You’ve spent much of your career shaping stories for global hospitality and travel brands. How different does it feel now, telling the story of something as personal and rooted as Cobble Hill?
You’re right! Most of my life is spent up in the air, visiting clients around the world and hosting media, agents and partners at incredible hotels like Singita, Passalacqua, Hotel Esencia, and Borgo Santandrea. It’s a pretty extraordinary world to live in. But my heart is always in Norfolk, where I grew up on my family’s farm.
All my clients feel personal to me in different ways, but this is something else entirely. This isn’t just a brand story – it’s a family legacy. And if we get it right, it’s something I hope will be here for my son in the future.
Cobble Hill began as a family project. Do you remember the moment it shifted from “fun side venture” to “this could become a serious business”?
It started back in 2016 as a hobby. Little by little, it grew. And, much to everyone’s surprise (including ours), we started making some okay wines.
The real turning point came during Covid, when I was home more and my father asked me to get more involved. Then in 2024 I brought in the renowned wine experts Guy Woodward and Stephen Skelton to assess where we were. It was a really difficult year for English wine because of the weather, so it felt like a proper “come to Jesus” moment.
Their assessment was generally positive and then I decided to invest myself into the evolution of the Cobble Hill business. We actually needed a total transformation of the existing operation – a new professional team at the helm focused on creating consistently high-quality wines. I’m thrilled that two years later we are now looking at a very promising product – some delicious wines, expertly made, still with our founding ethos of “Grown and Made by Farmers”.
What’s it like working so closely with your father? Do you naturally see things differently?
Completely! Although we’re also quite similar – especially in how stubborn we both are.
He’s a quintessential farmer, and for a long time it was hard to shift the mindset that yield isn’t everything. In wine, it’s about quality over quantity, which is a very different way of thinking from traditional farming.
I tend to focus more on the branding, marketing and the broader story, while also making sure the winemaking standards are where they need to be. He oversees the vineyard and winery side.
Sometimes it flows easily, sometimes it definitely doesn’t. And of course, I’m also juggling my day job at Perowne International, so the multitasking can be stressful.
Hiring Emma Rice as winemaking consultant was a big step. What did she bring, and how does that dynamic work with the team?
It was a no-brainer. We knew we needed proper expertise, and Emma came highly recommended by Guy and Stephen. She’s been incredibly valuable – exactly the kind of steady, experienced hand we needed.
Rachel Lee (our vineyard manager and winemaker) and Emma are a great team. They’ve actually worked together before at another English vineyard, so there was already a shared language and understanding there.
You come from a branding and hospitality background – are there clichés about English wine you’re keen to avoid?
The biggest challenge with English wine is price. It’s so hard to be competitive with international wines when the cost of producing something in the UK is so expensive – and that’s before you get to the taxes that are added.
So on a wine list, it’s hard for English wines to have the edge. That’s why we’ve been so focused on one thing: quality, quality, quality. The goal is to make wines people actively ask for and know about rather than just being another wine on a list.
What’s been the most unexpectedly rewarding moment at Cobble Hill so far?
Recently, on a really hot day, I sat outside with friends and opened our new still rosé. It was absolutely delicious. They loved it. I now feel confident that we really have produced a first-class wine that can compete with the best out there. That’s all I need.
How important is Norfolk to Cobble Hill’s identity long-term?
It’s where we come from, so it will always matter deeply to us. But I’m also realistic: Norfolk wine still has a long way to go before it’s truly on the map.
That’s why the new label focuses more broadly on English wine, with Norfolk referenced on the back rather than leading the story. Not everyone knows Norfolk, and I don’t want our identity based on a small place for just those that know it. It needs a wider appeal.
What are your favourite wines from Cobble Hill and what would you suggest pairing them with?
The still rosé, the sparkling rosé and the Chardonnay. And any kind of fish is delicious with our Bacchus. And in Norfolk we’re famous for our fish!
Does Norfolk feel like an escape from your London and travel life?
It’s absolutely part of me and in all honesty, it’s what keeps me sane. I have a bizarre dual life – one part looks like extreme glamour, lots of travel, entertaining and incredible people, but it’s also exhausting. And Norfolk is what grounds me. Where I recharge and reconnect with what’s important. I couldn’t live my Perowne International traveling life without it.
For someone who only knows Norfolk from postcards, how would you describe it?
Norfolk is humble. It’s a joyful place where there’s no fanfare or standing on ceremony. It simply is what it is. Farmers, fields, communities who care, great pubs, local food, great beaches. It’s just a happy place.
Where else in the UK do you love escaping to?
I have fallen deeply in love with Somerset due to the work that we’ve done since we launched The Newt there. I go and visit whenever I can. The hotel is one of my favourite in the world and I think Somerset has a very similar humility and energy to Norfolk.
If someone had a weekend in Norfolk, where should they eat?
There’s a brilliant new spot – Chandlery at North Norfolk Cellars in Wells-next-the-Sea, run by Bert Blaize. The Duck in Stanhoe is also excellent, as is The White Horse in Holme-next-the-Sea and another The White Horse in Brancaster Staithe.
But honestly, the best meal is often the simplest: locally caught lobster from Gurneys Fish Shop in Burnham Market, eaten at home with family and friends.
Where should they stay?
The White House is a beautiful, relaxed guest house on a friend’s farm, not far from the coast. And my mother’s B&B, The Waterfront, is also very special.
And finally – what should no one miss on a visit to the county?
Holkham Hall and Houghton Hall are both extraordinary. My son loves all the miniature, vintage railways that run along the coast like Sheringham to Wells. But no trip to Norfolk is complete without a walk on the beaches of Holkham, Brancaster and Holme. Where the sky meets the sea.
