Q&A with Camilla Jennings, Jenkyn Place

At the chef’s table, we recently had the pleasure of catching up with Camilla Jennings, Sales Director of Jenkyn Place, Peapod & Co.’s English sparkling wine partner and close neighbour. Camilla joined the family-owned and run vineyard in 2013 and spends her life and time between London, where she’s just finished an extensive renovation project, and the vineyards and green fields of Bentley, Hampshire, home to Jenkyn Place.

When you have time on your hands, of an evening, you are/can be found…

I’m either browsing the internet for inspiration for the final touches to our new home or trying to find a new restaurant or activity that my partner and I can do. During lockdown we have been treating ourselves to some nice meals out. Having always been a hostess I am really missing having a full table and it’s nice to go somewhere with a buzz and remember that the world and other people still exist!

A place you can’t wait to go back to…

I can’t wait to go back to Iceland. The bizarre food, the absolutely outstanding scenery. It was unusually one of the few trips I have been on that hasn’t involved vineyard visits. The other would have to been the two week trip I took to South Africa with my father. The vineyards were spectacular and the range of wines we tried was equally impressive.

An item that represents luxury to you...

An item that represents luxury to me is beautiful glassware – does that sound strange? Working in wine you really, really appreciate the difference quality glasses can make to an occasion. Immaculately thin glasses, with delicate stems, that scream for a delicious wine…

The best book you’ve read in the past year.

I’m really into audio books due to my daily commutes to the vineyard. It’s such a lovely way to start the morning. I think the best books I have read recently would be Beekeeper of Alleppo and Where the Crawdads Sing. Most of what I am reading now is too embarrassing to mention – definitely not works of fiction but right now I am looking for lightweight and cheery books, to keep a smile on my face during these horrible lonely months.

Most memorable wine experience.

My most memorable wine experience was playing Oz Clarke’s wine waiter during a short film he was doing on English wine. He’s just one of my absolute heroes and he even signed his book with a KISS!

Most memorable dining experience.

An unforgettable dining experience was in a wine cellar in the middle of Tuscany under the hotel we were staying in. We had signed up for the wine pairing dinner expecting to find an array of tables set up in their cellar. No, it was just me and my (now) husband in the most impressive wine cellar, sitting at a banquet size dark oak dining table, being served wine after wine with plate after plate. I was in heaven looking at all the bottles in their racks and boring the poor sommelier senseless! There are often occasions my husband has to tell me to stop talking wine with sommeliers... but I just love to find new things I haven’t tried.

In your fridge you’ll always find…

Limes! When it isn’t wine time, its margarita time. And gorgonzola dolce, because when it is wine time, it also normally calls for cheese, and this is my favourite.

What’s on your wish list?

Always on the wish list is more wine storage in our new house! Ooooo one of those corkscrew cellars if anyone has one spare...

Your earliest childhood cooking memory.

My earliest childhood cooking memory has got to be Mum’s treacle tart and is probably one of the earliest things I remember learning to cook. But I also remember that it was very frustrating that you couldn’t lick the bowl straight away like a cake as you would burn your mouth on the lava hot golden syrup mixture!

You were instrumental in the re-brand of Jenkyn Place, where do you get your inspiration?

The re-brand of Jenkyn Place was significant but in keeping, I think if I had been let loose on my own it would have gone more minimalist and possibly verging on abstract. But this is not just my brand, it was started by my father and I am just grateful to be able to join the story, so the brand had to reflect his values and style.

My father is a gentleman, a traditionalist, and not one for change. And so it was a balance of trying to update our brand while keeping the notion of tradition, both in the method of making the wine but also that traditional image of enjoying sparkling wine on special occasions. So we kept our family crest of the griffin, but in a less fussy form, and cleared the label by removing some of the wording and embossing it behind the brand name, so didn’t detract and kept the label clean and fresh.

What is your favourite part of the entire Jenkyn Place experience?

My favourite part of the Jenkyn Place experience is Veraison – just before harvest when the grapes change colour from granny smith green to rich yellow chardonnays or deep purple pinots. It’s so beautiful. I would always advise people to try and do tours at this time of year, in August.

What’s next for Jenkyn Place?

We’re turning our attention to what’s next and with everyone buying both local and online, we think Christmas could be a very busy time of year. People aren’t just picking up their holiday wine in their local supermarket this year, they are looking forward to some much needed celebrating!

What are you most excited about for the brand in 2021?

In 2021, I am most excited to share that our Blanc de Noir 2014 will be released within the first 6 months, and after the ridiculous success and notoriety that our Blanc de Noir 2010 received, it is high time we released the next one. And in the vineyard, I am looking forward to having our tours at full capacity again, and not having to restrict them in line with government guidelines.

Your favourite canapé and wine?

My favourite canapé has to be Peapod & Co’s peach jelly with lobster, shrimp, dill and caviar which was specifically designed for go with Jenkyn Place’s Classic Cuvée 2014.

At the Chef’s Table with Camilla Jennings