Robin Hutson, Peter chittick and hugh Bonneville announced as new investors for Sugrue South Down
Ana and Dermot Sugrue
Robin Hutson
Peter Chittick
Hugh Bonneville
Award-winning boutique English sparkling wine producer Sugrue South Down has announced an exciting new chapter for the brand with three new investors, including the the Downton Abbey star, coming onboard…
Founded in 2006 by acclaimed vintner Dermot Sugrue and his wife Ana, the company’s investment comes from Robin Hutson, chairman of The Pigs, Peter Chittick, previous director of Hotel du Vin, The Pig and former owner of Hotel Crillon Le Brave, and well-known actor, Hugh Bonneville, who is also patron of the South Downs National Park Trust.
All three investors are long-time supporters of the East Sussex-based brand and Hutson will take up the role of company chairman.
Announcing the news on her Instagram on Monday, The Pig Hotels’ Emma Cripwell said this investment has enabled Dermot and Ana Sugrue to fast-track their winery vision at Bee Tree Vineyard, located between Haywards Heath and Lewes.
Talking to Harpers Wine & Spirit, Robin Hutson, said: “It's very exciting to be involved in Dermot and Ana's world of English wine and to help them develop their business.
“The demand for excellent English wines is only going to increase and now (they) are in a very strong position to build on their considerable reputation for producing some of the very best and satisfy the growing demand from Sugrue collectors and enthusiasts.”
Peter Chittick continued: “People are the key to any successful business. Dermot and Ana have built a loyal and talented team through their years of experience in the exciting world of English wines, they know just what it takes to be a winner.”
Adding to their comments, Hugh Bonneville said: “Robin introduced me to Sugrue South Downs a few years ago and The Trouble With Dreams instantly became my favourite sparkling wine.
“It's thrilling to have wines of such superb quality being made in the South Downs by experts like Dermot and Ana. I'm delighted to be involved in this award-winning company, which is going from strength to strength.”
The company made has been making its mark ever since it launched with a clutch of awards including most recently being crowned 2023’s Wine GB Boutique Producer of the Year for the third time, being a finalist in the BBC Drinks Producer of the Year 2022.
The company’s East Sussex winery is filled with pristine stainless steel fermentation tanks but star of the show is their fleet of over 50 large old oak barrels - extremely rare 600-litre ‘Demi-Muids’ that are unique to Sugrue.
In the middle of the winery, amongst the high tech, is a rustic table where tastings will take place for anyone interested in sampling and learning more about Sugrue South Downs’ multi-award-winning wines.
Congratulations to all involved, we can’t wait to see (and taste!) what comes next in the Sugrue South Down’s story.