“Probably the prettiest vineyard in the world” – Rathfinny Estates, East Sussex

Reasons You Should Join a Grape Picking Harvest in the UK

What to expect working a Grape Picking Harvest at Rathfinny Estates, East Sussex, and essential items to bring.

Reasons you should join a grape picking harvest in the UK are plenty.

Many friends have eagerly asked me how they can join the grape picking harvest at Rathfinny and what to expect. This has prompted me to write about my grape picking experience at Rathfinny and give an insight into what to expect during a grape picking harvest.

This is my second grape picking Harvest at Rathfinny Estates — probably the prettiest Vineyard in the world, in my opinion.

The Rathfinny Estate stretches across six-hundred acres. Two hundred and eighty acres are set out in neat, precise lines, which form three hundred and eighty-five thousand vines.

Situated inside the Southdown’s National Park, just three miles from the coast at Cuckmere Haven, the chalky slopes provide the perfect conditions for growing grapes.

The views from every corner within the Rathfinny Vineyard are breath-taking. The south-facing slopes are a truly magnificent sight. They can be seen from Seaford Golf course, Friston Forest, Cuckmere Haven and Alfriston Village.

A typical day grape picking

The drive to the allocated parking areas from the road can take up to ten minutes. The single file road has speed humps with passing areas.

You’ll park in your allocated team area, where there will be two portaloo toilets and hand washing facilities. Your team leader will hand out a pair of very sharp ‘snips’, which will be collected at the end of each day.

The team will walk to the vines, which could be a very long walk! I have learnt to drink just one cup of coffee in the morning because it could be a few hours before the team return to base, to the portaloo toilets!

Your team will work up or down rows of vines. The grapes are picked, checked, and thrown into the blue plastic crates. Often the grapes will have mould or unripened grapes, which need to be removed before throwing into the boxes using the snips. Grapes at Rathfinny are handpicked to ensure that only quality grapes are taken to the press.

Some people prefer to ‘strip’ the vines of leaves before cutting the grapes off the vine, which is a good idea because you will want to clearly see where you are cutting. The snips are very sharp, and fingers can become damaged if you’re not careful. The team leader carries plasters!

Narrow tractors will operate inside the next row, collecting the full crates from under your vine and replacing the empty boxes.

The working day starts at 08:00 and finishes between 16:00 and 18:00. The finish time will depend on how many grapes have been picked during the day. There needs to be enough tonnage to fill the presses and grape picking continues until the limit has been met for that day.

There are two thirty-minute breaks throughout the day, Morning and lunch. Breaks are timed from when the team return to base. The morning break is usually between 10:00 and 12:00, and the lunchtime break can be anytime. One of my lunch breaks didn’t start until 15:05!

Break times are determined by how much has been picked, and usually, a break starts at the end of a full row being picked. A full row can take up to one and a half hours, depending on the quality of the grapes being picked and how many members are in your team.

Who joins a grape-picking harvest?

This was my first question before I embarked on my first ever harvest — who will be there?

I was surprised to find that the stereotypical idea of swathes of students and immigrants is outdated. The harvest at Rathfinny is largely dealt with by an employment agency which means you get paid! Not much admittedly, but it is at least the minimum wage. This rules out cash-in-hand off the grid people.

On this year’s harvest, I have worked alongside a Pig farmer, a Beef farmer, a retired GP, a retired nurse, a masseuse, a travelling pianist, a freelance writer, a retired primary school teacher, a shepherd, a Farrier, a hotel receptionist, even a former professional footballer to name but a few!

In my experience I would say that the average grape-picker is about fifty-ish. There are a lot of retired people and a smattering of students, but mostly the type of people you meet on a UK grape picking harvest will be middle aged or retired healthy fit people.

I mention healthy and fit because grape picking is not for the faint hearted. It is manual labour! It can be exhausting when you factor in the walking involved. At Rathfinny I average 15,000 steps per day! In addition to walking and standing for hours there is the physical side to consider; Muscles that have lain dormant for years suddenly start screaming for mercy, in particular back, neck and shoulders!

It’s a social thing to do

Joining a grape-picking harvest can be as socially rewarding as you want it to be. Some people prefer to remain aloof and wear headphones while others like to chat and engage in conversations and general banter. You will meet people from all walks of life and it’s the eclectic mix of interesting people that make grape picking such fun!

For many grape pickers, a change is as good as a rest, and it’s an opportunity to leave the rat race behind for a few weeks and enjoy the camaraderie of other people. You’ll have absolutely no responsibilities. It’s a case of turning up on time and picking grapes. That’s it!

At Rathfinny you are put into a team. Two hundred+ grape pickers are divided across eleven teams, and within your team you can choose to move down the lines with or without interaction with other pickers, although unless you are wearing headphones the probability of remaining aloof from the banter and laughter from within your team is unlikely.

My advice to anyone thinking of joining next year’s harvest.

take at least two changes of clothes including clothes for every season, and spare socks!

• Waterproof outerwear
• X2 pairs of waterproof walking boots
• Gardening Gloves – Several Pairs!
• Wet wipes for cleaning stick hands (grapes are very sticky)!
• Hats and scarves
• Plenty of drinking water, food, hot drinks and snacks
• A foldaway camping chair to use at lunch
• Suncream, sunglasses and sun hat
• A sense of humour and an open mind
• Stamina!

What will you gain?

Fresh air and fitness! There is no doubt that grape picking at Rathfinny will enhance your fitness levels. Your lungs will expand from walking (on average 5 miles per day), and You will benefit from the fresh air and being at one with the elements.

Rathfinny grape pickers all receive a Rathfinny Harvest T-shirt, and this year the employment agency gave us all a flask!

During the harvest, grape pickers can take advantage of a 15% discount within the Rathfinny estate.

You will get paid! Albeit it’s only the minimum wage, but in my opinion, it mitigates the benefits overwhelmingly.

New friends and connections. Grape picking at Rathfinny is the perfect place for networking and making new connections.

Words by Justine Swann