British wine industry calls on Eurostar to bring back Kent services
Britain’s wine industry has called for Eurostar to restart services from two Kent stations to boost the South East of England’s vineyards.
The high-speed operator suspended operations from Ashford International and Ebbsfleet in the early stages of the pandemic.
But it has faced mounting pressure to bring back the popular routes over the last year given their importance for the local region’s economy.
Now, Britain’s wine industry has waded into the debate.
“The resumption of Eurostar services from Ebbsfleet and Ashford International would be of great benefit to our industry,” Nicola Bates, chief executive of the industry body WineGB, told City PM.
The South East is seen as a hotspot for UK wine production and vineyards in Kent and Sussex have even drawn comparisons with France’s Champagne region for their chalky soil.
Some 25 per cent of total winery income is generated by tourism, with around 60 per cent of the industry planning to invest in vineyard tours and other offerings over the next year, per a WineGB survey.
Pierre-Emmanual Taittinger, chair of the well-known champagne house Taittinger, warned in September Eurostar’s decision risked holding back tourists from visiting Kent vineyards.
His comments came as the 290-year old firm officially opened its first bottle from a 380-acre site in Chilham it bought nearly a decade ago.
“Providing the infrastructure and levelling up travel outside of London is of the utmost importance to our rural industry, particularly to over 80 of our members that fall within the Ebbsfleet and Ashford catchment area,” Bates said.
According to a recent report from the transport research group Enroute, passengers travelling to and from Kent to Brussels now face double the costs and more than triple the journey time thanks to Eurostar’s suspension.
A spokesperson for Eurostar said: “Our Kent stations will remain closed throughout 2025 and will be reviewed in 2026.
“We understand that this may be frustrating, and we want to stress that we are closely monitoring the situation and, should there be any changes, we will provide an update.”