Sussex


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/Untitled-design-1.jpg" alt="Tamara Roberts Ridgeview " class="wp-image-65040" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/Untitled-design-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/Untitled-design-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/Untitled-design-1-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/Untitled-design-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/Untitled-design-1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Tamara English is a rare breed. First up she’s a woman working in wine and secondly she’s one of the rare female CEOs in the industry, well lets face it, in any industry. With her business acumen, passion and realistic approach it’s no surprise that she was named Sussex Business Woman of the Year for the Business Women Excellence Awards. Pausing for a clink clink of the glasses here.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Which leads Muddy onto the most impressive thing Tamara has given the world: <strong><a href="https://www.ridgeview.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ridgeview</a></strong> English Sparkling. Yes, she’s responsible for this delicious wine. Since she took over as CEO of her family business nine years ago, the vineyard’s production grew to an incredible 300,000 bottles per year, with plans to double production in the next five years.&nbsp;</p>



<p>What she doesn’t know about English wine is most probably not worth knowing, which is why Muddy asked her to share her wine secrets. And because she’s also got a nose for business, we also got her to offer small business advice you’d actually want, to inspire us all.<br></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-people-often-say-they-don-t-know-much-about-wine-but-know-what-they-like-what-advice-can-you-give"><strong>People often say, they don’t know much about wine, but know what they like, what advice can you give?</strong></h2>



<p>When you consider that people make careers out of communicating their wine knowledge, it can be a rather daunting subject for those who just want to enjoy a glass of something they like.&nbsp; I can’t think of any other food or drink product that has this level of sophistication (barriers?) built up around it.&nbsp; A wine list in a decent restaurant can be a joy to those ‘in the know’ and be fear inducing to those who feel they have limited knowledge.&nbsp;For me, learning about wine is an enjoyable journey and when I started at Ridgeview I knew relatively little.&nbsp;If you have friends or colleagues who are also keen to learn a little bit more then perhaps consider hosting a get together where you each choose a wine you’ve not had before and do a little research on it so you can taste and discuss together.&nbsp;It’s perfectly ok to like some wines and dislike others, it is all personal preference at the end of the day, but a little experimentation may help you discover a new favourite.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-people-do-to-learn-more-about-wine"><strong>What can people do to learn more about wine?</strong></h2>



<p>The best courses are the WSET as they start with the basics and then build and you can take this as far as you like. For some level one is enough, for others it will be the diploma.&nbsp;These courses are run locally at <a href="https://www.plumpton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plumpton College</a> and <a href="https://www.localwineschool.com/sussex/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brighton Wine School</a> and are internationally recognised.&nbsp; If you are not interested in a qualification then get to know your local wine merchants as many run tasting events in their shops from time to time.&nbsp;Of course the best thing to do is visit your local English vineyard and join a tour and tasting!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-people-often-don-t-deviate-from-the-wines-they-know-is-there-a-solution"><strong>People often don’t deviate from the wines they know &#8211; is there a solution?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>We are all creatures of habit, particularly in times of uncertainty when we will seek refuge in what we know and trust.&nbsp;Good wine is relatively expensive and difficult for consumers to navigate which creates a barrier to experimentation. This can be over come in part through shared tastings and learning as mentioned above, but producers and wine resellers also need to communicate in amore straight forward and appealing manner which does not patronise, both on and off packaging. If bars and restaurants offer a variety of wine by the glass this can facilitate more experimentation but most of the time a recommendation is needed from a ‘trusted’ source to try something new.&nbsp;This is a complex area.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-english-wine-is-having-a-real-moment-why-do-you-think-that-is"><strong>English wine is having a real ‘moment’ why do you think that is?</strong></h2>



