English wine producer Gusbourne boosts team

By Arabella Mileham

Published: 06 May, 2015

Gusbourne Estate is looking to boost its growth in the UK after added sommelier Laura Rhys to its team.

Rhys, who joins the company from London restaurant La Trompette next month, is a will oversee domestic and global development of the brand.

A member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, and the 2009 UK Sommelier of the Year, she will continue to judge wine events in the UK and abroad.

Gusbourne CEO Ben Walgate said Rhys would play a key role in developing the brand's profile. "Gusbourne is not only about extraordinary wines, but extraordinary people too, and there can be few people who fit that description as well as Laura."

The company has invested heavily to boost production in the last year, spending £588k on new vineyards in Kent and Surrey and a further £137k on new equipment. Last year it doubled the acreage under vine at its Gusbourne Estate in Kent,to around 101acres. It also owns a further 54 acres in West Sussex.

Last week the company posted results showing sales up 56%,during the financial year, although heavy capital investment saw the English wine producer report pre-tax losses of around £1.1m.

Sales in 2014 hit £434,000, up from £129,000 in 2013, it said.

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