MEET MARIA
Summer in London is absolutely splendid. It’s a fantastic time to catch up with old friends, particularly those with whom I share a deep connection from living together in Goa. This time, it gave me a chance to discover an exciting new concept called Bottle and Blade.
Kate and I go back years, when I moved to south Goa from the UK and she from Australia. Having moved to London & now with her Italian fiancé Manu, the couple are taking it a step further and their next big adventure with an exciting experience involving wine and a bit of style.
As a hairdresser, Kate is well in tune with the latest trends but has her own creative sense of style as well. Manu, on the other hand, has spent the last few years managing wine bars and was looking for an outlet to indulge his own unconventional style.
So when they decided to host their pop-up Bottle and Blade to gauge the market, my friends and I headed over to see what they’d come up with. It was a fantastic evening to say the least! The original concept involved a hair-cutting service in the morning that merges with a wine bar in the afternoon where clients can sip their favourite vino while getting a trim, and then finally turning into a relaxed space for a drink and chit chat in the evening. Currently, Kate is now doing her haircuts and styling on Tuesdays with The Food Pop up’s on Wednesday Evenings.
The gorgeous little space is an excellent venue to hang out with friends or even have a private event, with its warm wooden tables, simple yet elegant wine display, and airy feel. Currently, Kate and Manu host weekly food pop-ups, where guests can avail hair-cutting services and move on to delicious seafood and vegetarian sharing plates paired beautifully with various wines.
Bottle and Blade also organises wine tastings with delicious cheeses and charcuterie. The wines come from all around the world, but the duo carefully hand-picks the rest of the produce locally. 
Guests will find cured meats from Islington including Cobble Lane Cured, gin by East London Liquor Company from down the street, and a delightful selection of craft beers by Deviant and Dandy from Hackney. Kate and Manu even make their own beautiful sourdough to go with the food.
From guest barbers to tasting sessions, bread-baking workshops and pop-ups, Bottle and Blade is giving east Londoners so much to look forward to in the coming months. I wish them all the best, and can’t wait to head back on my next visit!
Contact Kate: +44 7943 743293 – Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/bottleandbladewinebarE9/
