A harvest lunch at Albury Organic Vineyard near Guildford brought together seasonal Surrey produce, award-winning English wines and Chef Renu B's delicious cooking. Visit Surrey's Matthew Williams joined the Albury Supper Club for three courses of autumn flavours, some surprising wine pairings and news of an exceptional grape harvest that is set to produce Albury's first-ever red wine.

Words and photography: Matthew Williams

REVIEW: There's something rather fitting about celebrating the harvest with a long lunch at a vineyard.

The grapes are in, the winemakers have plenty to smile about (this year, anyway!), and there's a very good excuse to open a bottle or two.

At Albury Organic Vineyard, Chef Renu B was marking the occasion with a three-course Harvest Lunch as part of the Albury Supper Club.

The menu promised heritage tomatoes, British Saddleback pork, Surrey-grown apples, seasonal vegetables and a traditional autumn pudding.
And there was an unexpected bonus to this year's celebrations.

Such has been the remarkable 2026 grape harvest that Albury is set to produce its first-ever red wine. An exciting prospect for a vineyard best known for its rosé and sparkling wines.

But first, lunch.

A glass of Surrey wine and a chef with a story

Proceedings began with a glass of Albury's Surrey Hills Sparkling Rosé, a suitably celebratory start and a reminder of just how far English winemaking has come.

There's something particularly enjoyable about drinking wine where it's made, especially with the vineyard's harvest story unfolding around you. And with a glass of pink bubbles in hand, it was time to discover what Chef Renu B had prepared.

But first, a little about the chef herself, because Renu Ballantine has a fascinating story.

After 25 years in the corporate world, including a career with ExxonMobil, Renu decided to swap the boardroom for the kitchen.

At 50, she enrolled at Leiths School of Food and Wine, graduating with honours before embarking on a new career as a private chef.

She's also self-published a cookbook, From Boardroom to Bouillabaisse, a fitting title for someone who has made such a remarkable career change.

In fact, Renu's connection with Albury Organic Vineyard goes back further than the supper clubs. As a member of the Albury Wine Club, she was already familiar with the vineyard and its wines before they began working together.

And judging by the menu at Albury, it's a partnership that's working rather well.

A final taste of an extraordinary summer

First to arrive was panzanella salad with heritage tomatoes, croutons, mozzarella and an English herb dressing.

An Italian classic with a Surrey accent, combining fresh tomatoes, creamy burrata and crunchy croutons, all brought together by fragrant herbs.

There were also a couple of pipettes of intensely delicious tomato water produced during the preparation, capturing the pure flavour of the tomatoes.

A light opening to the meal, and a final nod to summer before things moved into more autumnal territory.

A comforting British classic, reimagined

The main course was slow-braised British Saddleback pork with sage and locally grown Surrey green apples, served in individual bread bowls.

An English Bunny Chow? Now we're in comfort food territory.

Bunny Chow is a South African dish traditionally made with a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with curry. Renu's version gave the idea a thoroughly British makeover, using a heritage breed of pork and a classic combination of flavours. The sage even came from her own garden.

There was some clever kitchen economy at work, too. The bread removed from the bowls had already appeared as croutons in our starter.

I paired the pork with Albury's Blanc de Noirs, a cracking match. The wine's freshness balanced the richness of the dish, while its depth complemented those classic British flavours.

For vegetarians, Renu offered squash with sage and apples, keeping the same seasonal flavours at the heart of the dish.

Pear crumble meets a Surrey Hills Negroni

Dessert brought pear and stem ginger crumble with crème fraîche and pear crisp.

A proper British pudding with a little finesse. Sweet pear, warming ginger, tangy crème fraîche and the delicate crunch of pear crisp made for a fitting autumn finale.

But rather than ordering a conventional dessert wine, I decided on a Surrey Hills Negroni, made with Albury Vineyard's Vermouth Rosso, Silent Pool Rare Citrus Gin and Sipello, a local bittersweet aperitif with ingredients including gooseberry and rhubarb.

Now, a Negroni with crumble might sound like an unlikely partnership. The sort of pairing that could go either way. But it worked brilliantly.

The cocktail's bittersweet character cut through the sweetness of the crumble, while its fruity, citrusy notes played beautifully against the pear and ginger.

An unexpectedly harmonious combination, and one of my favourite discoveries of the afternoon. Who knew a Negroni and crumble could make such good friends?

A remarkable harvest and the promise of Albury red

Beyond the lunch itself, there was plenty of excitement surrounding Albury's 2026 harvest.

Already well-known for its sparkling wines and much-loved Silent Pool Rosé, Albury has introduced its first Silent Pool White this year. Now there's the possibility of a red wine joining the line-up.

Producing still red wine in England has traditionally been a challenge, with our cooler climate making it harder to achieve the necessary ripeness. But warmer growing seasons are opening up new possibilities for English winemakers - and Albury's exceptional harvest could prove another step in that direction.

It's an exciting development for this Surrey Hills producer, and one I'll be following with interest.

And who knows? Perhaps one day we'll be enjoying a glass of Albury red alongside Chef Renu B's slow-braised pork, or a rich, meltingly tender dish of braised Surrey beef.

I'd certainly be happy to return and put both pairings to the test.

• Albury Organic Vineyard, Silent Pool, Shere Road, Albury, Guildford, Surrey GU5 9BW. For more information about the vineyard and its events, visit Albury Organic Vineyard. 
• Get into the festive spirit at Albury Organic Vineyard with a special Christmas Supper Club on December 11 and 12 with Chef Renu B and a touch of Surrey Hills sparkle. 

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