<p>English wines have been steadily building momentum over the last 15 years and I think with more availability comes more demand. It is now available in most supermarkets and good quality bars and restaurants may now list a selection of English wines rather than just one which means we are developing our own category. The industry has had very supportive press and PR in the UK and we mustn’t underestimate the growing importance of provenance and sustainability in consumers decision making. However, the main reason is that we are making great wines and quality is improving year on year. England is home to cool climate viticulture and this alongside our geology enables us to make world class traditional sparkling wines comparable to Champagne (not Cava or Prosecco).  This style of wine is definitely our crown jewels so this is where I recommend people start.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/2-3.jpg" alt="Pouring English sparkling wine Ridgeview" class="wp-image-65035" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/2-3.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/2-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/2-3-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/2-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/2-3-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-was-it-inevitable-that-you-d-end-up-in-the-family-business"><strong>Was it inevitable that you’d end up in the family business?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Ridgeview was started by my parents in 1995 after selling their previous Sussex based IT business, by which time I was living and working in London. Wine was only in my DNA as a consumer at this point! &nbsp;However, I have never looked back since I joined the family business in 2004 and it certainly feels like my perfect career choice.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-an-extra-level-of-pressure-because-it-was-your-parents-baby"><strong>Is there an extra level of pressure because it was your parents’ baby?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Quite the opposite. &nbsp;Being a family business means we are all committed to the long term success of the business rather than short term gains. &nbsp;With this mindset better decisions are made in a supportive and collaborative way and your family always has your back if things don’t go quite to plan. There is a level of trust that is hard to replicate in other businesses which I believe allows us to be more reactive and open to new ideas and opportunities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-have-you-broken-boundaries-at-ridgeview"><strong>How have you broken boundaries at Ridgeview?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Other than being one of very few female CEO’s in the wine industry (and, sadly, most industries), I think I have followed in my parents footsteps to push both Ridgeview and our industry to compete on an equal footing with other better known sparkling wine regions. When we started we were told we couldn’t grow chardonnay in England, yet we did and to great success! Our wines have never been sold at farmers markets where you would historically find English Wines, but are rather served in Michelin starred restaurants, 5 star hotel chains or positioned alongside Champagne in the off-trade on shelves of wine merchants. Alongside this we have created a sustainable business which is now B-Corp accredited, the first wine producer in England to achieve this. &nbsp;We have also won numerous awards and trophy’s in prestigious International Wine Competitions and I was the first English wine representative and one of very few women to be selected as President of the International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2020. &nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-proudest-of-at-ridgeview"><strong>What are you proudest of at Ridgeview?&nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>In 2018 Ridgeview was awarded the top award at the International Wine and Spirit Competition – ‘Winemaker of the Year’ – the first time in the competitions 49 year history it has been awarded to an English winery. This was especially poignant as it was the competition that my Dad had most respect for and the ceremony was held on the 4<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;anniversary of his passing. It also showed off the talents of my brother Simon who had been winemaking with Dad for over 20 years and is now our Head Winemaker. One of the first wines he made without Dad won the trophy of English wine at this competition too.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/3-3.jpg" alt="Vines at Ridgeview vineyard" class="wp-image-65036" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/3-3.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/3-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/3-3-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/3-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/07/3-3-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-has-been-your-biggest-learning-curve"><strong>What has been your biggest learning curve?</strong></h2>



<p>Having no background in the wine industry meant Ridgeview was a huge learning curve for the whole family. I also learnt a lot about how to grow a business and the challenges that arise with this &nbsp;&#8211; cashflow management, systems and processes, people management (attracting good people) and Leadership. I have learnt that external stakeholders must be managed carefully and transitions in staff within these stakeholders can have disastrous effects, for example previously agreed financial support being relinquished overnight! Persuading consumers to objectively taste the wine in the early days was challenging as English wines did not have a great reputation – thankfully this is rarely a problem these days.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-ridgeview"><strong>What’s next for Ridgeview?</strong></h2>



<p>Having just opened our restaurant on site, <a href="https://www.ridgeview.co.uk/visit/the-rows-vine-restaurant/">The Rows and Vine</a>, our focus is ensuring this is a success in both the food offer and experience, we will then look to develop our on-site experiences and offerings further to ensure visitors have many reasons to visit and return to Ridgeview.&nbsp; Accommodation on site is an ambition for the medium term also.&nbsp;Long term, I would love to see Ridgeview continuing as a leading brand of English sparkling wine with a strong domestic and export market and being recognised for its sustainable practices and as a great place to work.</p>


Wine tips and business tricks: Muddy meets Ridgeview CEO, Tamara Roberts

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