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Redhill Farm Estates, Wateringbury, granted licence to sell wine online

The owner of a Kent wine company is likely to be celebrating with a glass or two after winning a business battle - with his own mother.

Henry Boorman runs vineyard and winery Redhill Farm Estate in Wateringbury and has been selling the wine at farmers' market across Kent.

However, when he applied to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council for a licence to sell bottles online a surprise objector came forward - Jan Boorman, who owns the land the business is built on.

Redhill Farm Estate has 27,000 vines planted across 20 acres
Redhill Farm Estate has 27,000 vines planted across 20 acres

At the time, Mrs Boorman said: "I own the property, he is there illegally, and I don’t wish for alcohol to be sold on my premises.

“How a son can do this to his mother I don’t know. It’s very sad.”

Henry Boorman has been granted a premises licence
Henry Boorman has been granted a premises licence

But Mr Boorman, whose business covers 20 acres with seven types of vines of French, German and Swiss origin, claimed his business had a tenancy agreement, adding: "We have the support of our village of Wateringbury and have helped neighbours establish vineyards.”

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council settled the family feud and a spokesman confirmed this afternoon that the licence had been granted subject to mandatory conditions set out in the Licensing Act 2003, including one that states online age verification must be carried out to ensure customers are aged 18 or over.

Wine from Redhill Farm Estate can now be bought from the vineyard's website
Wine from Redhill Farm Estate can now be bought from the vineyard's website

Two bottles of wine are already on sale on the Redhill Farm Estate website, medium dry white Bacchus and a fruity rose called Rondo.

The site promises a small amount of sparkling wine will be available later this year, made from grapes grown on one of the company's 27,000 vines, which are spread over more than 32km of rows.

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