WAITROSE AWARDS TWO ACCOLADES TO RIDGEVIEW WINE ESTATE

RidgeView Wine Estate has won two coveted titles in the Waitrose Small Producer Awards, announced at the Royal Show.  These national awards acknowledge Britain’s best small producers and businesses.

The winner of the Drinks category was RidgeView Merret Bloomsbury 2003, which is currently available in over 130 Waitrose stores across the country, retailing at £16.99. The Small Business Award, sponsored by the Financial Mail on Sunday, was also won by RidgeView, recognising their significant contribution towards the growth in the popularity and sales of English sparkling wines.

“We are so thrilled to have won these two awards in the Waitrose Small Producer Awards,” commented Michael Roberts, proprietor and winemaker of RidgeView.  “We have worked with and supplied Waitrose now for four years and as a family business dedicated to quality production, we are delighted to receive recognition for both our wine and our company.”

Waitrose has recently added another RidgeView English sparkling wine to their portfolio: RidgeView Merret Fitzrovia 2003, a rosé produced from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, is available in selected stores and selling at around £19.95

The award winning family winery is situated on the chalky soils under the South Downs and specialises in producing the finest sparkling wine from the three classic French Champagne grape varieties. “This accolade comes on top of an already fantastic year for RidgeView; last month having the honour of our sparkling wine toasting the Queens birthday as a part of the Great British Menu”; remarks Mike Roberts. "The latest awards from Waitrose and the Financial Mail on Sunday are a wonderful recognition of how far English wines have come in the last five years." 

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Notes to Editors:

Selected pictures are available: Michael Roberts receiving the awards; pictures of Ridgeview; bottle shot of RidgeView Merret Bloomsbury

BBC Good Food magazine, the Financial Mail on Sunday and Farmers Guardian are partners of Waitrose in the Waitrose Small Producers Awards.

Applicants to the Waitrose Small Producers awards employ fewer than 10 permanent, full or part time employees

Waitrose, the food shops of the John Lewis Partnership, has 179 Waitrose branches in England and Wales, dedicated to offering food excellence, value and customer service

More details are available from: RidgeView Wine Estate Tel: 0845 3457292   info@ridgeview.co.uk    www.ridgeview.co.uk