Award winning vineyard receives business support for growth plan

Hobby turned successful business Toppesfield Vineyard was the latest destination for Braintree District Council’s Economic Development team’s business tour.

“We’re seeing lots of growth of our rural businesses, which is really exciting to see because it allows us to celebrate some of our unique villages such as Toppesfield.”

What started as a hobby for Jane and Peter Moore in 2012 has now developed into a fully-fledged business that now produces 10,000 bottles of award winning wine each year.

With 14 acres of land, the couple have created a resilient business that has exceeded all expectations, winning a number of awards including East Anglia’s Wine of the Year for two of their four vintages to date, a gold award from the prestigious 2018 Global Sommelier Wine Awards and silver medals from Decanter World Wine Awards and from the Independent English Wine Awards.

Braintree District Council’s Economic Development team work across several key priorities including skills, business support, tourism and much more. Joined by ward member Cllr Richard van Dulken and cabinet member for Economic Development and Infrastructure Cllr Tom Cunningham, the team spoke to the couple about how the pair had nurtured their small boutique vineyard.

Their wine is available from 100+ East of England Coop stores across East Anglia, 7  Majestic stores in Essex and Suffolk as well as a range of independent stores, pubs and restaurants. It can also be bought from their website and, by appointment, from their Vineyard Cellar Door.

Research shows that the valley around Toppesfield was heavily planted with vines in Roman Times; and it was this history that gave Jane and Peter the inspiration to create a 21st century vineyard.

Cllr Cunningham said: “We’re seeing lots of growth of our rural businesses, which is really exciting to see because it allows us to celebrate some of our unique villages such as Toppesfield. We look forward to working with the vineyard team and find out how we can support them become a fantastic destination for visitors as part of our wider tourism plan.”

“We have some fantastic rural businesses in our district and Toppesfield Vineyard is an excellent example of the community spirit that is the driving force of some really valuable economic growth. Not only do businesses such as this one create employment in our villages, but they also promote tourism and a sense of pride in the community.” said Cllr Van Dulken.

Jane has been working with the Council on its Young Entrepreneur Programme by providing business mentoring to young entrepreneurs, through sharing her consultancy experience and skills to support young people’s aspirations to start their own businesses. “It has been fantastic to work with the Council on numerous support schemes for local businesses. We are delighted to share our commercial experience and ‘lessons learned’ over the years to help new businesses expand and grow, increase local employment and generally contribute to our rural community and economy” said Jane.

Businesses in the Braintree District that would like more information on how the council can give business growth support can email [email protected].

Residents who would like to find out more about Toppesfield Vineyard can go to: www.toppesfieldvineyard.co.uk

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