Crispin Binder sold his family’s 400-acre arable farm near Maldon in Essex in order to purchase Chet Valley Vineyard in Bergh Apton, between Poringland and Loddon.

The vineyard was put up for sale in June 2025 by founder and winemaker John Hemmant, who first planted vines on the site in 2010 - and who remains as a consultant.

Mr Binder, 52, a third generation farmer, had previously worked on his family's land for 30 years.

Crispin Binder is the new owner of Chet Valley Vineyard in Bergh Apton, between Poringland and Loddon (Image: Chris Hill)

But, even before the recent drought and heatwaves, he said growing financial pressures made the traditional arable operation unsustainable - including two "straws that broke the camel's back".

One was a particularly wet year more than a decade ago, when he lost 10 acres of crops to flooding, and was unable to cultivate some sodden fields.

Another was a perennial black-grass weed problem which forced him to plant less profitable spring crops, adding to a cycle of "toxic debt" and unreliable revenues.

"The reason for selling it [the farm] was financial, totally," he said. "It wasn't a decision I wanted to particularly make, but when I look back, things had been going wrong for quite a few years.

"It was a pretty depressing existence. You get to the point where you you realise there's no sensible obvious way you're going to get out of this, and it's the height of idiocy to keep on doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results.

"If we had carried on arable farming, after this year, there is no way we would have survived."

After exhaustive discussions with advisors,........

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