On Friday 6th February 2026, Balfour Winery opened the doors to its newest hospitality venture, The Winemaker’s Pub, a village pub rooted in English wine, British cooking and a strong sense of home. Located in the heart of Goudhurst, The Winemaker’s Pub completes Balfour’s trio of places to eat and drink across its Kent estate, alongside The Winemaker’s Kitchen restaurant and the more casual Cellar Door offering at the winery. Together, the three venues reflect different ways of experiencing Balfour wines; from destination dining to relaxed home comfort.
A pub is one of Britain’s great institutions, and for Balfour Winery it is the most natural home for English wine. The Winemaker’s Pub is designed as a place guests can return to again and again: familiar, welcoming and generous, where excellent local food and English wines are enjoyed with ease rather than ceremony.
Fergus Elias, Winemaker, says: “English wine is inseparable from where it comes from. This pub allows people to experience our wines in the most natural setting possible, surrounded by Kent countryside, good food and good company. It’s about flavour, place and shared moments.”
The kitchen serves British pub classics shaped by seasonality and local produce, with dishes that feel comforting, nostalgic and quietly elevated. The menu includes Cider-braised Kent Pork Belly, Braised Lentil Shepherd’s Pie and Balfour IPA Steak & Kidney Suet Pudding, alongside sourdough pizzas served year-round. In the summer months, pizzas are also available from an outdoor hatch opening onto garden views across the oast-house-dotted landscape. Desserts lean into traditional favourites, including Jam Roly-Poly, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Apple & Plum Crumble.
The drinks list is exclusively Balfour Wine. Guests can enjoy a full range of the estate’s English sparkling and still wines by the glass or bottle, including the iconic Balfour Brut Rosé and the showstopping Nannette’s Rosé. The list also features bottles from the Winemakers’ Collection which is an exploratory, small-parcel range focused on craftsmanship and artistry. Produced in limited quantities, these wines are shaped by curiosity and are distinguished by labels created by local artists. The most recent additions include Cuvée Owen Erland Elias and Chardonnay 76 that feature original artwork by the daughter of the Founders, Nannette Balfour-Lynn. The collection reflects the intersection of art and wine and reinforces the idea that both are deeply rooted in place, creativity and human touch.
Upstairs, four boutique bedrooms named after Balfour vineyards offer a relaxed overnight stay, decorated with warm textures and feature upcycled wood from the vineyard. One suite includes an ever-romantic free-standing in-room bath. Guests can also purchase wines and estate-produced goods to take home, extending the experience beyond the visit itself.
Leslie Balfour-Lynn adds: “We’ve always welcomed guests to Balfour Winery as we would at home, with warmth and generosity. The Winemaker’s Pub is an extension of that home, and the bedrooms mean people can slow down, stay over and experience Kent, our wines and our hospitality at a more relaxed pace.”
In 2025, Balfour welcomed a record 75,000 visitors to the winery, up from 40,000 the previous year. The opening of The Winemaker’s Pub marks the next step in the winery’s long-term commitment to wine tourism and hospitality, making English wine both emotionally and logistically accessible.
A complimentary shuttle bus runs frequently between the winery, The Winemaker’s Pub and nearby Marden station. The pub is three miles from the winery (approximately ten minutes in the shuttle bus), while direct trains from Marden to London Bridge take 46 minutes and run every half hour.