West Street vineyard in Coggeshall, Essex, will offer a relaxed approach to wine and food reflecting the vineyard experience universally found across the New World. And this new venue will focus on sourcing wines locally from across England and Wales, food from the best local producers, and West Street Vineyard’s prize winning rose and white wines.
Coggeshall residents, Jane and Stephen Mohan have put their heart and soul into their new wine business venture after five years of plans and development. Their patience, dedication and savings have transformed their dreams and belief in English wine into an innovative educational wine centre reality.
West Street Vineyard
The original micro-vineyard bought by the Moran’s has been expanded from Faber grapevines to now include Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapevines, and has already enabled West Street to win two bronze awards for both white wine and rose.
Jane Mohan, member of the East Anglian Vine Growers Association committee, comments:
“We had a passion for something we believed in, as ordinary people, dreaming to do something with our lives and with a mutual love of wine, English viticulture and hobby farming. Some English wines are now world-class in their standard.”
And now their new million pound 21st century English Barn (see below) will allow tasting of wines from West Street, other local Essex vineyards and wines across England and Wales through smart-card methods.
The English Barn
The Barn has outstanding eco-features including recycling wine bottles as light shades, triple glazing and recycling cardboard as underfloor heating, and has already been short-listed for the 2013 RICS ‘Design and Innovation’ Award, even before it opens in late April 2013.
The stylish state-of-the-art visitor centre will promote English wine and fresh simple local food within a café restaurant with south facing terrace, robotic wine-tasting cellar, boutique conference room and an educational English wine school certificate for interested wine buffs.
Cafe Restaurant
The café restaurant will open in late April 2013 and Executive chef, Nick Phillips will launch and consult on the new wine and food business. Phillips has over twenty years of experience working in the US with restaurants like The Ivy (Miami) and Chez Panisse in California (with the highly-regarded food philosopher Alice Waters).
Trained under Michelin starred chefs in the UK, San Francisco and Mexico, Nick Phillips, commented “This is a great opportunity to work with West Street vineyard and is likely to provide a winning combination and delight locals and tourists.”
“We wanted to pair local wines with some of the best ingredients available from our best local producers such as the delicious seafood available from around our coast line,” Jane Mohan commented. “We want the café to be focussed on delicious food in an unpretentious atmosphere and educate people about English wine.”
The kitchen will be run by local private chef Hazel Hopkins, who has a passion for making mouth-watering food and cakes. Afternoon teas will complement West Street sparkling wines, and white wines will accompany light lunches with fresh vegetables and meats from local farms.
The new West Street English wine barn will create around 20 jobs for Braintree district and include an educational wine school. It is destined to become a sought-after travel destination with its south facing alfresco dining terrace overlooking the vines and the River Blackwater.
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