English winemaker Chapel Down has announced a significant strategic overhaul under new leadership, aiming to capture a 1% share of the global champagne market by 2035. The Kent-based company, led by chief executive James Pennefather and newly appointed non-executive chair Michael Spencer, has redefined its medium-term priorities to focus on boosting brand value, expanding international distribution, and ensuring disciplined capital management. This shift comes as the company navigates a challenging period for the English wine industry, marked by slowing demand and adverse weather conditions.

As part of its strategic reset, Chapel Down has scrapped plans to build a £32 million winery in Canterbury, a move expected to save significant capital expenditure. Pennefather emphasized that canceling the long-planned site will not impact the company's growth targets, which include targeting the world's top 10 champagne markets. Currently, Chapel Down has a presence in only five countries, but it plans to expand its footprint through agreements with top travel retailers, leveraging its 35% market share of sparkling wine sales in UK supermarkets and other retailers.

The company's international push is set against a backdrop of mixed financial performance. In the six months to the end of June, Chapel Down's revenues grew 11% to £7.9 million, with gross profit increasing 7% to £3.7 million. However, net debt rose to £11.3 million, up from £5.8 million in the same period last year, reflecting increased investment in vineyards and maturing stock. Adjusted earnings also declined by 23% to around £1.2 million in the first half, attributed to lower non-cash fair value adjustments, though the company remains on track for a return to profitability by the end of 2025.

Despite recent challenges, including the second-worst harvest on record for English winemakers in 2023 due to wet weather and disease, Chapel Down is optimistic about its prospects. Pennefather noted that better weather this year has aided recovery, and retail sales value of the company's sparkling wines continues to grow at 12% annually. With the global champagne market valued at $7.19 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $9.83 billion by 2030, Chapel Down's ambitious target underscores its confidence in competing on the world stage, even as the UK wine industry grapples with plateauing sales and evolving consumer tastes.

Families of the 29 victims killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash are escalating their decades-long fight for answers, preparing to deliver a petition with more than 47,000 signatures to Downing Street demanding a public inquiry. The Chinook Justice Campaign has published 110 "critical questions" they want answered about the tragedy that claimed the lives of 25 intelligence experts and four special forces crew members when the aircraft crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on June 2, 1994.

The campaign comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer rejected calls for a judge-led inquiry into the incident, prompting families to declare they will "see the UK government in court." Among those delivering the petition on Tuesday are brothers Andy and Matt Tobias from Watford, whose father John Tobias was killed in the crash. The petition delivery will be accompanied by an attempt to deliver a letter directly to the Ministry of Defence.

Central to the families' concerns are questions about mission authorization, aircraft selection, and whether those on board were properly warned of risks. The campaign has gained momentum amid revelations that key documents related to the crash have been sealed until 2094—a century after the incident occurred. David Hill, technical expert for the Chinook Justice Campaign, characterized the government's position as "a betrayal by the state of them and their loved ones."

The crash investigation has followed a contentious path over the past three decades. Initial findings blamed pilot error for the tragedy, but this conclusion was overturned in 2011. The continuing secrecy surrounding the incident has drawn criticism from campaigners who argue it "undermines trust not only in the MoD but in the government itself." As families prepare to confront the government directly, the case represents one of Britain's longest-running military accountability battles.