Mark’s blog…

It’s been a sad week at Rathfinny as we have been saying goodbye to two people who are leaving us:

Liz O’Neil, whose been “run ragged” by Rathfinny, ran the Tudor House restaurant in Alfriston many years ago and her family still live in the village. She joined Rathfinny in 2010 when we first bought the land as my eyes and ears on the ground and became my PA. She was due to take over the management of the Flint Barns but her circumstances have changed and she is taking on an increased responsibility for looking after her father, so heading off to pastures new. We are hugely grateful for all she has done at Rathfinny over the past 4 years and we wish her every success with her new plans.

Also, Nikki Roucher (Cameron’s partner) will be stepping down as the Manager of the Gun Room. She has done a brilliant job at establishing the Gun Room as an iconic shop and visitor’s centre in Alfriston and has worked hard to help source all the wine related products. We shall miss her but fully support her decision to spend more time with her young family. She will, of course, continue to have a presence in all our lives as part of the Rathfinny family.

We have also recently welcomed two new members to the Rathfinny team:

Adrian Lamb – after working for the YHA for nearly twenty years has joined us to manage the Flint Barns, which will be used to house our seasonal workers and will provide accommodation for special interest groups. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with him.

And joining the vineyard team we have “Geordie” Dave Porter (we now have two Davids in the vineyard!) who after working in the Margaret River and Hawkes Bay in New Zealand for several years, has come back to England to get involved in this new exciting industry, did he miss the warm beer? Also, Mark Lavender, an ex-chef for Eastbourne has joined the vineyard crew.

So if you are interested in joining the Rathfinny Wine Estate and in particular if you have relevant retail management experience and would like to manage our shop in Alfriston please get in touch.