Haar Winery start up fund

Aim

Help us raise funds to open an urban winery in Brighton & Hove and create jobs for underrepresented folks in the wine industry.

** update ** Hello there. If you're reading this you just missed us. Throughout March we raised £5k but sadly that wasn't enough to do what we said we would do below. So we've refunded all the wonderful supporters and we are trying plan B. Follow us on Instagram or email [email protected] for information ** 

Haar Winery needs funds to get going... ready for the September 2024 harvest

Haar is a social venture (not-for-profit) that will provide above the real living wage job opportunities to those currently underrepresented in the UK Wine Industry. The winery will be in Brighton & Hove and will make minimal intervention wines from grapes grown organically in Sussex, Kent, and Essex. 

Alongside paid employment, those who work with Haar will receive professional careers advice to ensure that they can move into sustainable employment. Haar will create a safe work place for people to truly be themselves and get help to springboard into a career - whether that be within wine or something completely different. Setting good foundations and transferrable skills is vital to thriving in the workplace. 

What do we the need money for?

We need money to set up the winery for our year 1 running costs. Any donations will go towards buying equipment such as barrels, tanks, a press, a squeegee or two, grapes (these are pretty important), bottles, rent, bills etc etc. If we meet the stretch target your support will ensure that we can hire local people and pay above the real living wage. 

What wines will you make?

It depends! We are planning to work with growers who practice organics and biodynamics, which means we rely on the growing seaons to let the grapes express themselves - not forcing them to taste the same year after year. But in a nutshell the wines will be "natural" meaning minimal intervention in the winery (no added sugars, addatives etc etc) and we plan to make 1 sparkling pet-nat, 1 orange wine, and probably 1 white wine or if the season is kind then maybe an interesting red. 

Some quick facts:

• There are around 2,300 full time people working in the UK wine industry. 47% are women, 52% are men, and 0.4% identify in another way. Haar aims to change this for trans and non-binary folks
• There are 943 vineyards and 209 wineries in the UK - 0 of them are in Brighton & Hove - meaning that if you want to work in the UK wine industry, you need to be able to afford to learn to drive and have accessto a car. Haar aims to change this for folks living in the city and can walk to the Winery or get the bus (same goes if you want to visit us as a wine tourist)
• It costs ££££££££ lots of money to plant a vineyard or establish a wine estate. These are usually owned by families with generational wealth or those that have benefited from hedge funds, trust funds, or other jobs that are typically cis-male dominated. Haar aims to change this through crowdfunding and driving all business decisions with the community at its core - Haar will always be a not-for-profit organisation

Where can I buy Haar wines?

We are doing things a bit differently around here. The wine will not be available to buy in shops, bars, or restaurants. We want to reduce our impact on the beautiful planet whilst still getting to enjoy some nice wine. So, we are establishing a membership based system where wine is only available to those on the membership list. You pay £100 once a year for your place on the membership list and receive the wines when they are ready. We decided to offer a space on the membership as a reward in this crowdfunder. It takes time to do something in a considered way. The wines will taste different every year, because we rely on the seasons and the weather and that will be expressed in the bottle you get to enjoy. More details in the T&Cs below. This crowdfunder is allowing early access to the membership list. 

What is an urban winery? Why do you need so much money? You can't grow grapes in the city, can you? Who is underrepresented in the wine industry? Why should I care about this stuff? Aren't winemakers loaded why do you need donations? I don't like wine, why am I still reading? What on earth does 'haar' mean and how do you say it? 

Here's the answer to all these questions and more...

