Opening a new business in 2020, of all years!

opening a new business in 2020

We always knew expanding would take its toll but opening a new business in 2020 was quite the experience!

2021 may be a new fresh start for many. After surviving 2020, the global pandemic and navigating the tier systems, many might be looking for a new path, one that reconnects with nature and offers a totally different, exciting and sustainable future.

We went through this a few years ago when we made the decision to expand the vineyard. We planted our first vines in 2009 simply intending to enjoy ourselves outside in the fresh air and to sell the crop at the end of each year. Having fallen in love with the wacky world of English wine we decided to jump feet first into the whole process, bringing the winemaking onsite for the first time. Over the last 5 years, we have spent countless hours planning exactly what our next evolution would be. We had already established a successful small shop but we knew we needed to make it more of an experience when you visit our vines. So we decided to open our own kitchen, build on our knowledge of wine to make our tours even more educational and extended our shop to stock a much wider range of fantastic products from Devon creators.

building - opening a new business in 2020

The one thing we didn’t plan for (I don’t think anyone did) was a global pandemic. No more than a few weeks after breaking ground on the build, past the point of no return, we started seeing more and more news reports about this scary uncertain future. We were incredibly lucky in lockdown 1 with me (Tom) and dad (Mike) being in the building trade. We were already building our new home ourselves, so all we really had to contend with was delays in building supplies. This pushed us past our hopes of a spring/summer opening but meant we were ready to go full steam ahead by September.

Opening really did surpass all our expectations, even with the strict covid rules we had to follow (another hurdle in itself) we were delighted to see lunchtimes and tours booked out for the weeks ahead. We really were and are living the dream, getting to share our love for wine with everyone who walks through our doors. We also started to grow our team with Vicky joining us in September too! What would we do without her? Not least that she shaped the soundtrack to the cafe, chilled, soulful music, inspired by her days at uni studying music.

winery tour - opening a new business in 2020

We are incredibly grateful for the help and support we received throughout the last year. From the bank managers who believed in us to the local builder’s merchant for keeping us supplied with all the necessary materials and most importantly all our fantastic customers who joined us along the way.

Opening any business is no doubt a stressful time for its team, even without a pandemic weighing on your shoulders. The restrictions we were placed into from the start kept us and our customers safe and despite all the uncertainty in the crisis, we managed a fantastic two months before the lockdown 2.0 in November. Our wonderful customers rallied around us and our online sales grew dramatically and the month flew past. Once open again, Christmas saw a new buzz around the vineyard and especially in the shop. Shopping local seemed to be a big focus for many this year, which as a new small business was lovely to see and also builds on our plans to keep growing our range from local creators.

We are also grateful for the furlough scheme, as without that we would have received no external help from the government or the local council. Having opened during the pandemic, we somehow managed to fall between the cracks, not being eligible for any grants out there and as we enter yet another lockdown we are still uncertain as to whether we will be eligible this time around either. We may have grown as a business over the last 12 months but so have our outgoings, a concept that sadly the current financial support doesn’t take into account.

For us, the next few months whilst being locked down won’t be totally wasted. The vines need lots of attention as we really get stuck into pruning. All 5,000 vines need to be made ready for the new season, giving them a good tidy up and getting rid of old growth from last year. In the winery, last years’ wines are developing nicely, ahead of bottling later in the spring. We are also looking ahead and getting some rather exciting plans in place for 2021 and beyond.

Pruning - opening a new business in 2020

We really have to say a massive thank you to everyone who has visited us or bought online this year. We couldn’t have made it through without your support and words of encouragement. We will be back soon, better than ever with the prospect of a great summer ahead. We have been saying all along, “If we can survive 2020, we can survive anything”. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy lockdown 3.0.

See you again soon.

Tom Hodgetts

Tom Hodgetts

Head wine wizard
Share on...

join our vine club

Scroll to Top

Welcome to the club!

We are so glad you decided to join us. We have just sent you an email to confirm your email address then you’ll be a fully-fledged member of our Vine Club.

We have your Booking!

We will check our availability and be in touch soon to discuss your private group tour booking via email. 

Breakfast Club - Offer

To celebrate Breakfast Club now being served Wed-Sun we are offering 15% OFF all our breakfast plates when you join us on a Wed or Thu throughout March  – Learn more

We are Covid secure

Yours and our teams safety is our number 1 priority. We have made a number of changes in the vines to keep us all safe. This is under constant review and will be updated when the government advice changes.

safe travels

We have been verified by Visit England as ‘Good to go’

Social distancing

Please keep to a 2m distance when you visit. We have set all our tables at least 1.5m apart and do recommend face coverings in all indoor areas. Our team will still be wearing face covering when around you too.

Tables size limits

To continue to keep us safe in the vines we are keeping our tables limited to 10 people. We can accommodate larger groups but please get in touch to discuss any 10+ bookings with us.

Hand washing & cleaning

We have introduced a number of hand cleaning stations and guests are required to use hand sanatisor on entry. Our team are washing their hands between each customer and we are disinfecting all tables and chairs between use.

Payment

We are offering table service in the kitchen and advice using contactless or card payments where possible.

We have your Booking!

We will check our availability and be in-touch soon to confirm your table via email.

Booking for today?
Please call us on 01566 783 409 as we may not get to your email in time. 

We have your entry!

We’ve got our fingers crossed for you. We will send you an email to confirm your entry and we will be back in touch once the competition closes. Good luck!

By using our site you are accepting our cookies. We use cookies to help our site tingle your visual taste buds! Find out more