expect cold lager on tap, plus charcuterie and sharing plates done right.
There’s also a bit of retail on the side, so you can grab something a bit different to take home that you won’t find in the supermarket.
But what makes Bodega genuinely different is its wine vault. For a low monthly membership fee, guests can store their own bottles - whether that's six bottles of Aldi wine or a carefully curated collection - and have them served by the glass in a full bar setting, with live music, great food and great company for just a small corkage fee.
With the cost of living on the up, Bodega arrives at a time when people are starting to rethink how they socialise.Bodega’s “Cellar Club” model offers something genuinely unique, the experience and atmosphere of a brilliant bar, at a cost that people can actually control.
Tom Wilmot, Co-Founder of Bodega said:
"What we are trying to do is combine a wine storage concept with a membership model that is in an inclusive setting and is accessible at affordable price points. We live in a country where a pint of lager is touching £7 now and a large glass of wine is £15+, so we need to find creative ways of making it more cost-effective for people to eat and drink out.
“Bodega is about capturing that feeling you get in the best little wine bars across Europe - relaxed, social and full of life. It's a space for the neighbourhood, whether you're popping in for a glass after work or staying all evening. The cellar club concept adds a genuinely new dimension - we believe it's the first time something like this has been brought to the UK, and it gives people a sense of ownership and a reason to keep coming back, whatever their budget. Weir Mill is exactly the right place for it."
Cllr Micheala Meikle, Stockport Council Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration, and Skills, said:
“The arrival of Bodega Wines is another strong signal of the confidence that independent businesses have in Weir Mill and in Stockport town centre. A specialist, experience‑led wine business like this will add real character to the neighbourhood, creating a welcoming space for people to spend time and enjoy the waterside setting.
"This is exactly what regeneration should deliver: new jobs, strong independents and more reasons for people to spend time in the town centre, while keeping the character that makes Stockport what it is. Investment of this quality shows the direction we’re heading and the momentum we’re building, ensuring Stockport remains a vibrant, welcoming and thriving place for residents, visitors and businesses alike.”
The vault itself sits inside the Engine Room of Weir Mill, a space dating back to the early 19th century that once housed the boiler which powered the entire mill. Bodega is breathing new life into it with Scandi furniture, alongside a temperature and humidity-controlled vault storing up to 1,500 bottles.
Bodega joins a lineup at Weir Mill that already includes Jane Eyre, Social Trattoria, Rita Rays and more - all part of a neighbourhood that sits alongside the River Mersey and Stockport's iconic Victorian viaduct, and forms a key part of the £1bn town centre regeneration being delivered by Stockport's Mayoral Development Corporation.
