Kentish Express Ashford & District - What's On
SPOTLIGHT ON festive fizz
Whichever side wins, there’s one dead cert for this weekend’s Boat Race – they will be drinking locally-made fizz. By Angela Cole
It’s a race of luxury – though not, perhaps, if you are one of the ones racing. The annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, which sees men’s and women’s teams of rowers from each university compete on the Thames, is swapping its traditional upmarket fizz for a Kent variety. Tenterden’s Chapel Down, which also has vineyards at Blue Bell Hill, has signed a four-year agreement to become an official partner to the Boat Race Company Limited (BRCL).
It means the popular Kentmade sparkling wine will be enjoyed by the victorious crew – whoever that will be – at the Mortlake finishing line of the race on Sunday, April 2.
The event, which is steeped in history, will be the 163rd time the men’s teams have competed on the water and the 72nd time for the women’s teams.
Much tradition is attached to the race, not least the fact that members of the universities refer to the other as the “Other Place”. Frazer Thompson, CEO at Chapel Down, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering the Boat Race, an iconic moment in the British sporting calendar. This great rivalry inspires mutual respect but an iron will to outperform. This is a sentiment that I relate to as we compete with sparkling wines from ‘the other place’!”
David Searle, executive director of the Boat Race Company Limited, said: “Chapel Down will be joining a host of other great British brands partnering the Boat Races and it will be fantastic to see the celebration moment after the race being feted with English sparkling wine.
“As a forward thinking and ambitious business, Chapel Down bring a new dimension to the races reflecting our desire to evolve as a thoroughly modern British event and we are looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the next four years.”
The Boat Race is in good company – wines from Chapel Down are already served at British institutions such as the Royal Opera House, London Symphony Orchestra and are an official wine partner to No.10 Downing Street.
The vineyard has 16 acres under vine surrounding the winery on a 68-acre estate in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The women’s race starts at 4.35pm and the men’s an hour later.