Welcome to The Nest

I have a voucher for a sparkling tasting flight, but want to book another experience on the same day – can I do that online?

Yes, you can check our calendar for the day you plan to visit and book more than one experience.

For example, we find the Sparkling Wine Flight, Classic Vineyard Tour and Limited Edition Wine Flight all work well with the Vineyard Platter for Two, and timings of these compliment each other.

In contrast, the Estate Tour with Lunch and Icons Experience with Lunch are full day experiences and we don’t advise booking another experience on the same day.

You used to do picnics, why can’t I see these on the website or buy a voucher?

We have launched a new experience that replaces our Picnic for Two, called the Vineyard Platter for Two with Wine, which is available all year round.

In the summer, it is served outside on our terrace, with a seasonal menu that is very similar to our previous Picnic for Two experience.

In the colder months, we seat you inside our tasting room and serve an updated menu to reflect the season.

This experience is available as a gift card, or we sell digital gift vouchers in denominations of £10, £50 and £100 instead if you can’t decide which experience or wine to gift. 

When dining on a Gusbourne experience, do you offer gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options?

Yes, we’re happy to cater for dietary requirements wherever possible. When you book an experience that includes food, please use the prompt during checkout to let us know your needs.

If you aren’t able to let us know at the time of booking, please email nest@gusbourne.com at least a week before your visit.

We cannot guarantee to meet dietary requirements if we are informed on the day, as our catering is bespoke, and we do not have a restaurant on site.

I have a food allergy, what do I need to know about dining at Gusbourne

If you have a food allergy, please make a member of staff aware as soon as possible.

Although every effort is made to provide allergen free dishes, owing to our kitchen layout we cannot guarantee cross contamination of any of the following 14 allergens: cereals, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide & sulphites, tree nuts.

Our dishes are therefore not guaranteed as “free-from”. For more information or details of menu ingredients please speak to a member of staff or contact nest@gusbourne.com.
 

Can I bring children to Gusbourne?

Our hosted experiences include wine tastings and tours of our working vineyards. With health and safety concerns in mind, these experiences are not suitable for children of any age. 

You are welcome to bring children on outdoor experiences, such as the self-guided tour, and on summer experiences that are held on our outdoor terrace, such as the Vineyard Platter for Two.

In the summer, you may also bring children to our outside bar, which offers wine by the glass and bottle, and a selection of light lunches and snacks without pre-booking.

We serve soft drinks for drivers and under-18s.
 

Can I bring my dog to Gusbourne?

We’re delighted to welcome dogs to the vineyard and there are plenty of spaces where they can join you during your visit. If you’re taking a self-guided tour, your dog is free to enjoy our outdoor areas with you, and they’re also welcome in our outdoor hospitality spaces.  

Inside our tasting room, The Nest, your dog is welcome to join you on the ground floor only. This is where we host our Sparkling Tasting Flights and Vineyard Platters during the cooler months. Because our Estate Tour, Icons Experience and other special events take place upstairs, dogs aren’t able to join those experiences.

For everyone’s comfort and safety, please keep dogs on a lead at all times. 
 

We are booking a taxi to collect us after our experience. What time shall we book it for?

We list the expected duration of an experience in our booking confirmations, but you are welcome to stay with us until the estate closes at 5pm. 

How long does each experience last?

For our hosted experiences:
Estate Tour with Lunch – 4 hours, expect to be finished at 3.30pm
Icons Experience with Lunch – 4 hours, expect to be finished at 3.30pm
Limited Edition Wine Flight – 90 minutes
Classic Vineyard Tour and Tasting – 90 minutes
 

The experiences below are more flexible, and you can give yourself as much time as you like to enjoy your experience with us, until the estate closes at 5pm. We have given some guidance below:
Vineyard Platter for Two – 1-2 hours
Sparkling Wine Flight – 1 hour
Self-guided Tour – 45 minutes
 

What can I do at the Nest if I haven’t pre-booked?

Our self-guided tour takes you on a lovely 45-minute walking route through the vines. After your walk, stop for a glass of wine and a selection of snacks or platters (available Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the summer). We also have a shop for purchasing wine to take away. No booking necessary.

Can we eat at Gusbourne?

If you are looking to eat with us, we recommend pre-booking one of our experiences, from multi-course wine lunches, such as our Estate Tour with Lunch and our Icons Experience with Lunch, to laid-back picnic-style platters such as our Vineyard Platter for Two.

If you have not booked in advance, we serve wine by the glass and the bottle, and a small menu of snacks and platters for walk-in visitors on most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This is served outside on the terrace from May to September, and inside in the autumn and winter months. Please call ahead to confirm.
Tel: +44 (0)1233 884680. Open daily, Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:00,  including bank holidays.

