Bishop's Cellar
Bishop's Cellar is an independent wine, beer, and spirits retailer operating a single flagship store on Halifax's waterfront plus an e-commerce site and a B2B licensee supply division serving restaurants across Nova Scotia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersHalifax, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bishop's Cellar does
Bishop's Cellar is a privately held wine, beer, and spirits retailer headquartered on the Halifax waterfront at 1477 Lower Water Street, Nova Scotia, Canada. The company operates a single physical retail store supported by a WooCommerce/WordPress e-commerce site that enables online ordering, regional spotlights, and curated discovery content. Its inventory spans red, white, sparkling, rosé, and fortified wines sourced globally (New Zealand, Italy, France, Chile, Germany, Belgium, England), alongside a beer assortment (commercial lager, hoppy, sour, local Nova Scotia craft) and a spirits range covering rum, gin, whisk(e)y, Italian amaro, single malt Scotch, vermouth, and agave. Price points range from approximately $18–25 for everyday bottles to $1,100 for trophy allocations such as Gaja Sori' Tildin Barbaresco, with gift cards and a Sale section rounding out the catalog.
The business operates a dual-channel go-to-market. On the consumer side, in-store tastings, Wine Wednesday promotions, staff picks, and themed discovery collections (Rosé All Day, Friday Finds, Pizza Night) drive foot traffic and DTC e-commerce conversion. On the B2B side, a dedicated licensee sales team, order desk, and warehouse delivery fleet supply restaurants, bars, and hospitality venues across Nova Scotia, with sommeliers collaborating on wine program curation. Revenue is generated through one-time bottle/unit retail sales and wholesale supply transactions; all prices include applicable taxes and bottle deposit.
The company employs approximately 30 staff across retail, warehouse and delivery, licensee sales, e-commerce, and management. Leadership includes President Matt Rogers (17+ year tenure since 2006) and VP Partner Wayne Coyle. The team carries an unusually deep set of beverage credentials for a single-store operator, including multiple CAPS-certified sommeliers, Court of Master Sommeliers, WSET Level 3, ISG sommeliers, a Certified Cicerone, and a BJCP Certified Beer Judge. There is no disclosed external funding, parent company, or M&A activity; Bishop's Cellar is founder/entrepreneurial owned and operates as an independent Canadian retailer.
Bishop's Cellar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bishop's Cellar
- Legal name
- Bishop's Cellar
- Website
- https://bishopscellar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bishop's Cellar is an independent wine, beer, and spirits retailer operating a single flagship store on Halifax's waterfront plus an e-commerce site and a B2B licensee supply division serving restaurants across Nova Scotia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bishop's Cellar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Beverage Retail
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAB), Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Bishop's Cellar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Halifax
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bishop's Cellar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel
Revenue model
- Retail Wine, Beer & Spirits Sales: Brick-and-mortar and e-commerce retail sales of curated wine, beer, and spirits to individual consumers. Single bottle pricing with price points ranging from budget ($18-25) to premium ($1000+).
- Restaurant/Hospitality Wholesale: Dedicated licensee sales team供给 restaurants and hospitality businesses across Nova Scotia, delivering products via dedicated warehouse team and delivery vehicles.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual bottle retail pricing across all categories |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bishop's Cellar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bishop's Cellar operates a brick-and-mortar retail store on the Halifax waterfront selling a curated selection of wine, beer, and spirits, complemented by an e-commerce storefront. The business also maintains a dedicated licensee/hospitality sales division that supplies restaurants and bars across Nova Scotia with wine, beer, and spirits, supported by an in-house warehouse and delivery fleet.
Product overview
Bishop's Cellar is a wine, beer, and spirits retail store located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company offers a curated selection of wines (Red, White, Sparkling, Rose, Fortified), beers (including local craft and international options), and spirits (Rum, Gin, Whisk(e)y, and specialty categories). Additional offerings include Gift Cards, in-store tastings and events, Staff Picks, Premium Selections, New Arrivals, Top Sellers, and Sale items. The product portfolio is organized around curated collections and discovery themes including Tidal Bay (Nova Scotian wines), Rosé seasonal selections, and regional spotlights.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wine Curated wine selection including Red, White, Sparkling, Rose, and Fortified wines sourced from global wine regions, sold to individual consumers and hospitality customers.
- Beer Beer selection featuring Hoppy Beer, Commercial Lager, Sour Beer, and local Nova Scotia craft brews, sold to consumers and restaurants.
