An evening with the UK's most exciting winemaker

Sugrue South Downs was established in 2006 when Dermot, then head winemaker at Nyetimber, was approached by an order of Catholic priests to plant a small site at the foot of the South Downs in West Sussex. Seven years later, the first release of ‘The Trouble with Dreams’ from the 2009 vintage rapidly gained critical acclaim and earned Dermot's wines a cult-like following. In May 2023, Dermot and his wife Ana – also a winemaker – purchased their first vineyard and established a winery at Bee Tree.

Chef Alex is one of the South's most respected chefs. He started his career as a trawler man and this ‘raw’ fishing experience proved invaluable and a culinary asset during his career as a chef. Alex spent 25 years of cooking within the New Forest, including many years running his own highly-acclaimed restaurant, Le Poussin in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, which led to his Michelin Star in 1995. Now he is Chef Patron of The Jetty restaurants and celebrating 40 years in the business, producing locally sourced, sustainable food.