Gusbourne, the Kent and West Sussex-based premium sparkling wine producer, has reported significant sales increases in its unaudited trading update for the 12 months to 31 December 2022.
Most notably, net revenue for the year is up by 48% on 2021 to £6.2 million, a £2 million increase on 2021 (£4.2m) and £4.1 million up on 2020 (£2.1m), reflecting continued robust sales growth across the company’s three main channels.
One of those channels is direct-to-consumer (DTC), which saw revenue sales grow by over 20% to £1.7 million in 2022, driven primarily through online sales and cellar door operations in Kent, representing 33% of net revenue for the year.
Revenues from experiences, such as vineyard tours and wine tastings were up 70% compared to 2021.
Predictably, UK trade sales also grew, as the industry had its first full year without Covid restrictions. UK trade sales represented 49% of net revenue, which was bolstered by new accounts across premium hotels and restaurants supporting the Gusbourne brand.
However, international sales reportedly outperformed domestic sales with an increase of 75% to £1.4 million, accounting for 22% of total net revenue, further ensuring that the company continues to perform in line with market expectations. Gusbourne remains one of the most globally recognised English sparkling wine producers, with distribution in over 30 international markets.
Reflecting on the 2022 results Charlie Holland, Gusbourne's CEO and chief winemaker said: “I am pleased to report another excellent performance in 2022, including a good Christmas period. Despite a challenging macroenvironmental backdrop, we have continued to see significant consumer demand for Gusbourne wines, reflecting the luxury status of the Gusbourne brand and the underlying growth of the dynamic English wine sector.
“We have seen strong revenue growth across all our sales channels, both in the UK and internationally, as the quality of Gusbourne’s wines continue to gain praise and critical recognition, further cementing our excellent reputation.
“With these results, a fantastic harvest in 2022 and further land purchases made during the year, the Board continues to look to the future with great confidence as we further strengthen our position as one of the UK’s most significant fine wine producers."
During 2022, the company purchased a further 55 ha of new land, increasing the total amount of freehold land to 196 ha. Gusbourne reports that most of this land will be planted with new vineyards over the coming years to further strengthen its growth platform, with several new wines potentially on the horizon.