Oastbrook Estate hosts corporate days, team building, client tastings and private dinners for up to 80 guests in its tasting room or on its pool patio, with self-catering accommodation and glamping on site for small groups. The family-run vineyard and winery stands in the Rother Valley near Bodiam Castle, at Park Farm Oast, Junction Road, Bodiam, East Sussex, about an hour and a half from London.
Seminars and company events
The Tasting Room seats 80 and works as a meeting room: projector, Google Cast, AV receiver, surround sound, gigabit Wi-Fi and a 3-meter screen, with a commercial kitchen attached and a terrace over the vines. A company day can open with a presentation, continue with a guided tour led by owner America Brewer on the estate's history, plans and grape varieties, then move to a tasting of the estate's wines with a cheese platter. Afternoon activities include archery, axe throwing, falconry and laser clay pigeon shooting.
Rooms and capacities
The Tasting Room seats 80, with full AV and a 3-meter screen, and is used all year. The Pool Patio holds 80, has its own kitchen and barbecue area and suits outdoor dining in summer, with a gazebo nearby for a more exclusive table. Both spaces are booked from Friday to Sunday.
Accommodation
Three types of stay sit on the estate. The Round Door Cottage sleeps four in two bedrooms with king beds and ensuite bathrooms, with a full kitchen and a private hot tub over the valley. Avalon Waterside Lodge, beside the lake, sleeps four in a Scandinavian-style interior with a gallery bedroom. Luxury bell tents, open in summer, sleep two each, with a king bed, a wine cooler, heated shower rooms nearby and breakfast boxes. Larger groups stay in partner accommodation nearby.
Catering
Menus come from local chefs. Dining at the estate is booked in advance for groups of at least 15, with a banquet from a local culinary partner and English wines grown and made on the estate. A Feast menu with the Curlew, a restaurant partner, is offered for 20 guests or more. Summer meals are served by the pool, and the tasting room hosts dinners all year. The estate's still and sparkling wines use Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.
History and setting
America Brewer, winemaker and owner, lives on the farm with her husband Nick and their daughter. She planted the first vines in 2018 while studying wine production at Plumpton College. The oast house belonged to the hop economy of the valley: the farm was once owned by Guinness, which grew hops here and dried them in the oasts. A European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development grant paid for the equipment of the working winery in an existing building at Park Farm Oast: grape processing, tanks, cooling and a testing laboratory. Vineyard tours run from April to October, and winery tours and tastings from November to April.
Getting there
The postcode is TN32 5XA. From London, the drive takes about 1 hour 30 minutes via the A21, turning onto the B2089 near Robertsbridge. Robertsbridge station, on the London to Hastings line, is the nearest rail stop, and London Gatwick is the closest major airport. The estate can arrange pick-ups for groups.