Can I book a table at your restaurant?

We do not have a restaurant on the estate, but if you are looking to eat with us, we recommend pre-booking one of our experiences, from multi-course wine lunches, such as our Estate Tour with Lunch and our Icons Experience with Lunch, to laid-back picnic-style platters such as our Vineyard Platter for Two.

If you have not booked in advance, we serve wine by the glass and the bottle, and a small menu of snacks and platters for walk-in visitors on most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This is served outside on the terrace from May to September, and inside in the autumn and winter months. Please call ahead to confirm.
Tel: +44 (0)1233 884680. Open daily, Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:00,  including bank holidays.

Can I bring my own picnic to Gusbourne?

We kindly ask that only food and drink purchased at Gusbourne is consumed on site. This allows us to ensure the best possible experience for all our guests and helps us support our local food producers. Through the summer months, you can enjoy casual dining with no need to pre-book on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

I’ve booked an experience but need to move it. What do I do?

We are always happy to move your booking to an alternative date, assuming we have availability. If you are dining with us as part of your experience (on the Estate Tour, Icons Experience or Vineyard Platter), please let us know at least a week before your visit, as our catering is bespoke.

Email nest@gusbourne.com, or telephone 01233 884680. Open daily, Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:00,  including bank holidays.

Can you get married at Gusbourne?

No, unfortunately we do not offer weddings at the vineyard, but you can get engaged here [insert link to new page]. We can also help with wedding wine supply, and host private tastings, lunches and events for the wedding party and guests either before or after the big day. 

Email nest@gusbourne.com, or telephone 01233 884680. Open daily, Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:00,  including bank holidays.

I don’t have a car. What’s the best way to get to Gusbourne?

We are located just a short taxi journey from Ashford International, with trains departing every 15 minutes from St Pancras International and Stratford International. You can also take the Hastings train from Ashford for three stops to Rye station and take a taxi from there. We don’t recommend travelling to Appledore station, as is not served by taxis or regular buses and walking from there is both dangerous and lengthy!

We would highly recommend booking a taxi for both journeys to/from Gusbourne in advance of your visit.

Our preferred taxi provider is ETM Cars. Our agreed set rate from Ashford is £30 and advance bookings should be made via info@etmcars.co.uk quoting Gusbourne.
 

Do you offer a shuttle service from a local station?

No, we don’t. If you book one of our experiences, we provide taxi numbers and travel information in the confirmation email.  

Can you book accommodation and taxis for my visit?

I’m afraid not. We do not have overnight accommodation on the estate, but we keep an up to date list of all our local recommendations, including accommodation, taxis and eating and drinking at other venues in the area. When you book an experience with us we also provide taxi numbers in the confirmation email. 

I’m visiting for my birthday, is there anything special you can offer?

We are not set up as a restaurant and are unable to offer any special desserts or celebration cakes. We can pre-arrange the sale and service of favourite bottles of wine, either to drink on site after your experience, or, gift-boxed to take away.

I would like to book an experience, but what will it be like in the autumn/winter months?

Autumn/winter is usually a beautiful time in the vineyard with the grape harvest taking place in October, autumn colours as the seasons change, and we’ve even had a covering of snow at certain times of year. Although the temperature may be cooler, we always have plenty to talk about and cosy inside spaces with beautiful views over the estate. If your experience includes a tour, we do recommend dressing for the season.

What shall I wear to visit Gusbourne?

Whatever you feel comfortable in - we do not have a specific dress code.

We recommend dressing for the season, and if your experience involves a tour of our vineyard, sensible footwear, coats and umbrellas are recommended, just in case.

In terms of footwear, we are a working vineyard, so you won’t be out of place in welly boots, trainers or walking boots.

If you’d like to dress up, please do, but be aware that you may need to negotiate stairs, gravel, grass and other uneven surfaces during your visit.

What’s your cancellation policy?

If you have booked a ticket for a tour or wine tasting event and you do not arrive for your scheduled booking, then the tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded, except at our discretion.

Any request for a refund or transfer must be made in writing, directed to nest@gusbourne.com.

If we cancel your booking in its entirety, you will be entitled to a full refund for the purchase price.

Tickets will be exchanged or refunded at the price paid for them, but no further compensation will be paid.

Read our full cancellation policy here.

Do you offer private tours and tastings?

Yes, we can offer private versions of most of our experiences, or tailor a specific experience for you. Groups of 8 to 40 can be accommodated.

Please see here for more information.