Frazer Thompson is to resign as chief executive of Chapel Down, England's biggest sparkling wine maker, after two decades leading the business.
Thompson is due to be replaced next month by Andrew Carter, managing director of Chase Distillery, a Herefordshire-based producer of gin and vodka, Chapel Down said yesterday.
Thompson, 62, a former director of Whitbread and Heineken, became chief executive of Chapel Down in 2001 and has built the Kent-based company into England’s biggest wine business.
Chapel Down, which is listed on the Aquis Stock Exchange, has 789 acres of vineyards in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Essex. In October it passed the one million bottle mark. It produces sparkling and still English wines, gins and vodka.
Thompson said it was an ideal time for the company “to introduce some fresh energy and leadership”.
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He said that he would remain as a substantial shareholder and adviser to the company and he is due to work with Carter, 52, on the handover.
“It has been a remarkable journey and a privilege to have had the opportunity to change the way the world thinks about English wine,” Thompson said. “We have built a fantastic team and an exciting brand with great growth prospects.”
Martin Glenn, chairman of Chapel Down, said that Thompson had “helped put English wine on the map. It is difficult to overstate his impact and leadership.”
The company last month completed a £6.9 million fundraising through Seedr, the equity crowdfunding site, to expand its vineyard and boost exports. More than 4,100 people invested, a Seedrs record for a food and drink business.
It previously used Seedrs to raise money for its Curious Drinks business, which went into insolvency this year.
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Two years ago it opened a brewery in Ashford, Kent, to produce Curious beers and ciders, but it sold the plant to Luke Johnson, the serial investor, for £4 million, a deal that went through via a pre-pack administration.
Glenn said Carter “has a great track record in building wines and spirits businesses and can drive further growth at Chapel Down for the benefit of customers and shareholders alike”.
