Ten years after bottling their first Classic Cuvée, the Kellett family are gearing up to unveil their latest and grandest project to date: a top end restaurant at the heart of the vineyard, which underscores Hambledon’s ambitions as a leading oenotourism destination.
Built above the wine cellars, with state-of-the-art tasting rooms and views across the vineyards, the restaurant will certainly be a head-turner. The interiors are the work of Fabled Studios – think Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay, Aqua Shard and a host of other top places. Local joiners Green Oak Carpentry have joined forces to create a gravity-defying handmade oak frame that holds the roof up and is the restaurant’s focal design statement.
And right at the heart of the new venture, Nick Edgar will be shaking the pans as head chef. Following a stint in the US, including Alinea when it was the world’s No.1 restaurant, Edgar’s pedigree includes a stint as head chef of Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and also the Samling in Cumbria.
Hambledon owner and mastermind Ian Kellett is understandably excited about the project. “Anna and I are really looking forward to working with Nick and our General Manager to create what we hope will be one of the leading restaurants in Hampshire, and perhaps in the whole of Southern England” says Kellett. Secretly Kellett wonders about the additional pressure he is putting himself and his team under, but acknowledges that the restaurant will push the winemaking team and vice versa. So win, win! Or, as Kellett himself acknowledges,“The success of Champagne and other great sparkling wines shows us that excellence, time and a zero-compromise approach work.” It looks like the new restaurant, which is slated to open in Spring 2023, will be in good hands.
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Story of an English sparkling icon
You don’t have to be a wine devotee to realise that England is now recognised as one of the best places to make sparkling wine in the world, winning accolades across the globe, often in direct competition with their better established rivals in Champagne. The warmer summers mean grapes which previously would have struggled in the UK now ripen to perfection in Southern England. And, with a geology that apes that of Champagne, it’s really no surprise that restaurants across the UK are stocking up on UK sparklers fast.
In a sleepy village in southern Hampshire, however, the story is not a new one. Hambledon has been operating a commercial winery since 1952 – yes, they too have just celebrated their platinum jubilee – and now finds itself in the vanguard of this UK success story.
The story starts in 1951 when having recently enjoyed a game of cricket at the legendary Hambledon Cricket Club – celebrated in the Lords Museum as the place where two cricket stumps became three – Major General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones was discussing what to do with the field just below his home Mill Down House. Following a spell as a diplomat in Paris, where he had developed a love for French wine, Sir Guy needed little persuasion that planting a vineyard would be a good idea. At the time it was a bold move but, after seeking advice from friends at Pol Roger, he felt nothing ventured nothing gained, and a number of different grape varieties were duly planted.
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Mill Down House
Keen followers of the Hambledon story are quick to point out the story is in fact just a tad older than 70 years. 65 million years older, to be more precise. Hambledon subsoil is indeed made of vine-friendly chalk. And not just any old chalk but the same cretaceous chalk formed on the seabed of the Paris basin, that contains the identical Belemnite geology as some of the best Chardonnay areas of the Côtes des Blancs in Champagne.
In addition to benefitting from this chalky birthright, Hambledon Vineyard is protected from heavy rainfall by the Isle of Wight, which insolates this corner of Hampshire while helping to create a cool climate with good sunshine levels.
It was this climate and geology that so fascinated Ian Kellet when he and his wife Anna bought the house and farm back in 1999. A biochemistry graduate from London, Kellett qualified as an accountant prior to working for M&S in its ready meal department. Following that he continued his interest in food and drink in the City where he was head of the Kleinwort Benson food and drink equity research team.
When Kellett bought Hambledon Vineyard in 1999, one of the first things he did was get to grips with the geology and climate in Hampshire, embarking on an intense study of both. This lead him to replace the existing still wine varietals with traditional sparkling wine grapes: 27 clone and rootstock combinations of the 3 main Champagne grape varieties; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, to be precise.
![Hambledon Pinot Noir]()
By 2010 the Kellett operation had detailed chemical analyses of these combinations, data that has since informed the expansion of their vineyards, which today total 200 acres, their state-of-the-art, gravity fed winery and their brand new underground cellar.
You can tell a lot about a winemaker’s personality by trying their wines as well as following their back story. If you try the Hambledon Classic Cuvée you cannot help but be impressed by its precision and energy. So, too, there is a restless energy and focus about Kellett. Talking to the owner, one is struck by his eye for detail and commitment for going the extra mile in search of quality. “The minimum time on lees for an English sparkling wine is 9 months, however we release our Classic Cuvée after a minimum of 21 months on lees” Kellet explains. “We grow all our own grapes at Hambledon where the chalk soils, cool climate, coastal proximity and east facing slopes are ideal for growing fine, lean Chardonnay – the backbone of world-class Fizz.” It’s a strong message delivered with passion that hints at a zero-compromise approach. No wonder more than just the locals are excited by the forthcoming restaurant opening. Watch this space.
In advance of the restaurant opening, Nick Edgar is running a pop-up restaurant – book here.
Watch out, too, for the release of the brand new Hambledon Vineyard Première Cuvée Rosé, which we recently enjoyed a sneak preview of.
Restaurant picture credit : Fabled Studio for Hambledon Vineyard