• What is an urban winery? Simply, it is a place where wine is made within an urban environment like a town or a city instead of in a fancy barn in the countryside. There are some pretty cool ones in London and one up in the Lake District if you want to do a google (but do that after reading the rest of this, please).
• Why do you need so much money? It costs a lot more than you think. As a nation of prosecco lovers we have become accustomed to cheap wine and have forgotten who is behind it. Haar will have a fully transparent supply chain than we will share with members. To do that we need to cut out the "middle man" distribution system and that means we can't offer a cheap deal. The business model ensures that all staff are paid above a real living wage (not a minimum wage). 
• You can't grow grapes in the city, can you? That is the beauty of an urban winery, you don't actually grow the grapes yourself. We buy them from one of the many beautiful vineyards in England and Wales (négociant style like 1000s of producers around the world). The grapes are hand harvested and driven into the city ready to be turned into wine. But in answer to the question - you probably could grow grapes in a city if you really tried hard. 
• Who is underrepresented in the UK wine industry? LGBTQIA+ people (in particular trans & non-binary folks), people of colour, people with disabilities, refugees and migrant communities, people with criminal records, and people from low social economic backgrounds. 
• Why should I care about this stuff? The people who make the wine that you enjoy on a Friday evening matter. There is a real lack of transparency in the wine production supply chain and a bit of an unwillingness to make the drastic changes that need to happen. Haar aims to have a fully transparent production process (from where the grapes are grown and how, right through to who makes the bottles and where) to ensure equality.
• I don't like wine, why am I still reading? It sounds like maybe you care about creating change and tackling inequality and are looking for places to spend your hard earned cash on things that make a difference, eh. We know that wine isn't for everyone, but if you are still reading why not buy a membership and gift it to someone that does enjoy wine? 
• Aren't winemakers loaded why do you need donations? Typically in the UK the people who own big wine estates, vineyards or wineries come from generational wealth or successful careers in  banking (just a sweeping generalisation but not far off). And those folks are lovely and their wines taste incredible. But it is time to let the workers benefit from the means of production. 
• Who is behind Haar? Hello I'm Beck and I am the founder and winemaker at Haar. I am non-binary and have left a career in charity work (working in careers advice, youth work, addictions, mental health, and terminal illness support) to get outside more and look after my mental wellbeing. As I entered winemaking, I quickly realised there were NO people around me that identify the way I do. So I wanted to create a space where people who feel like they don't get the same chances as others, can come and work in a safe space making some fun cool wines, and get a helping hand to find a sustainable career.
• What on earth does 'haar' mean and how do you say it? Haar is an old Gaelic word for sea fog. Specifically the fog that creeps in when the air is warm and it meets a cold sea. In Old English it is referred to as a sea fret. It not only looks good, but it fits nicely with the aims of Haar employing people that may not know what they want to do with their lives and supporting them to lift that fog so they can move into a sustainable career. (See below for some nice pictures of a recent haar)
• Will there be merch? YES! of course. Once the winery is in place and we are all set for harvest we can focus on fun things like merch (think deli style t-shirts, stickers, tote bags etc etc). But we want to ask - do you really need another tshirt or tote bag for your big shop? If we do merch, we will ensure that garment workers are paid a proper wage and have proper working conditions. But we need to focus on the winery start up first. 
• What else will you do with the money if I donate? First up is an evening where local LGBTQIA+ artists from Brighton & Hove will try the wine and design a label. All the artists will have their work displayed on Haar's website and one label design will be chosen to go on the bottle that members will receive. The artist will be paid as part of funds raised on this crowdfunder. 
• Anything else I should know? We plan to reduce waste as much as we possibly can. Which includes reusing the grape skins somehow. So we have set up an exciting collaboration with a secret well known and loved Brighton based brewery that will be released later in the year exclusively to our members. 

T&Cs for the rewards:

* You must be over 18 years old to donate to claim the membership reward. Proof of age will be needed at delivery.

* Membership includes 3 bottles of wine a year and updates via email at interesting stages of the wine production. The 3 wines will be different, and it depends on the grapes and what's happened out in the vineyard that will determine what the 3 wine styles will be. Most likely an orange wine, a pet-nat, and a zippy little white. They'll be ready around June 2025(ish). As the wines are minimal intervention, we have to be patient around when they will be ready and what they will taste like.

* postage is to UK addresses only. If you would like to donate from outside of the UK you can gift the membership to a lucky UK pal, or choose one of the other options that do not include the wine membership. Thank you beautiful humans across the pond. 

* By donating to the member reward you are signing up to the Haar Membership and we will email you in 2025 to ask if you want to remain in the club or give up your place on the list. The membership is capped at a sustainable limit and a waiting list to join will be in place. 

* For the winemaker reward we will email you in August or early September 2024 to arrange a suitable date for you to come and help make the wine. This is dependent on a few factors out of our control like the weather and when the vineyard team are harvesting the grapes. 

* The private tasting for you and 4 pals will be on a date TBC but we can discuss a suitable time & date from November 2024 onwards. We will taste some very limited edition wines made by Haar in 2023 which will not be sold due to limited quantities remaining. Ooooh tres exclusive.

* The 100 bottle biggie reward will be available at the same time as the regular membership wine (June 2025) but you get to design your own label to put on the front of the bottle. You will be invited to the winery to try the wines before the general public. The Haar logo will be on the back of the bottle. You cannot resell this wine, it would probably cause all sorts of tax and duty headaches. You will receive regular updates via email on the wine making process and we will contact you to discuss some interesting behind the scenes exclusive information around blending and tastings. 

* Remember this is minimal intervention wine that you are signing up to. It can be unpredictable and lively, lovely, zippy, 'funky' (we personally have a bit of an ick around that word), and often have a haunting acidity. Wine is fun and should be enjoyed. We believe our wines are perfect for popping down the beach or a random Tuesday in the rain with a pizza. These are not wines you keep and store for years. Just wanted to make that clear to help you know if this is right for your hard earned pennies. 

Thank you for reading and sharing and coming along this bonkers journey with us. Especially in a crummy time of financial crisis and cost of living soaring. 

This project successfully funded on 31st March 2024