Balfour or Herbert Hall Winery
London Victoria → Kent → London Victoria
The Balfour or Herbert Hall Winery day journey aboard the Belmond British Pullman is one of England's most elegant celebrations of its flourishing wine scene. Departing from London Victoria, these one-day round trips carry guests deep into the rolling Kentish countryside — through orchards, meadows and vine-striped hillsides — aboard vintage Art Deco carriages that have graced British rails since the 1920s. Two estate options share the same gracious structure: both Balfour Winery at Hush Heath and Herbert Hall Winery near Marden offer an exclusive private visit unavailable through normal booking channels.
The arc of the day is perfectly balanced: a leisurely three-course brunch as London gives way to the Garden of England, an afternoon of vineyard walks, winemaker insights and tutored tastings at whichever estate is featured on your chosen departure, and then a sparkling wine reception followed by a sumptuous four-course dinner with sommelier-paired wines as dusk falls over the North Downs on the homeward run. The British Pullman returns guests to Victoria by around 20:00, having delivered a complete sensory journey without a single overnight bag to pack.
Whether you choose the 400-acre Hush Heath Estate, home of the celebrated Balfour Brut Rosé, or the family-run Herbert Hall, whose single-vineyard philosophy echoes the great Champagne houses, this is an experience that showcases English sparkling wine at its finest — poured inside one of the world's most storied luxury trains.
- ✦Vintage 1920s Art Deco carriages with silver-service dining throughout
- ✦Three-course brunch as London gives way to Kentish orchards and vineyards
- ✦Private exclusive access to Balfour Winery (Hush Heath) or Herbert Hall — closed to the general public on the day
- ✦Tutored tastings of award-winning English sparkling and still wines
- ✦Four-course dinner with sommelier-paired wines on the return journey
- ✦A complete twelve-hour day — no overnight stay required
- ✦Intimate winemaker-led tours in the heart of England's fastest-growing wine region
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — London Victoria to Kent and Back
Morning departure (09:30, London Victoria). Guests gather in the British Pullman lounge adjacent to Platform 1, where a seasonal welcome drink — typically a Bellini — is served before boarding. The train's Art Deco carriages, some dating to the 1920s, are a destination in themselves: polished mahogany panelling, marquetry, Lalique-style glass and white-gloved stewards set the tone from the first moment. As the train glides south-east out of the terminus, the cityscape dissolves into the patchwork fields of Surrey and then Kent's famous orchards and hop gardens.
Brunch en route. While the countryside scrolls past the wide carriage windows, a three-course brunch is served — freshly prepared from seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Dishes typically include smoked salmon, eggs royale, and a selection of pastries, with Bellinis and morning beverages throughout. The dining is silver-service and unhurried, lasting the full run down to Staplehurst.
Staplehurst arrival and coach transfer. The train arrives at Staplehurst station in the heart of Kent's Weald. Guests step onto private coaches for the short transfer (roughly 10–15 minutes) to the featured winery.
If your departure visits Balfour Winery (Hush Heath Estate): The estate spans 400 acres of wildflower meadows, ancient oak woodland and apple orchards surrounding the winery's vineyards. A guided estate tour reveals the landscape's biodiversity alongside the winemaking story — from vine to bottle. A tutored tasting follows, sampling a curated flight of both still and sparkling wines including the flagship Balfour Brut Rosé, for which Hush Heath has won international recognition.
If your departure visits Herbert Hall Winery: Founded on an estate with 19th-century roots and now in its third family generation, Herbert Hall planted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in 2007. The visit is entirely private — the estate is reserved exclusively for Belmond guests, a distinction that is rarely offered. Owner and Head Winemaker Nicholas Hall personally leads guests through the vineyards and production facilities, explaining the site-specific approach that mirrors top Champagne producers. The tutored tasting showcases wines including the acclaimed Herbert Hall Brut Reserve and, at harvest-season departures, the excitement of freshly picked fruit in the winery.
Return journey (departing Staplehurst, late afternoon). Guests reboard the coaches and return to the British Pullman, where a sparkling wine reception marks the transition to the evening. As the train heads north-west through the fading Kent light, a four-course dinner is served — a generous, celebratory menu featuring seasonal British produce, a cheese board, and sommelier-selected wines chosen to complement each course. Coffee, tea and petits fours round off the meal. The train arrives back at London Victoria at approximately 20:00, completing a seamless twelve-hour day.
Destinations & Highlights
Kent — England's Garden and Wine Country
Kent has been England's garden for centuries, famed for its apple orchards, oast houses and hop gardens. In recent decades it has established itself as the heartland of the English wine revival, its chalk and greensand soils sharing geological kinship with the Champagne region of northern France. The same south-facing slopes and cool maritime climate that long ripened apples now coax Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier to full flavour, producing sparkling wines that compete confidently on the world stage. The Weald of Kent — the broad low-lying basin between the North and South Downs — is where both Hush Heath and Herbert Hall are found, among rolling farmland and ancient woodland that has changed little in two hundred years.
Balfour Winery at Hush Heath Estate, Staplehurst
The Hush Heath Estate near Staplehurst is one of Kent's most celebrated wine properties. Covering 400 acres, it encompasses not only vineyards but wildflower meadows managed for conservation, centuries-old oak woodland and traditional apple orchards that supply the estate's own cider. The Balfour family planted vines here in the early 2000s and have since produced wines that have won recognition across the UK and internationally. The estate's signature Balfour 1503 Brut Rosé — a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay — has become one of England's most recognised sparkling wines, its deep salmon hue and brioche-and-strawberry character earning consistent critical praise. Visitors to the estate in summer discover the vineyards in full leaf; autumn arrivals may witness harvest activity.
Herbert Hall Winery, Marden
Herbert Hall is a family estate rooted in the 19th century but transformed into a precision winery in the modern era. Winemaker Nicholas Hall planted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier across carefully selected individual plots in 2007, adopting a philosophy borrowed from the great Champagne houses: use only estate fruit, vinify each plot separately, and blend only the finest parcels into the final cuvée. The result is a small but critically admired range of English sparkling wines, made in quantities that rarely reach the general market. The estate's exclusivity — its wines are seldom available for public tasting — makes the Belmond partnership a genuinely rare opportunity. The winery itself is intimate and hands-on, and visits led by Nicholas Hall carry the conviction of a craftsman speaking about his life's work.
London Victoria and the British Pullman Departure
London Victoria Station is itself part of the theatre. One of London's great Victorian termini, it has dispatched royalty, statesmen and travellers to the Continent for over 150 years. The British Pullman departs from here in the tradition of the original Golden Arrow Pullman service, which connected London with the Channel ports. Boarding the train at Victoria, with its hustle of ordinary commuters and tourists, and then entering the hush of an Art Deco carriage laid for brunch is a transition that instantly signals that this is a day apart from the everyday.