New Wine Tasting Space for Helme Edge Vineyard

One family, three generations who share the same passion for wine, have come together to open a brand-new boutique vineyard in Yorkshire. Nestled in the foothills of the Pennines in Meltham near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Established by Alan Calder, his daughter Fiona Smith and her son Tom Smith, they originally began Helme Edge Vineyard as an experiment in 2017, but by 2022, their hobby had turned into a much-loved, family business to become a prime tourist destination for wine lovers.

Visiting the Halifax show village

When the family visited the show village, they had a room specification that they were interested in for their developing business. They required a bespoke room where they could invite people and ensure they had a comfortable and premium experience during their wine tasting tour.

Tom expressed, “We want to make coming here a real experience for people, so we will show them around the vineyard before bringing them into the tasting room where they can try the wines and have some nibbles.”

Alan, Fiona and Tom looked around our show village to decide which type of cladding they were going to choose for their tasting room. They chose Whiskey Charred timber cladding in a vertical style as this perfectly suits the vineyard’s countryside surroundings, blending in seamlessly amongst the scenery.

Additionally, the family decided they were going to have a four-pane sliding door in Anthracite with black handles at the front of the room, which allows people to admire the beautiful surroundings during their wine tasting experience. 

They also decided on a secret door to be placed on the right of the building that opens outwards; this space is used as their lavatory and blends in effortlessly.

The family behind the Vineyard

Day to day, the business will be run by Alan and Tom while Fiona supports in between, alongside her job. Fiona’s mum, Jennifer, will also be involved in the running of their family business.

Fiona and her husband, Duncan, were both in the wine business for many years, while Alan was a winemaker for many decades. Tom spent some time living in Melbourne, Australia, where he gained valuable experience in winemaking at a large winery in the Victoria region. He says that in time, they plan to increase their yields so they can harvest more grapes and eventually make the wine there too.

Planning Permission Process

Their new space offers an exceptional wine tasting experience amidst breathtaking scenery. It looks down towards the village of Helme and the Pennines and is a large space measuring 6430mm x 3950mm with a roof overhang measuring 400mm. 

The project was not without issues. Helme Edge needed to go through Rural England to acquire planning permission. They required heritage planning permission, which includes Listed Building Consent and Conservation Area Consent, this is to ensure the new building development was carried out in a way that preserves their architectural or historic interest. 

Choosing a Sedum Roof 

To help overcome planning issues, MRO recommended the inclusion of a sedum roof. This went a long way in being granted permission for their new tasting room.

A sedum roof is one type of living green roof. The green roof has a layer of vegetation (living plants) on top of it.

The sedum roof complements the scenery and is low maintenance. It also has many beneficial factors for wildlife, such as creating a new habitat and food source for insects and birds, as well as filtering pollutants from rainfall. 

MRO company director Ryan expressed why customers need to visit the show village and what it means to him.

“When customers come to the show village, it gives them an idea of the quality of our materials and a feel of what our business is about. I think it is important for customers to meet the people behind the business so that we can build personal relationships and ensure that our customers know they are valued and their needs are understood. At our show village, customers can get a first-hand feel of what different-sized rooms feel like when they are standing inside, as opposed to guessing from measurements.”

Ryan Crosley, Director

3D Visuals of the Wine Tasting Room

The initial visuals were received with enthusiastic approval from the family; the concept was brought to life through a computer-generated plan and 3D imagery called a configuration.

The configuration allows customers to look through a range of component options from windows and doors to cladding and electricals, and many more, with costs showing in real time as each component is added.

This is a great way for customers to visualise exactly how the finished room would look in their own space with their chosen components, and allows them to ensure that they are planning within their budget.  

Advantages of Modular Construction over Traditional

Modular construction excels in speed, reducing project timelines and is more cost efficient, as well as energy efficient, due to its use of sustainable materials and the creation of less waste. This project took just fourteen days, including external work. 

At Make Room Outside, we manufacture all of our garden rooms in our purpose-built factory in Halifax, West Yorkshire. This ensures that there is minimal disruption to our customers' business and environment. 

Summary 

The Calder and Smith family are delighted with their new Wine Tasting Room at the Helme Edge Vineyard.

“We got planning permission for the vineyard tasting room in August 2024 and immediately started looking for a contractor. Of those selected, Make Room Outside fronted by Ryan, made by far the best impression based on his thorough knowledge of the industry. Ryan made valuable suggestions for the design, which we incorporated. With prices broadly similar, we had no hesitation in appointing Make Room Outside. 

For us, having the tasting room enabled our start-up. There were no other indoor alternatives, and visitors have commented favourably on the tasting environment. 

The construction phase went smoothly, driven by a group of friendly, skilful operatives. Residual snags were dealt with promptly, and everything now works perfectly. We are happy to recommend Make Room Outside to anyone looking for a garden room or workspace.” 

Alan Calder - Helme Edge Owner 

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