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The Story
I was born in Zimbabwe. When political unrest forced our family to leave in 1979, we moved to England, though Africa was not done with me yet. I returned to South Africa to finish my schooling before going back to build a life in England. That movement between two continents has never really stopped.
My early years in business were not easy. A failed recruitment company, a broken marriage, and two years living in a homeless refuge shelter with my children taught me everything I needed to know about determination. In 1996, with my mother Marion and very little money, I launched Ambition 24hours. By 2002 it had become the fastest growing company in the UK.
In 2013, I found Benguela Cove. Standing at Walker Bay for the first time, with vineyards running down to a lagoon, the Antarctic Benguela Current shaping the climate, and wild horses along the shore, I knew immediately what it could become. We appointed Johann Fourie as our winemaker, and together we built one of the world’s most awarded cool climate wine estates.
West Sussex came next. Mannings Heath Golf & Wine Estate in 2016, Leonardslee Gardens in 2018. The same family, the same winemaker, a different landscape, and wines that now rank among the world’s best. Nick has been beside me through all of it. Adam now runs Leonardslee. What began as a dream on a South African lagoon has become something none of us ever planned.
The Swallow
The swallow migrates between Southern Africa and England every year and Sussex is the first county it touches down in after the journey north. It is, quite literally, our story. Same family, same winemaker, two extraordinary estates, two hemispheres.
Penny Streeter OBE
Penny - Founder & CEO. Born in Zimbabwe. Raised in England. At home on the South
African coast and West Sussex.
Nick Rea
Co-owner and partner across the hospitality businesses. Present from the first day in West Sussex, and behind every decision since.
Adam Streeter
The next chapter. Runs Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens and brings the same obsession with quality to every corner of the estate.
Marion Hewson
Penny's Mother. Co-founder of Ambition24Hours. Been present at Benguela Cove from the beginning.
Johann Fourie
Winemaker across both estates. Awarded Diner's Club Winemaker of the
Year in 2015.
Barry Anderson
MD and Head Viticulturist, Leonardslee Family Vineyards. Fifteen years at Gabriëlskloof, Walker Bay. The man who chose our Sussex terroir and whose philosophy is simple:
healthy soils, great wines.
Jean Delport
Chef, Restaurant Interlude. Michelin Star. Michelin Green Star.
Benguela Cove is more than an import story. It is a presence.
In West Sussex, the wines live beyond the bottle in tasting rooms, restaurants, and vineyards where guests can experience them fully. At Leonardslee Gardens and Leonardslee Family Vineyards, South African wines meet English sparkling wines under one vision.
What makes the UK chapter different is this: Benguela Cove is not an import. It has a physical home in West Sussex tasting rooms, restaurants, and vineyards where guests can experience the wines in full. At Leonardslee Gardens and Leonardslee Family Vineyards, South African wines and English sparkling wines are poured side by side, under one vision, by the same winemaker. The connection between vineyard and guest is direct. There is no layer of distribution between them.
Two estates. One philosophy. A shared standard of excellence
This is what defines Benguela Cove wines:
Natural freshness and acidity
Elegant structure over heavy ripeness
Precise expression of varietal character
A balance shaped by climate, not intervention
The Benguela Effect
At the heart of every bottle is a force few vineyards in the world can claim.
The Benguela Current rises from Antarctic waters, flowing north along the South African coastline. It cools the vineyards of Walker Bay, extending the growing season and allowing grapes to develop slowly and evenly.
It is not just terroir. It is a signature.