Oliver Kinsley invited me to The Grapevine to tell me more about the new branding of his business and what he wants to deliver to locals in Rye in the future. He wants the bar to be a destination for locals. “I want people to know it is under new ownership. I have a business partner and we are rebranding ourselves as new owners and taking a fresh look at what The Grapevine is”
What is different about your fresh look?
“Already there is a lot more live music: we have over ten gigs a week including every evening. We want to do a lot more for the local community and are seeking to work with other small-business owners. If we all pull together collectively, we can help the local shops and the hospitality business. We want to get involved in events like the Rye Jazz Festival. We want to promote the town in general and showcase what it has to offer.
“The first step of the journey was to get the mix of the music right. We remain open until midnight every single night and ours is a place where we offer a warm welcome. You can come in as a party or on your own and you will be made to feel at home. We are really busy at the weekends, and we want to encourage people to come more in the weekdays so we are looking for new ways to do this.
“The Grapevine is primarily a champagne bar. We offer over 30 Champagnes, 100 wines, 20 gins, and much more”
The private person behind the public face
Oliver was born and raised in south-east Asia and spent a lot of time during the summer holidays of his childhood in Burgundy, France.
That is where his attraction to the wine industry first started. His move to the UK, from a buzzing city like Hong Kong to quiet countryside, was quite a shock. One day he was walking past the Grapevine and came in to find out if there was a job going. The music wafting onto the cobbled streets outside enticed him in. Four years later he got the opportunity to purchase half of it with his business partner Peter Ockenden. Peter spent twenty-five years touring the world as a professional poker player and running alongside this was a series of successful businesses, so he knew that the partnership was in good hands. After Brexit he returned to the UK and was a regular customer at The Grapevine. A friendship was forged which led easily to a partnership.
It is great place to work, and staff get looked after really well.
"My favourite part of working at The Grapevine are the people on both sides of the bar, the team and customers are great people to be around" - Matt, staff member.
"I love the ambience and atmosphere in The Grapevine, it’s a unique place. Oli is a great host, the wine list is outstanding, and I feel totally relaxed and at home there" - John, local customer.
"The Grapevine is my favourite local place to sing. I absolutely love how it’s focused around live music. Everyone who comes in is excited to listen and always seems to enjoy The Grapevine experience. We need more venues like this one that take you back in time to the speak-easy era. If you pay a visit to Rye this is THE bar to go to." - Victoria Bass, a resident musician
So, if you are looking for employment and have the enthusiasm, the energy and the commitment, do get in touch with Oliver on 01797 227531 or via info@thegrapevinerye.com.
Oliver summed up the journey so far, “Our greatest achievement since taking The Grapevine over has been the introduction of live music every single night of the year, including several gigs over the weekends. This is unusual for a small countryside town outside of London. Over the upcoming weeks, we’re aiming to introduce more high-profile gigs as well, these will be ticketed depending on where you sit, and we hope to have well-established jazz and blues musicians, internationally recognised, performing at The Grapevine. Keep an eye on our website and social media to see what’s coming up.”
