Harvest Winery Assistant

This role will be part of a close knit harvest team who will unload crates of grapes from lorries and load them into the grape presses. It is a great way to get a step in the door of the wine industry - several of our press loaders from last harvest have had other roles with us since. Some have previously progressed onto cellar hands for the next harvest.

What does the job involve :

The crates of grapes weigh around 16kg. The press loading process can involve lifting from above head height and then leaning over the press to load them through the centre. A lorry unload will take about 20-30 minutes and in this time, each person could lift around 1 tonne. Once the lorry is empty and the grapes have been loaded into the presses, this role will be cleaning down the press, crates and the area until the next lorry arrives. The role will be working at heights.

The shifts can be 8-12 hours ( could be longer or shorter) , up to 6 days a week during harvest. Each person will be allocated either day shift starting in the morning or late shift starting afternoon. Once they are allocated the shift, each person would stay on this shift for the whole harvest which could be up to 2-6 weeks.

Please note all of this information is just given as a guide. All shift timings, start and end dates are fully dependant on harvest so anyone applying needs to have full flexibility and commitment during the harvest.

• You should enjoy working in a close-knit team working towards a common goal and with the ability to use own initiative



• Be comfortable with physical lifting and climbing stairs to the grape press



• Able to work at heights and at nights ( a medical assessment will be required to ensure safety and reasonable adjustments ), Our international award-winning sparkling wine is sold through multiple channels including restaurants, independent resellers, supermarkets and direct to the consumer via our cellar door and website. We are looking for a dynamic team player to help drive our digital communications and strategy to the next level.
  
  Ridgeview has been producing world-class sparkling wine for over 25 years. Considered pioneers of the English Wine Industry, our state-of-the-art winery and established vineyards (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) are based in the heart of the South Downs National Park, with breath-taking views of the surrounding area. We are proud to be certified by Wines GB as a sustainable vineyard and winery, and we invest in the latest, innovative equipment to minimise our impact on the natural world whilst crafting the highest quality sparkling wine around., Ridgeview is a family business built on a strong sense of teamwork. We believe in passion, a sense of purpose and a commitment to excellence. Ridgeview lives and breathes a family ethos, valuing all our staff as individuals, with a unique story and an important role to play. We are a vibrant, dynamic and diverse team who make great things happen, together., We are an international award winning, family ran winery, based near Ditching in Sussex. We are focussed on producing the highest quality, minimal intervention, traditional method sparkling wine. We have won many accolades over the years including IWSC 2018 International Winemaker of the Year.


At Ridgeview, our internal values mean to lot to us and we seek out people who look to embody them. As a team we strive for quality and excellence, respecting people along the way, developing talent and building trusting relationships. We aim to be pioneering, to make great things happen and with our passionate team, who take pride in everything they do, we also like to celebrate success.


• Be available for around two to five weeks from mid September to early October.( TBC actually dates to be confirmed nearer the time as will be dependent on grape yield and ripening)



• Flexibility with additional hours required depending on harvest


What we will give you:


• The opportunity to work within an award-winning wine business as part of a pioneering, proactive and friendly team.



• Your working hours will be spent next to a stunning vineyard with amazing views of the South Downs.



• Contract for the harvest period (actual date is grape ripening dependent)



• One hot meal provided per shift once first grapes start arriving



• Staff discounts while on contract



• Real Living Wage + higher than statutory holiday entitlement