£4.3m development plans for winery Chapel Down

08 July 2013 by
£4.3m development plans for winery Chapel Down

Award-winning winemaker Chapel Down will use a £4.3 million pot of new equity funding to help grow its existing wine business and fund the construction of a new beer brewery, ensuring the creation of local jobs, the Kent-based company announced today.

Already supplying top retailers such as Majestic, Morrison's, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Selfridges, as well as household-name chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, the company plans to capitalise on the increasing thirst for English wine with a host of new vines across Sussex and Essex.

CEO Frazer Thompson said the funding marked a crucial new stage in the company's development, and noted how the firm had grown from "a bit of a novelty" into a "terrific brand".

"This investment will allow us to continue to increase the supply for our award-winning brands to meet growing demand and further improve the quality and reach of both our wine and beer in the UK and internationally," he said.

The funding also means major expansion for the Chapel Down beer range, Curious, as the company moves forward with plans for a new brewery in Kent.

Today also marks the official appointment of new Board member John Dunsmore, previous chief executive of Scottish & Newcastle and C&C Magners. The Hothouse Club, of which Dunsmore is founder, has invested over £2m in Chapel Down.

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