English wine producer Balfour has created two new senior roles, as it announces plans to expand production.

The company has promoted Adam Williams from sales director to chief operations officer and appointed Jack Merrylees, previously from Majestic Wine, to the role of marketing & PR director.

Williams and Merrylees form part of a new board, which also includes head winemaker Fergus Elias and commercial director Sarah Easton.

Balfour has also announced plans to double production to one million bottles per year at its 400-acre Hush Heath Estate in Kent, supported by long term grower contracts in Kent and Essex.

Williams said: “We think there’s a huge opportunity for the English wine industry to really capture the hearts and imaginations of wine lovers across Britain; to help people to discover the incredible wine region that’s under an hour away from London.”

Balfour co-founder, Leslie Balfour-Lynn added: “The reception and growth over the past 20 years has been superb as we go from strength to strength – and with our new board in place it feels like we are still just getting started.

 “This year promises to be the most thrilling yet. We have a lot in the pipeline, from new developments at the winery to some extremely exciting new wines soon to be released alongside the continued development of Jake’s Drinks and our pubs. I am pleased to have Adam and the team at the helm, to really help us capitalise on this momentum.”