Jezford wrote:Bob Wines Sydenham is awesome! Popped in on way home from work, open till 9pm, fantastic array of wines, beers and champagnes! Wonderful chap running the place too. Highly recommend it. No-one in Sydenham should now need to buy wine or (good) beer from the supermarkets now! Support your HighStreet!
I sort of agree. I fail to see why I should pay £2.20 for another craft beer however. Nice shop, over priced, but decent all the same.
I think I shall continue to buy wine from my usual sources, and buying beers from a different place. Good shop for anyone coming to Sydenham for a dinner party via train however.
Always good to see a poncey shop appear. Beard and brogue wearers will love it.
Sydenham Syd...I agree these shops are pricey, but if you want to support them so they stay open, rather than having a row of closed and eventually neglected retails spaces with chains in between, then it means sometimes paying more.
We have to make an effort to support small businesses that put their heart into their business and care both about their appearance, products and customers, even if what they sell isn't completely unique and can sometimes be bought in a supermarket.
I echo Kingfisher, Bob wines may not have the economies of scale to compete purely on price (although not sure their craft beers are actually overpriced), but when you factor in the all-round experience and service offered it certainly beats the various mini incarnations of supermarkets we have and could be considered a local community shop we should support.*
*I admit here, that I am presuming any profit isn't being funnel offshore via Panama…
Bob's stocks wines, spirits and beers you wouldn't find in your supermarket. Bob used to manage Oddbin's in West Dulwich so knows his stuff. All the beers I have had from there have been excellent. Bob said they were, so he's not just selling product for the hell of it. Everything is tried and tested.
As a beer drinker the beers aren't over priced at all. As a brewer (at home) I know how much it costs to make these beers. The price of hops is going up as demand is going up. It also takes longer than commercially brewed beers because a lot are dry hopped and go through a secondary fermentation stage before being bottled or canned. They also have no additives.
Sydenham Syd wrote:
I sort of agree. I fail to see why I should pay £2.20 for another craft beer however. Nice shop, over priced, but decent all the same.
£2.20 is what those beers cost everywhere! Go to Sainsburys, Tescos, Co-op, M&S etc and you'll find that Hobgoblin, Badger, Spitfire, Bishops Fnger, Punk IPA etc are all in fact slightly more than that. In my ,er, considerable experience, as somebody who buys more bottled ales from supermarkets than they really should, the only one that's any cheaper tends to be good old Newcastle Brown. So if Bob Wines are selling their craft beer bottles at £2.20, they are priced exactly the same as the supermarkets, which is pretty good going really.
I can add my favourable comments regards Bob Wines. I believe they have an excellent selection of wines and beers (many local South London brewed favouries!) which is great given their relatively small size. It's a lovely addition to Sydenham and I wish them the very best of luck in their new venture...
I agree re price - just bought a bottle of Adnams Broadside for £2.20 in Halesworth CoOp ( I am currently 15 minutes from their brewery / temple to beer in Southwold ) .
I would suggest Bobs is simply not selling much cheap stuff but not overcharging on quality beer and wine .
Like all shops it won't be for everyone but lets face it , if you can " waste " ( it pains me to say that ) money on beer ( and fags in my case ) you can waste a further 5% to have the odd treat
The wines are clearly quality and carefully chosen with help or advice offered happily. A touch too expensive for frequent sloshing with only a very small number under £10 but at least you'll have confidence that it'll be good (as mine was). They sold quite a few bottles of wine while I was perusing the shelves so Sydenham does have some discerning drinkers of both wines and beers it seems
BobWinesSyd wrote:GREAT NEWS!
TASTINGS IN SYDENHAM HAVE ARRIVED
(and it’s free)
BEER TASTING
With the marvellous
Gipsy Hill Brewery Collection
Wednesday 18th May
6pm - 8pm
I popped in briefly with the nipper on the way back from nursery. Tried a sample of Gipsy Hill's Beatnik and Southpaw. Both nice, but the Beatnik especially so. Then the nipper finished his sandwich and started running amok so left without the opportunity of buying anything, which must've made me look like a freeloading miser and/or desperate alcoholic.