Speciality Food September 2025

specialityfoodmagazine.com 43 pollinators for insects. It’s a lovely thing to be a part of.” As is the accommodation, which has proved very popular with those city dwellers wanting to breathe in fresh country air on a staycation. Tillinghamoffers 11 rooms and two bell tents with “themost beautiful views over the oast house or the vineyard” says Nikki. Although they are appointed with all the creature comforts today’s travellers (especially those wanting to impress on the ‘gram) could desire, the teammade a conscious decision not to include TVs in rooms. “We think coming to a place like this should almost be a bit of a digital detox,” Nikki explains. “When people come to stay here, we want them to be at one with nature, andmindful of the setting and the land.” The spaces are the concept of local designer McCully & Crane “who havemade a name for themselves to appreciate the natural beauty of the landscape. A landscape of grazing sheep, woodland and wildflowers. This is all complimented by the rest of what the site has to offer – including accommodation and a restaurant. “Somany vineyards have tasting rooms, but that’s the extent of it,” says Tierney. “They act as a bit of a crutch – another way to generate footfall. But here, we offer the complete package. You can experience sitting in a restaurant, at the vineyard your wine came from, and can stay for the night. There’s not many other places in the UKwhere you can do that.” Any farmshop operator will tell you having a catering arm is challenging, but can do wonders for footfall, and that’s certainly been the case at Tillingham, whose restaurant plays a crucial part in its success, drawing diners from far and wide – not just those visiting the vineyard. The restaurant menu is hinged onwhat’s looking at its best in the walled garden, estate lamb, hogget or mutton, and seasonal, local produce, with a five to six course set tasting- stylemenu offered in the evenings alongside wine flights and pairings. Its dedication to sustainable practices and sourcing has earned the eatery a Michelin Green Star – one of only 23 in the UK and Ireland. “They really take into account your systems and the way youwork,” Nikki says. “So, we have our wine in kegs on draft rather than in bottles in the restaurant, and we send the kegs back to the company tomake newkegs. It’s a closed loop system. Our garden is organic and natural. We make compost fromgardenwaste, and the sheep’s wool is used for mulch. We’re all about farming and growing biodynamically, and using natural farmingmethods, like putting inmixed cover crops for the soil, and and have a similar audience to us,” says Nikki. “So that makes thema bit of a draw as well. They came in at the beginning when the restaurant was being designed and did all the interiors. But now our guest services manager looks after them. She takes a lot of care over how they look. She’s a bit like the style police – if there is a chair she doesn’t like, she will block it,” Nikki smiles. “Everything here is considered. There’s a lot of vintage, and that gives us a real appeal with the kind of audience we attract.” All these little touchesmake the estate “a vibrant, really nice place to be” Nikki adds, saying other farm shops and farmsites shouldn’t underestimate the buying power and social power of newer, younger shoppers. They are the future, but they are also spending now, and constantly searching for unique opportunities to buy, eat and experience innovative, exciting British food and drink. It’s definitely ‘Insta-friendly’ which has helped, and we’re finding younger people are becomingmore interested in wine, and they’re looking for more sustainable restaurants a vineyard leads tomildew. You definitely don’t want to be growing on a North-facing hillside!” Tillingham is clay over a sandy loam, and “quite different from the landscapemost people think of with English sparkling wine,” says Tierney. “That leans us to being a bit better suited to still wines. There’smore richness to the fruit. At themoment we’re producing 60% still, and 40% sparkling.” The farmestate runs to 70 acres, with around 25 of those laid to vineyard across six plots, a few of which are sub-divided, to deliver 21 varieties of grape. It is, Tierney admits, quite an unconventional approach, but one that ensures they can experiment on an ongoing basis, and adapt to what the climate throws at themwithout putting all their eggs in one basket. “It’s nice to have a safety net weather-wise. We’ve got the classics, like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and hybrids, but also lots of Germanic vines which crop a little more safely and reliably. You’ve got to have a really good year to harvest Chardonnay and Pinot, and if you get a bad year you can end upwith nothing!” There is a traditional method sparkler for customers to enjoy, though Tierney crafts the estate’s with a 50/50Meunier and Chardonnay blend, doing away with Pinot Noir. Also on the fizzy side is a Veneto- region style Colfondo, alongside a variety of still wines, rose, a little red, and some blushed skin contact wines landing later this year. An interesting prospect, then, for visitors, who have plenty of choice at tastings and tours, which run throughout the week. Alongside visiting the vineyard, and sampling wine, these guests also get the chance