Richard Sharp
Founder and Director of the Urban Wine Company
*Fees are a guide only. Exact cost will be dependent on requirements and are subject to change.
About Richard Sharp
Richard has a background in managing large-scale regeneration projects across London and the Midlands, and has always been driven by innovation and community impact. His vision for The Urban Wine Company began with a simple question posed in The Independent: could Londoners make wine from grapes grown in their own gardens and allotments? The idea captured imaginations across the capital, and the Urban Wine Company was born.
Since that first harvest, Richard has united thousands of residents across the capital, bringing together communities to produce a range of award-winning wines including sparkling rosé, crisp white fizz, a perfect red and a beautiful still rosé. What began as an experiment has grown into a thriving, sustainable enterprise that celebrates community spirit, urban creativity and the joy of shared achievement.
Beyond wine, Richard is a passionate storyteller and writer, contributing to The Guardian and The Independent on topics as varied as urban winemaking, travelling the Thames, sustainable food, fitness, and European culture. His work has been featured by BBC Radio’s Saturday Live with Adrian Chiles, The Times, Financial Times Weekend, ITV News, BBC London Live, and even French television.
As a speaker, Richard brings energy, humour and authenticity to every stage. His talks offer audiences a fascinating look at how an unconventional idea, once thought impossible, evolved into one of the UK’s most inspiring community-led success stories. He has spoken at events for University College London’s sustainability conference, the Sustain Food Programme, and numerous wine and community festivals, motivating others to think creatively about the power of collaboration and local innovation.
To book Keynote Speaker Richard Sharp, contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com
- Bringing communities together through urban wine making across London.
- How to make a success out of making wine when everyone said it shouldn’t work-the Urban Wine Experience.
- Reimagining the urban landscape-eating and drinking together.
- Local community networks and the power of localism-wine tasting and conversation.
- The How to Guide on setting up local growing networks across the capital.
- Perfect chaos-Forget the strategy-make it happen through a series of accidental mistakes.
- WIne snobbery is banned-How to foster an inclusive and welcoming urban wine scene across the UK and beyond.
- What happens when a mad idea sometimes works-The Urban Wine story.
