Gusbourne
Gusbourne is an English wine producer. We planted our first vines in Appledore in 2004 and we grow all our own grapes in vineyards based in Kent and Sussex.
We and craft and bottle wine at our winery and have an award-winning cellar door and tasting room to host events, tastings and experiences. The location has a unique geology and microclimate offered by the combination of Wealden Clay and Tunbridge Wells sand on the Appledore escarpment is a key reason we established.
Our customers love good food, drink and the finer things in life. They choose Gusbourne because it is the leading producer of still and sparkling wine in England. They are discerning and thoughtful in the products they choose to buy. Our most loyal customers are part of a fine-wine community, largely based in Kent and London.
Dan Granger, General Manager, Gusbourne comments: “Ashford provides both an ideally located transport hub for Wine Tourism as well as an ever-expanding portfolio of accommodation, hospitality and retail opportunities for the visitor.
Many of our wonderful staff commute to us from Ashford, being just 20 minutes’ drive from the vineyards. We also work closely with Ashford Designer Outlet to showcase our products to a wider audience.
Ashford has many exciting plans that we hope to be able to be a part of, from Food & Drink Festivals to the new studios, with infrastructure, schools and housing developments drawing new residents to the area and keen to explore Kent.”
“The station’s high-speed connection to London is critical to making Gusbourne a convenient and easy to arrange day out from London. Local taxis and hotels are a key part of completing that offer and encouraging visitors to make a weekend of their visit to us.”
Dan Granger, General Manager, Gusbourne
Ashford is an area that brings together diverse sectors of the economy, from agricultural-based businesses like ourselves, to IT, HR and legal service providers. We’ve previously rented office space in Ashford, and this type of flexibility for growing businesses is sought after and we look forward to seeing how the diverse businesses here flourish and work collaboratively together.
We have had wonderful support from Ashford Borough Council in terms of our business, tourism offering and greater opportunities within the community. Council staff came to visit when we first opened and encouraged us to participate more in the community as we grew.
Initiatives like the wine visitor trail, business networking events, sustainability information and local government funding information have all been important. We’ve hosted local MPs and gained media coverage through their support. There is a drive within the Council to support wine businesses and encourage tourism, whilst providing opportunities for sustainable growth and development.
