Nyetimber English sparkling wine was awarded Best Drinks Producer at the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2025 last night, becoming the first wine producer to ever win the prestigious award.
Nyetimber was initially nominated by members of the public, then assessed by an expert panel headed up by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The panel selected Nyetimber as one of three finalists, alongside Abbeydale Brewery in Sheffield and Yorkshire Wolds Apple Juice Co, and the final judging took place when presenter and brewer Jaega Wise visited the vineyard in September.
The BBC Food and Farming Awards was launched in 2000 to mark the 20th anniversary of Radio 4’s The Food Programme. Since its inception, it has continued to champion and highlight the people who, through food, are changing Britain for the better. According to category judge Jaega Wise, the Best Drinks Producer category celebrates “the best of the UK’s drinks producers. People who aren’t just making incredible drinks but are doing things a bit differently.”
Nyetimber was recognised for its dedication to quality and commitment to excellence. A true pioneer, Nyetimber was the first producer of English sparkling wine to exclusively grow the three celebrated grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. With 11 vineyards spanning over 1,000 acres in West Sussex, Hampshire, and Kent, all Nyetimber wines are made from one hundred percent estate-grown grapes – allowing for complete control over every step of the winemaking process from vine to bottle.
Jaega Wise says: ‘We are really talking about a standard of wine production that is world‑class. The wines are bright and innovative. The company is leading the way in some of the best sparkling wine being produced in the UK. English wines made with English grapes standing with the best of the best across the world is brilliant.’
Nyetimber owner and CEO, Eric Heerema says, “We are delighted to have been awarded the Best Drinks Producer at the BBC Food and Farming Awards this year. The fact that the public nominated us for the award in the first instance demonstrates that Nyetimber is increasingly recognised for producing world-class sparkling wines to rival the very best in the world.”
The BBC Food and Farming award coincides with multiple significant award wins for Nyetimber. At the International Wine Challenge earlier this month, Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs 2016 Magnum won Champion Sparkling Wine – the first time this trophy has ever been awarded to a sparkling wine from outside the Champagne region. Nyetimber Head Winemaker, Cherie Spriggs was also crowned Sparkling Winemaker of the Year for the second time. She first won this award in 2018, becoming the first person outside of Champagne to do so, and she remains the only woman to have ever gained the title.
Nyetimber’s prestige cuvées have also been highly recognised this year, with 1086 by Nyetimber 2010 being awarded top-scoring sparkling wine in the world at London Wine Fair’s Battle of the Bubbles in May – beating prestige cuvées from Dom Perignon and Krug – and 1086 by Nyetimber Rosé 2013 winning Sparkling Rosé of the Year at The Real Review’s Wines of the Year awards in September.
