Pioneers of the English wine industry, Ridgeview continue to blaze the trail for sustainable winemaking as it has achieved B Corp accreditation, joining a global community of purpose-driven businesses. Following a rigorous application process, the Estate has proven to have some of the highest social and environmental standards, with a commitment to ambitious sustainability goals for the future. B Corp is underpinned by a philosophy of balancing people, planet and profit, using business as a force for good. For Ridgeview, becoming a B Corp is much more than a certification; it is an opportunity to join a network of like-minded brands paving the way for the global sustainability movement.
Situated in the heart of rural Sussex in the South Downs National Park, Ridgeview considers itself custodians of the estate that they call home, with a duty to protect and preserve the land and the communities within it, for generations to come. Believing in business as a powerful force for good since they established their family business in 1995, the B Corp values have always been an intrinsic part of their DNA.
Tamara Roberts, Ridgeview’s second-generation CEO states: “Joining the B Corporation community feels like coming home, and their values align completely with ours. We are a business built on a holistic approach to decision-making that is not solely focused on profit, but that which benefits our people and planet too. To be a part of the B Corp network, we can amplify and accelerate our positive impact collaboratively with other businesses, looking to ways in which we can do things better and differently. It’s about doing the right thing and supporting our business firmly with our values as part of a community of businesses with a common purpose. The job is not done and nor will it ever be, we need to continue to look to ways in which we can learn and grow.”
B stands for Benefit for all, with the B Corp vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system for all people and the planet. Ridgeview joins 5,575 global businesses and 950 UK companies from a broad cross selection such as The Body Shop, Propercorn, Ella’s Kitchen, Hawksmoor and Ridgeview’s friends at Exclusive Collection, who have recently joined forces by planting a vineyard on their South Lodge site. Ridgeview is one of only 25 global wineries that are now certified as a B Corp including Symington Family Estates, Champagne Heidsieck, Bonterra and England’s own, The Uncommon, which produce English sparkling wine in a can.
Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, says “We are pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community. Business is a powerful force and B Corps demonstrate that you can do good in any sector. Welcoming Ridgeview is an exciting moment, they have an opportunity to lead the way within the English Wine industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Ridgeview in paving the way for a new way of doing things”.
Following the accreditation of the vineyard and winery under The Wines GB Sustainability scheme in 2021, this B Corp announcement marks a new chapter in Ridgeview’s pioneering journey, proving it is serious about sustainability. With an overall B Corp impact score of 92.9, Ridgeview achieved notably high scores in areas such as ‘Environment’, ‘Ethics & Transparency’, ‘Diversity, Equity & Inclusion’, ‘Mission & Engagement’ and ‘Governance’. Ridgeview’s environmental performance, in the notoriously challenging B Corporation assessment, proved the company to be carbon negative across scopes one and two, with a commitment to becoming carbon neutral across all three scopes by 2030. Ridgeview’s sparkling wine was proudly served to global leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021 (COP26), has strong ambitions to lead the English wine industry to transform its social and environmental practices through a collaborative approach, working together as a positive force for change.