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Joining me on today’s episode of The English Wine Diaries is Harry Cragoe, founder of The Gallivant – a luxury beachside retreat in Camber Sands, near the picturesque market town of Rye in East Sussex.

Harry describes himself as an entrepreneur with a purpose and his career has taken him across the globe and into many different businesses with one clear mission – to spark moments of joy and happiness through hospitality.

The Gallivant epitomises this. Here, Harry and his wife, Sigrid, have created a place rooted in delivering exceptional hospitality in a comfortable, thoughtfully designed setting that enables personal growth and encourages creativity and healthier lifestyles.

The hotel opened in 2010 and has since built a cult following of loyal visitors from the UK and further afield – it also happens to be one of my favourite places in the world as I got married there.

Harry, Sigrid and their team are fiercely committed to supporting the local economy, particularly the English wine industry and partner with local vineyards on tours, special tasting events and their daily ‘English wine at 5’ programme, which sees guests treated to a glass of something from a different local vineyard each day.

The Gallivant was recently awarded a Michelin Key and welcomed the arrival of former Bibenden chef Matthew Harris to take the helm at the hotel’s reimagined beachside restaurant, Harry’s, which have been described by the Guardian’s restaurant critic, Grace Dent, as ‘precise, timeworn food, without making a huge song and dance about it’.

We talk about how food and wine have been central to Harry's life since he was young, why creating a hotel where people feel they can kick off their shoes and relax was so important to him and the reason he will never stop reimagining.

Keep up to date with The Gallivant's latest news by following @TheGallivant and @harryscambersands on Instagram or visit: thegallivant.co.uk.

With thanks to our series sponsor, Wickhams, The Great British Wine Merchant. Visit wickhamwine.co.uk to open an account and see their award-winning range of English wine and bottles from around the globe that have exceptional stories to tell.

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