news
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Summertime Sabrage at Yotes Court
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Yotes Court in West Peckham in Kent, you should jump at it for a few reasons. Firstly, the estate itself is stunning; you can see for miles around over the neat rows of vines that cascade down the hills into the valley. Secondly, the team gives you…
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Squerryes Garden Party
Once a year, Henry Warde opens the grounds of Squerryes Court to members for a summer garden party. This year was the tenth edition of the event, and we happened to be on a weekend away with eight friends when it came around. After selling our group of pals on an afternoon of English sparkling…
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Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration
We arrived at the Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration with one eye on the sky and, frankly, a mild sense of dread. It was absolutely tipping it down! As it turned out, we needn’t have worried. There’s something about terrible weather that brings people together, and the atmosphere under the tents was brilliant from…
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Cellar Table with Dermot Sugrue and Mark Hix at Sugrue South Downs
We knew when we founded The Society of the Silver Sword that we wanted to host a diverse range of events, in order to work out what really resonates with our members. So far, we’ve hosted a dinner in an exclusive members’ Club, an evening reception with canapés and bowl food, and a casual afternoon…
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Tour and Tasting at Oastbrook
the obligatory meteorological preamble T.S. Eliot wasn’t talking about viticulture when he opened The Waste Land by saying that “April is the cruellest month”, but no doubt many winemakers have these words in their minds for much of the transition to spring, because it is a time of real trepidation in the English winemaking calendar—the…
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Mark Hix Dinner at Sugrue South Downs
“But wait!”, I hear you say. “The Cellar Table with Dermot Sugrue and Mark Hix isn’t until May!” Fear not—you are correct. We are hosting a fabulous dinner with our friends and partners at Sugrue South Downs on Saturday 9th May. If you’re quick, you might even still be able to get tickets for it…
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The Clink Charity Ball
The Clink is a fabulous charity that runs public restaurants in prisons and provides prison-leavers with opportunities to gain new skills and qualifications in hospitality, catering, and horticulture. We were delighted to be invited to their annual Charity Ball this year, which took place at the Royal Lancaster London. The Clink’s Events arm and Bakery are in…
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English Sabrage Experience with the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom
We were approached at short notice by friends who are members of The Wine Guild of the United Kingdom, because they were planning an English sparkling wine appreciation evening, and thought that adding sabrage to it would make it even more joyful. We (unsurprisingly) agreed, and need little encouragement, so made our way to the…
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Launch Party at Squerryes
Our Launch Party sold out, and we had a fabulous time. We kicked off with some outdoor sabrage, off the balcony of the winery restaurant (having dutifully completed our risk assessment, because we care about safety too). While several guests were experienced practitioners of the noble art, it was the first time for the vast majority of…
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Silver Swords
As many of you know, we decided to found The Society of the Silver Sword at the start of 2026, to celebrate English sparkling wine and the timeless joy of the art of sabrage, and to build a welcoming and diverse community of people who want to learn more about the English wine scene, and…