Hambledon Vineyard sources £10m facility from Secure Trust Bank

Hambledon Vineyard, an English sparkling wine producer in Hampshire, has secured a £10 million facility from Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance (STB).

Founded in 1952 by major general Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon is England’s oldest commercial vineyard.

Last year, the business was acquired by Berry Bros. & Rudd and Symington Family Estates in a consortium deal.

Read more - Hambledon Vineyard appoints new MD after joint buyout

The new owners are planning to open a visitor centre at the vineyard to help Hambledon break into the growing UK oenotourism sector. 

To fuel future growth, the business required additional working capital to maintain its level of production, and reached out to the STB team to secure a facility that would support its ambitions – which include increasing its market share both in the UK and abroad.

Joe Jeffers, finance director at Hambledon, said: “The English sparkling wine category has shown consistent growth and continues to do so.

“We’re delighted to partner with STB for the next phase of our journey.

“In helping to ensure our growth remained sustainable, Tony and the STB team worked closely with us to really understand our business, and what we were looking to achieve over the coming years.

“As the wine tourism sector continues to flourish, there’ll be more opportunity for growth for Hambledon.

“The facility we’ve received from STB will provide the required working capital to grow, further enhancing the investment into the winery and in our people.”

Tony Young, regional sales director at STB Commercial Finance, added: “It’s been great to work with Joe and Hambledon Vineyard during what is an exciting period of growth.

“Following a record-breaking harvest, the team approached us for a facility that catered to their specific needs and would support their growth in the fast-growing sparkling wine market.

“We’ve worked closely with Joe and the team to offer Hambledon a flexible finance option that supports not only the current growth it is experiencing, but the future growth as the team focuses on targeting new markets across the globe.

“Having tasted the excellent product on several occasions, I look forward to seeing what’s next for this exciting, historic vineyard under its new ownership.”