Why Will Davenport chooses Swindells as his accountants (accounting for vineyards)
Melanie Richardson
19/12/2016
"I’ve built up a great relationship with Swindells. They know about my life, which means they can give me a quality service that takes into account my personal situation and business which has saved me a lot of time and money over the years"
Will Davenport is the owner of one of the oldest organic vineyards in England. He has several vineyards in East Sussex & Kent and produces an excellent selection of red, white and sparkling wines, which he supplies to Michelin starred restaurants across the country and to his online customers. Will’s business is highly capital intensive with constant investment in machinery and building upkeep; he chooses Swindells for their deep knowledge of the agricultural sector, which enables him to structure his investments tax-effectively.
Will has worked all over the world in the wine industry. After studying a degree in Winemaking in Australia, he started as a cellar hand there before moving to California and settling for a while in Hampshire running a winery. In 1993 the company he worked for closed and he faced a decision: find a new job or set up on his own. He had already planted a ‘hobby’ vineyard on his parent’s land so decided to take the leap. He set up Davenport Vineyards, now one of the oldest organic vineyards in the country and supplies his wine to top restaurants across the UK.
“I never even thought about growing Davenport Vineyards into the business it is today, but every seven years or so we’ve added new vineyards and expanded to the extent of selling 30,000 bottles a year. My accounts are quite complex now with huge amount of invoices going in and out, Swindells help me to focus on making great organic wine and are always on top of that side of my business’
Swindells works with a range of clients from small business owners & family run businesses to large international corporations. Will’s business requires deep expertise in the agricultural sector to take advantage of tax agreements with the Inland Revenue. We have a number of clients that work in this sector and we can provide them with the latest information and services in our field of work to help their businesses.
“I started working with Swindells 23 years ago. They are always one step ahead of the tax changes and are in contact straight away when there is a change that I should be taking advantage of. I’ve built up a great relationship with Swindells, they know about my life, which means they can give me a quality service that takes into account my personal situation and business which has saved me a lot of time and money over the years. I even introduced my father to them and they became his accountants. I’ve not had a single complaint in 23 years.”
Swindells work with Will on his terms. When he needs us to pop up to the winery in the busy harvest period we are more than happy to drive down the country lanes and take meetings overlooking the vineyards. Whenever there is a situation for Will to take advantage of a new tax law or business structure we update him immediately. We’re always working in the background to make sure Will & Davenport Vineyards is in the best position they can possibly be in.
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