We caught up with Michael Kennedy, CEO at Roebuck Estates – dedicated to creating premium vintage sparkling wines from the finest English vineyard sites while leaving the lightest footprint on the environment.
Tell me more about Roebuck Estates?
Roebuck Estates was founded in 2013 by two friends who had a shared vision; to craft exceptional vintage sparkling wines whilst leaving only the lightest footprint on the environment. To do this, they knew they would have to produce exceptional quality fruit every single year and so they set out to build a portfolio of the finest vineyard sites in England. Nestled in the heart of Sussex, one of the UK’s most renowned winemaking regions; our first sparkling wine was launched to huge acclaim in 2019 and, since then, Roebuck has won numerous awards and is served in some of the world’s most prestigious restaurants.
Underpinning this is our firm commitment to minimise our environmental impact ensuring that conservation and biodiversity are at the heart of all that we do.
How have you integrated sustainability into your approach?
Roebuck is a founding member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain certification scheme (SWGB). Our sustainability plan focuses on three key areas: protecting soil health, promoting biodiversity and reducing our carbon footprint.
In 2023 we employed an ecologist within our viticulture team, and he has made a huge difference to how we approach and encourage biodiversity – introducing beehives, building bug hotels, planting wildflower meadows, installing bird and bat boxes, planting native trees and even building reptile and amphibian habitats.
To protect soil health, we don’t use herbicide or carry out machinery operations in the vineyard during wet periods therefore avoiding soil compaction. We use cover crops which foster beneficial insects, and we allow sheep to graze the grass during winter which also adds a natural fertilizer. We have a range of measures to track the health of our soil, including conducting worm counts.
Are these practices somewhat unique within the wine industry? Or is sustainability already well considered within the English Wine sector?
As a growing industry, it is great to see that sustainability is well considered by many businesses with a wide range of practices in place.
What challenges have you found in to make the business more sustainable?
Our prime focus is to craft exceptional English sparkling wines and to do that we need to produce exceptional fruit. At the same time, we are constantly trying to leave the lightest footprint on our environment.
There are often compromises to be made and getting the balance right is critical. For example, we get a lot of rain in the UK, so going herbicide-free means that we must find other ways to control weeds that can cause competition with our vines.
Have you found that customers have been more receptive to you as a brand by being more sustainable?
Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable products and services. A recent survey found that 82% of UK consumers believe that businesses have a responsibility to protect the environment, and 75% are willing to pay more for sustainable products. In the US, research suggests that a sustainable lifestyle is important to 78% of consumers.
This means that, when it comes to spending choices, consumers are likely to opt for the businesses that support this desire – with Roebuck well positioned to deliver on this. The challenge is in making sure that people are aware of our sustainability initiatives.
What does the future have in store for Roebuck, and what does sustainability play within this?
English wine is on a high and while it is still a relatively small category within the wine world, it is beginning to build great awareness internationally.
At Roebuck, we are growing our international distribution and opening up many new markets. We are currently in the US in two states, and we are launching in a further six over the next six months.
We are developing our award-winning range and launching wines that reflect our approach to viticulture and everything that is special about our vineyards. We have recently launched a new tier of wines – the Roebuck Rare Expressions range – each wine represents a wonderful expression of a specific place, grape variety or moment in time.
Are there any people, brands or businesses who have inspired / inspire you to do things more sustainably?
Patagonia has an incredible approach to sustainability and protecting the planet. The business has sustainability running through everything it does. It is wholly transparent, and encourages people to buy less, but better.
