Our Story

Just outside Groombridge, East Sussex, and only an hour from London, you’ll find Birchden Vineyards.

It’s a little slice of heaven, nestled in the stunning High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; a family-run, 23-acre working farm where we work with nature and our community to lovingly produce mouth-watering wines, honey and apple juice. 

Co-owned by Tom & Andrea Lindeyer and Ralph & Jane Lindeyer, Birchden Vineyards became home to our families in 2019. Blissfully unaware of the magnitude of our undertaking, between young families and a pandemic, we embarked on a steep learning curve. We were determined to revive the unruly vines and surrounding farmland, and reveal all the magic that our beautiful farm had to offer. 

From day one, we’ve been committed to responsible and sustainable farming, in harmony with nature and the local community. The orchard, beehives, a wildflower field, a lake teeming with wildfowl, and a diverse wildlife habitat all reflect our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.

We are passionate about raising our family in an environment filled with exploration and magic.  

our team

    Emilia

    There would be no Blackbird Café or events without Emilia's attention to detail and love for making our guests visits something to remember. A founder of Birchden Vineyards events and café, she is the heart and soul of our hospitality.

    lucy

    Lucy is our Head of Communications. She manages all of our marketing, social media and partnerships, and helps with the day-to-day running of Birchden Vineyards. She started here as a Vineyard Vixen working on the vineyard, and is trained to WSET Level 2. You might also meet her on a tour, tasting or event!

    jo

    Jo leads on Business Development and Sales, making sure we're speaking to the right people about our wines. Not only is she brilliant at relationships, she's also a former Vineyard Vixen who knows the vines inside out and is qualified to WSET Level 2 in Wines. She's our star tour guide, so book a vineyard tour soon she would love to meet you!

    Amber

    Amber is force for perfection, if you are loving our events program let her know. She is the energy behind making sure there is something going on at the café every weekend and creating magical experiences for everyone who visits.

    john

    Also known as the 'John of all trades'. You will see John mainly taking care of the bees with Ralph and Roxanne, but he also delivers wonderful tours and is WSET Level 2 accredited and helps Nick our groundsman with making sure the land is ready for guests.

    Emma

    Emma is our brilliant office and operations manager, keeping us all organised and making sure our events go without a hitch. If you want to organise a fab event here in record time, ask Emma. We would be in BIG trouble without her!

    Andrea

    Where do we start?! Andrea is the driving force behind Birchden Vineyards. Everything you see and experience here is down to not just her incredible vision, but her ability to make it happen in record time. Co-owner, CEO, creative director, build project manager, waitress, website manager, wine tour guide... we could go on, the list is endless! She can fit more into a day than is humanly possible.

    Hannah

    Hannah is our resident vineyard expert, Vineyard Vixen team leader, scone-maker, mum of 3 and all-round legend. Hannah passed her WSET Level 3 in Wines with flying colours (this is no great surprise to any of us) and we're so lucky that she shares her expertise with us, leading the Vixens to make sure our vines stay in top shape.

    Tom

    Vineyard Co-owner Tom is one of the driving forces behind Birchden Vineyards. He oversees all of our farming and winemaking, as well as overall strategy for the business. The delicious wines you get to enjoy here are in large part down to Tom. He manages the harvest and the vineyard alongside his regular day job, loves a chat about frost protection and, like Andrea, manages to fit more into a day than the rest of us mortals.

    Tommy

    Tommy brings bags of talent (he became a sous chef at 18), a passion for seasonal food and a real gift for feeding a crowd exceptionally well. Many of you have already enjoyed his cooking at private events and supper clubs here at the vineyards, and we’re thrilled he’s now able to join us full time. Watch this space for Tommy's menu updates and seasonal specials.

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