
Gusbourne Head Winemaker Masterclass and Lunch
Book a visit Head Winemaker Masterclass and Lunch
Explore Gusbourne’s cellar with Head Winemaker Mary Bridges. During this experience on Saturday 9th November, Mary will give you a behind-the-scenes preview of the 2024 vintage and introduce you to the processes of making Gusbourne’s award-winning wines. Be guided through a special wine tasting and enjoy a three-course lunch paired with our wines.
£115 per person
Calendar of all our tours, tastings and special events Further information and directions
THE DETAIL
Mary Bridges, our talented Head Winemaker, has been a core part of the Gusbourne team for several years. This is the first experience she is hosting as Head Winemaker, and it promises to be a very special tasting and lunch.
During this behind-the-scenes experience, Mary will take you into the winery to share insights into the winemaking process. You'll be amongst the first people to taste the 2024 vintage, as Mary introduces you to base wines from tank and barrel.
You’ll then return to the Hide to taste a selection of wines chosen by Mary. She’s chosen these bottles to demonstrate the depth and breadth of our range. Following this fascinating tasting, you’ll enjoy a delicious seasonal three-course lunch prepared by our Head Chef Anthony Coppard.
AT A GLANCE
You'll join Head Winemaker May Bridges for a chilled glass of Gusbourne, a tour of the winery and base-wine tasting, a guided wine-tasting and a three-course lunch.
The wines
A first taste of the 2024 vintage base wines tank and a guided tasting of wines selected by Mary.
The lunch
You'll sit down for a seasonal three-course lunch created to pair with the wines served.
Timing
The day will start at at 12 noon and finish at 3pm. We recommend you make any taxi arrangements in advance.

Further information
Directions
You’ll find us by turning off Kenardington Road at the junction with Snargate Road, where the Gusbourne driveway is immediately on the left. We are a 15 minute drive from Ashford – you will approach down Kenardington Road and the turning to Snargate Road will be on your left. If you arrive at a crossroads leading into Appledore, you’ve gone too far.
We are 10 minutes from Rye – you will approach through the village of Appledore, and on leaving the village, you’ll arrive at a crossroads where you’ll take a right towards Kenardington and Ashford. This takes you on to the Kenardington Road and after a minute or two’s driving, the turning to Snargate Road will be on your right. Directions can be found here.
Gusbourne,
Kenardington Road,
Appledore, Ashford,
Kent,
TN26 2BE.
Public transport
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. Appledore station is not served by taxis or regular buses.
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.
Parking
You can park free of charge at the vineyard. It is only a short walk from the parking area to the tasting room. We do not have facilities for coach parking.
Accessibility
If you or one of your party have restricted walking ability, please contact us in advance of your visit, and we’ll make arrangements for you to be as comfortable as possible, such as using our golf buggies to take you around the vineyards. The tasting room has ramp access, and accessible toilets suitable for a person with restricted walking ability and for those that use a wheelchair some of the time. We welcome registered carers and assistance dogs free of charge when they are accompanying visitors with special needs.
Children
Our hosted vineyard tours last around 2 hours, and our hosted Discovery tours last around 4 hours. Both involve visiting our working winery and feature a guided wine tasting, so are not suitable for children. You are welcome to bring children on a self-guided tour around our estate free of charge, and The Nest serves soft drinks for drivers and under-18s. If you would like any additional advice before bringing children to the estate, please email nest@gusbourne.com, or telephone 01233 884680.
Dogs
You are welcome to bring your dog to enjoy our outdoor spaces if you are planning a self-guided tour of the vineyard. Dogs are also welcome in our outside hospitality spaces. For their safety, please ensure dogs are always kept on a lead.
Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted inside The Nest, our tasting rooms or winery. This means you cannot bring dogs to our Estate Tour, Icons Experience or other ticketed events which take place inside The Nest.
Cancellations
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, unless 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. To read our full cancellation policy click here.
Visit us
We are a short 15 minute taxi ride from Ashford train station and have a selection of cab companies we can recommend booking for your journey. If coming by car, there is free parking available on site. To read more information on getting to Gusbourne, please visit the link below.
Allergen information
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.
Contact
For any questions email nest@gusbourne.com,
or call 01233 884680.
Address
Gusbourne, Kenardington Road, Appledore, Ashford, Kent TN26 2BE.
Opening Hours
10:00 - 17:00
Daily, Monday - Sunday
Including bank holidays.
Book a visit Head Winemaker Masterclass and Lunch
Explore Gusbourne’s cellar with Head Winemaker Mary Bridges. During this experience on Saturday 9th November, Mary will give you a behind-the-scenes preview of the 2024 vintage and introduce you to the processes of making Gusbourne’s award-winning wines. Be guided through a special wine tasting and enjoy a three-course lunch paired with our wines.
£115 per person
Further information and directions