This month Nigel Akehurst visits Mousehall, a family-run, sustainable distillery and winery nestled in the scenic High Weald National Landscape near Wadhurst to discover how the Jordan family has transformed the historic country estate into an award-winning wine and spirits business.

Turning off Tidebrook lane, I followed a gravel track, passing several pretty houses before encountering a small flock of distinctive, black-headed Dorper rams grazing on a steep field. A beautiful Wealden farmhouse and oast greeted me at the entrance to Mousehall, and taking a right turn I followed the track along the bottom of the vineyard, arriving at the visitors’ car park.

I headed for a large modern barn housing Mousehall’s Distillery and Winery, where I met Christy Jordan and Nick Siersema. Invited in to the impressive, double height space, the first thing I noticed was the shiny, 400-litre copper pot still Amahle (meaning “the beautiful one” in several African languages) taking centre stage.

As we sat down for a chat, Nick fired up their impressive barista machine and brewed us all a proper cup of coffee. I was eager to learn more about the estate, and Christy explained how her parents, Gary and Kathy Jordan, had bought the 14-acre property at the end of 2017.

Wine background and finding a suitable property in the UK

With a background in viticulture – they own the Jordan Wine Estate in South Africa – Gary and Kathy had decided they wanted to start a vineyard in the UK. The search was far from straightforward, added Christy, but after being shown many properties by various estate agents they were eventually shown Mousehall. It was neglected and overgrown, but the family fell in love with the historic buildings, and the south-facing slopes were ideal for vines.

Equipped with a chainsaw and brush cutter, the family got to work clearing the grounds in early 2018, simultaneously renovating the historic buildings and preparing the south-facing field for vine planting. After making drainage improvements in 2019, they contracted in VineWorks to plant vines growing the champagne varietals, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Seeing the vines being planted was impressive, commented Christy, describing how the GPS-guided tractor and machine and two men planted all the vines in a matter of hours.

That same year Christy joined her parents at Mousehall, moving over from South Africa to work on developing the gin business. In 2021 they converted a redundant Atcost barn into what is now their distillery and winery, one of the first such combinations in the UK.

The team now boasts six full-time members of staff, each with their own defined role, though they often overlap during busy times, such as during events and at harvest time, she explained.

No two days are the same, with Mousehall now offering distillery tours and tastings, private events and functions and luxury accommodation in the oast house. Nick joined Christy at Mousehall earlier this year to head up sales and finance after giving up his IT job in London, and explained that he doesn’t miss looking at a screen all day long.

Barn renovation and setting up a distillery from scratch

A lot of work went into getting everything set up, and Christy said they ended up applying for 14 different licences for the business. After carrying out some initial research themselves, they decided to outsource the complex process to APA, run by Alan Powell, who took care of everything.

“Before 2009 it was virtually impossible to start a distilling business, due to rules that meant you couldn’t have a still holding less than 2,000 litres, which is industrial scale,” explained Christy. Thankfully Sipsmith managed to get a small-scale distillers’ licence and paved the way for the artisan gin boom.

Christy, who has a background in visual arts and worked in hospitality for a number of years, worked closely with her cousin Lindy Wright in South Africa to create the brand identity for Mousehall, incorporating a lot of the medieval history and nature of the estate into their beautiful packaging and website (www.mousehall.com)

With a growing demand for local artisanal gin, it made sense to set up a distillery and winery at the same time, especially as it takes a few years for the vines to grow and establish, she explained.

The family worked closely with local building firm AT Palmer to carry out the barn conversion and Oast renovation (now a luxury holiday let). Covid-19 put a bit of a spanner in the works with building supplies, so the barn was delayed, but they managed to get it completed just in time for the arrival of their German-made copper pot still in January 2022.

Christy described what she called an unforgettable moment when they travelled to the Black Forest in Germany to watch in awe as their copper still, crafted by fourth-generation coppersmiths and an essential piece of their distilling dreams, came to life.

Gin-making process

To make the gin they begin by buying in a 96% neutral spirit from a local supplier as their base alcohol, which is made with a French grape and British grain.

They then add their own mixture of botanicals using a one-shot method. Christy explained they do four distillations to create their Mousehall Sussex Dry Gin and use 13 botanicals in total, including locally grown English coriander seed and Mousehall lavender. They are also growing various botanicals they will be using in their seasonal spirits and vermouth.

It took Christy about a month to perfect the recipe, playing back and forth with the different quantities and then adding an extra botanical here or there to ensure quality and depth of flavour.

“You can be quite creative,” she said, adding that she even tried distilling hay to experiment with different taste profiles (apparently it tastes quite sweet when distilled).

