What does it mean to you to be named in the Walpole 2022 Power List?
We were truly stunned to hear about our selection and hugely honoured, especially given the range and quality of the existing Walpole brand members and the size of our business comparatively to many others. We are very committed to Walpole as an organisation and are delighted to have been recognised in this way.
What have you and your business achieved in the past year that you are most proud of?
We have achieved a huge amount, given the ongoing challenges of Covid and Brexit. Commercially we have been so successful that we are sold out of several of our core products, particularly our still wines. We successfully launched three new products, including two super-premium still wines and have seen a record number of visitors to the Estate. We have also achieved one of our key sustainability goals, installing a 30kw solar PV array on a newly renovated warehouse building, which, on a good day, easily covers our business energy needs and those of much of our local town.
What is 2022 set to look like for your business?
Realistically, we know there will be more challenges ahead and, having had a smaller than ideal harvest in 2021, we'll have the added complexity of managing demand for our products. We do, however, have much to look forward to, including the establishment of a new vineyard site, which will allow us to plan for more growth in the future. We are looking forward to growing our team in 2022, which includes supporting the government viticulture apprenticeship programme.
What are you most looking forward to professionally for 2022?
We are respectively looking forward to helping shape the future of the UK wine industry through our roles in the Kent Producer’s Group ‘The Wine Garden of England’ and WineGB, the national body for the wine industry. Charles currently chairs the Wine Garden of England and Ruth has just been appointed as a Board Director of WineGB.
And personally?
Trying to make a little bit more time for ourselves!
