Charles and Ruth Simpson of Simpsons Wine Estate are delighted to announce that their application to the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Growth Programme for grant funding for the development of a state-of-the-art winery, has been successful.
The grant will assist in the conversion of two barns, which are situated equidistant to their vineyards in Barham, Kent, into a modern winery and tasting room. Work on the project will start imminently and the conversion will be completed in September 2016, in anticipation of their first harvest in October.
Comments co-owner Ruth Simpson, “We have been awarded a grant of £143,154, which represents 37.5% of our projected total winery conversion and equipment spend. This is a very positive endorsement of our project and the impact that it will have in generating jobs and tourism opportunities in this area. It’s going to be a busy summer!”
The Simpsons will be calling on local expertise to bring the refurbishment of the buildings to fruition and drawing upon their 14 years of experience in the wine industry at Domaine Sainte Rose in France to source equipment from both European and British suppliers.