- Spirits Spirits assortment including Rum, Gin, Whisk(e)y, Italian Amaro, Single Malt Scotch, Vermouth, and Agave Spirits.
- Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase for gifting to wine, beer, and spirits enthusiasts.
- Tastings and In-Store Events Hosted tasting experiences including Wine Wednesday promotions and ticketed tasting events such as Rosé tastings held at the store and at external venues like the Discovery Centre.
- Restaurant and Hospitality Wholesale Supply Dedicated licensee sales team supplies restaurants, bars, and hospitality venues across Nova Scotia with wine, beer, and spirits, supported by an in-house warehouse and delivery fleet.
Quantifiable outcome
- Strong local Nova Scotia wine selection featuring all major Tidal Bay producers
Companies that use Bishop's Cellar
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bishop's Cellar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bishop's Cellar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Bishop's Cellar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC): Provincial government alcohol retailer operating the dominant physical retail footprint across Nova Scotia; competes head-to-head with Bishop's Cellar across price and assortment breadth.
- SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec): Québec government alcohol retailer with broad curated wine/spirits assortment and strong private-label programs; relevant incumbent comparable for scaled alcohol retailing, though geographically separate.
- LCBO: Ontario government alcohol retailer — the largest Canadian beverage alcohol operator; comparable only as a scaled incumbent whose pricing pressure and assortment breadth shape the competitive environment for independents like Bishop's Cellar.
Direct peers
- Everything Wine: Western Canadian multi-store premium wine/beer/spirits chain with curated inventory, in-store expertise, and growing footprint; comparable as a curated-retail competitor with greater scale headroom.
- Kensington Wine Market: Independent wine, beer, and spirits specialty retailer in Calgary, Alberta with strong sommelier staff, curated global inventory, and a comparable B2B hospitality supply operation — the closest Canadian analog to Bishop's Cellar in scale and positioning.
- ARC: Toronto wine retail concept with a strong curated/discovery focus and sommelier-led staff education model, closely aligned with Bishop's Cellar's curation-led positioning at smaller scale.
- De Falco Wines & Spirits: Toronto family-owned wine, beer, and spirits retailer since 1954 with deep curated selection and strong staff expertise; comparable to Bishop's Cellar as a longstanding independent premium retailer with sommelier-driven merchandising.
- Willow Park Wines & Spirits: Calgary-based independent premium wine, beer, and spirits retailer with a long-standing restaurant license supply business and on-site sommelier expertise; operates at a similar premium-curation model to Bishop's Cellar.
Others
- Lightfoot & Wolfville: Premium Nova Scotia winery whose wines Bishop's Cellar features prominently in its Tidal Bay/local selections; an ecosystem supplier and partner rather than a direct retail competitor.
- Benjamin Bridge: Nova Scotia winery (several Bishop's Cellar staff came from here) that is a featured local producer in the store; ecosystem partner and supplier.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bishop's Cellar social profiles
Digital presenceBishop's Cellar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bishop's Cellar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Bishop's Cellar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bishop's Cellar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bishop's Cellar
What does Bishop's Cellar do?
Bishop's Cellar operates a brick-and-mortar retail store on the Halifax waterfront selling a curated selection of wine, beer, and spirits, complemented by an e-commerce storefront. The business also maintains a dedicated licensee/hospitality sales division that supplies restaurants and bars across Nova Scotia with wine, beer, and spirits, supported by an in-house warehouse and delivery fleet.
Is Bishop's Cellar a public or private company?
Bishop's Cellar is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bishop's Cellar founded?
Bishop's Cellar was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bishop's Cellar based?
Bishop's Cellar is headquartered in Halifax, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Bishop's Cellar make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Wine, Beer & Spirits Sales are the primary driver. The others are restaurant/Hospitality Wholesale.
Who are Bishop's Cellar's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC), SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec) and LCBO. Direct peers are Everything Wine, Kensington Wine Market, ARC, De Falco Wines & Spirits and Willow Park Wines & Spirits. Others are Lightfoot & Wolfville and Benjamin Bridge.
Does Bishop's Cellar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bishop's Cellar.
What industry is Bishop's Cellar in?
Bishop's Cellar's product category is Specialty Beverage Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANABAB, Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants), with a secondary code of CRANAAAB, Wine Shops (Off-Premise). Its NAICS code is 44532 and its SIC code is 5180.