Spending a few months on developing their sustainable packaging, they launched their signature Mousehall Dry Gin in June 2022 to critical acclaim. The team then set its sights on expanding the product line, launching a Triple Distilled Fresh Citrus Vodka in June 2023 and an Elderflower Aperitif earlier this summer.

Showing me around the barn, Christy and Nick explained how they can use their impressive steel tanks for both spirits and wine making. They planned to start bottling their first Tidebrook sparkling wine the following week, said Christy.

Tidebrook Wines

Finishing our tour inside, we headed out to see the vineyard and grounds. They harvested their first grapes in 2022, explained Christy, making their maiden vintages of their still wines, named Tidebrook, after the hamlet the estate is located in.

Walking through the leafy rows of their picture-perfect vineyard, Christy pointed out the grapes, many of which had yet to ripen. She explained that the mild, wet conditions had made it a tricky year. As a result, she didn’t expect to start harvesting until well into October, even though they had been through and removed leaf cover to speed up ripening.

In a good year they would aim to start harvesting at the end of September, she said. Last year they received 40 tonnes of grapes from both their own vineyard and from other Sussex vineyards within a few miles.

Tips for aspiring vine growers

I asked Christy what advice she had for other farmers in the South East who were considering diversifying into viticulture. She replied that it was easy to be romantic about starting a vineyard, but it was important to work out if the land was suitable for growing vines first. Ideally you need free-draining, south-facing slopes below 100m, she advised, adding that you may need to factor in deer fencing, especially if the site is located near woodland.

It’s a lot of hard work, she added, so you need to be sure you are passionate about wine, too. Planting vines is a considerable up-front investment, and you also need to factor in the ongoing maintenance. Other factors to think about include how you plan to market the grapes.

Dorper Sheep

Helping keep on top of the grassland management at Mousehall is a small flock of Dorper sheep, which graze under the vines during the winter season. The Dorper is a South African, self-shedding breed created by crossing a Persian ewe with a Dorset Horned ram, explained Christy.

With no prior livestock experience, the family bought in ten ewes and rented a ram. Lambing was quite an ordeal, they said, and after getting off to a good start they faced a number of issues including prolapses and breach lambs. Thankfully Christy discovered a supportive group on Facebook. She described how she sent in photos, receiving invaluable advice around the clock from a community of shepherds.

The flock has since grown in number and Christy knows all the 18 ewes by name, with no plans to do any more lambing at present. She said that anyone interested in buying pedigree Dorper rams should get in touch.

Mousehall tours and tastings experiences

To capitalise on the growing demand for experiences, the Mousehall team offers distillery and winery tours and tastings which can be booked via the website. Guided tasting experiences cost from £25 per person. They also cater for private groups and regularly host birthdays, other celebrations and work functions.

With a professional kitchen and bar in the barn, they can provide ‘grazing boards’ for groups. One of the most popular experiences is their cocktail masterclasses for groups of 10 or more, added Nick.

With a growing number of vineyards in the High Weald, Mousehall is now part of the Wealden Wine Trail, launched this year to promote 12 vineyards open to the public.

Marketing and luxury oast accommodation

Marketing is a key part of their business strategy and both Christy and Nick are accomplished marketeers, having built a loyal following on Instagram (@mousehall_country_estate) and racked up nearly 3,000 followers so far.

Their content features everything from product news to updates from the estate, such as the recent addition of their newly renovated luxury oast accommodation that sleeps six. Showing me around, they pointed out the hot tub being installed in the garden ready for their second set of guests due at the weekend.

With my visit drawing to an end, we walked through their extensive grounds, taking in their kitchen garden, gin garden and pear and apple orchards with gem squashes – a South African favourite – growing below.

Leaving Mousehall with a bottle of award-winning gin and vivid memories of their picturesque estate, I was struck by how the Jordan family and the team have transformed the property into a beacon of sustainable, artisanal craftsmanship – an inspiring example of what passion, dedication and vision can achieve.

Estate facts

  • Mixture of historic and modern buildings set within 14-acres.
  • South-facing slopes under 100m, mainly clay and sandstone.
  • Granted 14 different licences for the distillery and winery, including rectifying, spirit blending, gin and vodka.
  • Renovated a redundant Atcost barn in 2021 to a high spec to house a 400L copper pot still and winery, receiving a LEADER rural grant to help cover some of the costs.
  • Planted champagne varietals Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in 2019 on half a hectare.
  • Small flock of Dorper ewes and rams.
  • Offer tours and tasting experiences.
  • Luxury accommodation in a renovated oast house which sleeps six

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