Key Points
- The Cardiff Wine Passport is returning in August 2026 after an 18-month break.
- The scheme will run for seven weeks and offers six drinks in exchange for six passport stamps.
- It was created by Cardiff-based hospitality consultant Jane Cook in 2022.
- The initiative has generated more than £80,000 in direct revenue for independent Cardiff bars and restaurants.
- Three new venues have been added to the 2026 scheme.
- The return comes as hospitality businesses face rising employment, energy and business-rate costs.
- UKHospitality warned in April that 64% of surveyed hospitality businesses expected to cut jobs, while around one in seven said they could be forced to close.
Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) August 3, 2026 — The Cardiff Wine Passport is returning to the Welsh capital this August after an 18-month break, with organisers aiming to draw customers back into independent bars and restaurants at a time when the hospitality sector is under renewed financial pressure.
What is the Cardiff Wine Passport?
As reported by the Cardiff Wine Passport team, the scheme will give people seven weeks to explore some of Cardiff city centre’s independent hospitality venues by collecting six passport stamps in exchange for six specially selected drinks. The passport is designed as an accessible way for customers to try venues they might not otherwise visit, while supporting businesses that operate outside the major chains.
The initiative was created in 2022 by Cardiff-based hospitality consultant Jane Cook. According to the scheme’s own figures, it has already generated more than £80,000 in direct revenue for exclusively independent Cardiff bars and restaurants.
Why is the scheme returning now?
The return comes during a difficult period for hospitality businesses across the UK, with operators facing higher employment costs, energy bills and business rates, alongside weaker consumer spending. As reported by UKHospitality in April, 64% of surveyed hospitality businesses expected to cut jobs, while around one in seven said they could be forced to close because of the cost increases.
Against that backdrop, the Cardiff Wine Passport is being used as a targeted local campaign to encourage footfall and spending in independent venues. The scheme’s organisers say its wider economic impact is likely to be higher than the direct revenue figure alone, because many passport holders also buy food, extra drinks and later return to venues they first discovered through the initiative.
Which venues are included this year?
The 2026 edition will include three new venues, although the information provided does not name them. The scheme is still focused on independent Cardiff bars and restaurants, continuing its original aim of promoting smaller local businesses rather than national chains.
By limiting the offer to independent venues, the passport is intended to spread custom across a wider range of local operators. The idea is to give participants a reason to visit several businesses over the seven-week period rather than concentrating spending in just one place.
What has Jane Cook said through the scheme?
The supplied information attributes the initiative to Jane Cook, described as a Cardiff-based hospitality consultant. It says she launched the Passport in 2022 as a fun and accessible way to encourage people to discover independent venues they may not otherwise have considered.
No direct quotation from Cook is included in the material provided, so it would not be accurate to add one. Based on the information available, her role in the scheme is as founder and organiser, with the project positioned as both a customer incentive and a support mechanism for the city’s hospitality sector.
How has the passport performed so far?
The scheme has already produced more than £80,000 in direct revenue for independent Cardiff bars and restaurants. That figure is central to the campaign’s return, because it suggests the passport has already delivered measurable spending for local businesses.
Its broader effect may be greater than the headline revenue total. The information provided says passport holders regularly order food and additional drinks, and that some return to the same venues after completing the scheme, which may help create repeat custom beyond the initial promotion period.
Why does the return matter for Cardiff’s hospitality sector?
The passport’s return matters because it is aimed squarely at a sector under pressure. Rising costs have made it harder for hospitality businesses to maintain profit margins, and consumer caution has limited discretionary spending in many city centres.
A local scheme such as the Cardiff Wine Passport cannot solve those structural pressures on its own, but it can help generate short-term trade and raise awareness of independent venues. For businesses participating in the 2026 edition, that could mean additional bookings, higher drink sales and better visibility among people who might otherwise visit larger chains.
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Background of the development
The Cardiff Wine Passport first launched in 2022 as a city-centre promotion focused on independent hospitality venues. The concept was simple: participants could collect stamps at a series of venues and exchange them for drinks, creating an incentive to visit multiple businesses over a set period.
Since its launch, the scheme has become a recognised part of Cardiff’s independent hospitality calendar. The return in August 2026 follows its last run in March 2025, meaning the project has now been absent for 18 months before being brought back.
Prediction
For Cardiff’s independent bars and restaurants, the return of the passport is likely to bring a short-term uplift in footfall, especially from customers looking for a structured way to try different venues. If the scheme performs in line with earlier editions, it may also help some businesses win repeat trade after the promotion ends.
For local hospitality workers and suppliers, the effect could be modest but positive if participating venues see stronger takings during the seven-week run. For customers, the main impact is likely to be a cheaper and more organised way to explore Cardiff’s independent food and drink scene while supporting local businesses.
