I popped into the Bottle Bank in St Ives this afternoon after hearing it mentioned several times across our Craft Beer In Cambridgeshire Facebook group. St Ives is already blessed with some great places to buy beer and alcohol, such as J Wadsworth (which is also one of the only place you can buy cigars without having to trek into Cambridge) and of course The Filling Station.

I was looking forward to seeing what the Bottle Bank has to offer that hasn’t already been offered elsewhere. I was pleasantly surprised to see an indoor seating area and a leaflet which claims to do hosting events. Previous events consisted of a Linton based Wyld Skye Brewery. 👍

There is a wide selection of beers, wines, ciders, and stouts, with a lot of them locally produced. There are also a few fridges for people looking to buy to drink out. I was looking for a gift for someone (who will remain nameless for now as I know they read this blog). I know he likes stout, which is something I am generally clueless about. Luckily, the gentleman behind the till was very helpful and took the time to give me personal recommendations.

Prices seemed fair and the time given to me to aid with my choice really made a positive difference to my shopping experience. I even learned a thing or two, which is something you can’t always say about shopping. I was told about the interesting history behind a particular beer by St Ivo brewery. I won’t put profanity on this blog but I urge you to run the name of the beer below through Google translate. 😂

The shop is small but it was wall to wall beer and wine, so the space was used well. There are big windows which make the shop very light too. It’s an overall pleasant place to be. I can see myself coming back here again the next time I am strolling through St Ives. I look forward to seeing what events they have to offer in the future. Fingers crossed for more local breweries!

For more information please visit their website.