About Us
In 2017, at the age of 54, we decided it was time for a change – a big change
We left corporate careers, sold our home of 17 years and bought a old established vineyard in Worcestershire. The Astley Vineyard estate had potential – in other words, there was lots to do. And there was lots to learn. We built a winery, a visitor centre, a tours and events programme and installed two shepherd huts for glamping stays.
Learning largely by trial and error, we built a business that we’re proud of. Along the way, we developed a way of thinking about rural business, hospitality and land that we believe is worth sharing. The Kerner Partnership grew from conversations around our vineyard table with each other, and with other rural business owners who care about doing this work well
And why ‘The Kerner Partnership’? Kerner is a rare variety of grape, grown (uniquely in the UK) at Astley Vineyard, where the original 55-year-old vines still thrive. For Bev and Tim, who have spent almost a decade tending to these vines, Kerner has special meaning: the plants have the resilience and accumulated wisdom of age; they are energetic and vigorous; the fruits they produce are high quality, but unusual; they reflect the benefits of careful stewardship of the natural environment. We would like to think that (at least some of) these characteristics are shared by our work at The Kerner Partnership.
Tim Haywood
Tim leads The Kerner Partnership’s work on regenerative rural business — helping operators build commercially resilient enterprises that work with the land and community.
With a First Class degree from Oxford and a qualified Chartered Accountant, Tim is a former Chief Financial Officer and Head of Sustainability of a global FTSE250 plc, and was Prince of Wales’ Ambassador for Sustainable Business in the West Midlands, He brings financial discipline, environmental and community commitment to the Partnership. He now has nine years of hands-on viticulture experience, managing Astley’s 55 year old vines. He is an experienced public speaker and has appeared at the Farm Business Innovation Show and Countryfile Live
He is passionate about rowing and nature in equal measure
Bev Haywood
Bev leads The Kerner Partnership’s work on welcoming hospitality — the art and discipline of creating visitor experiences and spaces that are generous, memorable and commercially strong.
Cambridge-educated, a trained accountant and experienced rural business mentor, Bev brings both thoughtful analysis and deep human warmth to everything she does. She has been a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust, Young Enterprise and worked as Regional Startup Officer for Women in Rural Enterprise
Bev is currently Vice Chair of the Visit Worcestershire LVEP
Her passions? History, art and her home
Astley Vineyard
Planted in 1971, Astley Vineyard is a five hectare estate located just north of the cathedral city of Worcester and lying less than half a mile from the River Severn. There are two hectares of vines, a visitor centre, winery and two shepherd huts for glamping stays.
Best known as the only commercial producer of Kerner [a relative of Riesling] in the UK, it has vines on the Global Old Vine Registry. There are six different vine varieties and average annual wine production is 6,000 bottles.
Astley Vineyard was named RBA’s National Food & Drink Rural Business winner in 2021. Other awards include Visit Worcestershire’s Regenerative Business of the Year 2026 , Winner of Winners in 2024 and Experience of the Year in 2022. Its tours have been previously recommended by The Sunday Times, Conde Nast Traveller, The Telegraph and Delicious Magazine
