Denbies Takes Home Gatwick Diamond Award
Denbies Wine Estate has won the Environmental Culture Award at the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2026, recognising the way environmental responsibility has become part of everyday working life across the estate.
The award comes during Denbies’ 40th year, four decades after the first vines were planted on the Surrey Hills estate. Today, Denbies spans far more than the vineyard itself. Across 380 acres, the estate brings together grape growing, winemaking, hospitality, restaurants, retail and tourism, all operating from one site.
That scale means environmental decisions are made across every part of the business, from how the vineyard is managed and wine is produced to energy use, waste, water, purchasing and how visitors and staff travel to the estate.
“We are very proud to have received this award,” said Chris White, CEO of Denbies Wine Estate. “It is an absolute honour to be recognised among such a dynamic group of businesses. This reflects our continued growth and commitment to sustainable practices, and I’d like to thank the entire Denbies team for their contribution.”
The Environmental Culture Award particularly recognises the people behind that work.
Over recent years, teams across Denbies have been encouraged to look closely at the impact of day-to-day decisions and where improvements can be made. That has included reducing emissions and waste, improving energy and water efficiency, supporting greener journeys and continuing to develop more responsible ways of working across the vineyard, winery and visitor estate.
Denbies’ grape-to-glass model also plays an important role. With the vineyard, winery and much of the visitor operation based on one estate, the business has greater oversight of how its wine is grown, made, served and sold.
It also means sustainability cannot sit within one department. Decisions made in the vineyard affect the winery; choices made in hospitality affect purchasing, waste and energy use; and changes made across the estate contribute to the bigger picture.
The award adds to a significant period of environmental recognition for Denbies. The estate achieved Net Zero status in 2024, became a B Corp the same year and received The King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development in 2025.
Those milestones recognise different parts of the work, but the Environmental Culture Award brings the focus back to something particularly important: the role of the people across Denbies who turn environmental ambitions into everyday action.
The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards celebrate businesses and individuals across the Gatwick Diamond region, with the Environmental Culture Award recognising organisations that have successfully built environmental responsibility into the way they operate.
