Vineyard toasts concrete success

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Concrete specialists from a Shropshire company have played a key role in helping to create the county’s latest visitor attraction.

The team from Tudor Griffiths Group, in Ellesmere, have been working with the owners of Hencote Vineyard Estate, near Shrewsbury, to deliver a multi-million pound project that will bring a new winery, restaurant and shop.

TG Concrete general manager, Dave Morris, said the project was one of the first commercial installations of the company’s innovative polished coloured concrete in the local area.

“We joined forces with Concrete Polishing, from Oswestry, for the project at Hencote, and we’ve used the product on the 450 sq m floor of the new restaurant. Thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows around the room, it’s a spectacular setting to show off the mirrored finish and the real wow factor that the polished concrete delivers.”

To create the mirror finish, the TG Concrete team poured the pewter-coloured concrete and then Martin Clark from Concrete Polshing mechanically refined the surface once it was set through grinding, polishing and chemical treatments.

The mix was made up of a golden shingle aggregate combined with sand from the Tudor Griffiths Group’s own quarry, and the coloured concrete finish was pewter.

The process involved heavily grinding the concrete to expose the aggregate, and using varying sizes of diamond tools – similar to sanding wood – to achieve a flatter surface and to create a Husqvarna Hiperfloor premium finish.

“The result is a low maintenance and dust free floor, and because the process will have increased the surface strength by up to 400%, it will be extremely robust giving greater longevity,” said Martin.

“The process also helps to reduce the environmental impact of laying a floor, as it reduces the amount of added material needed, as well as reducing the likelihood of any future replacements or refurbishments being required.”

TG Concrete is renowned for its innovative approach, and the company has developed a wide range of products and processes including coloured concrete, AgriCrete specifically for agricultural clients, and TG Cemfloor – a quick-dry liquid self-levelling screed for floors.

As well as the new restaurant and winery, Hencote Vineyard is creating new luxury lodges on its 60-acre hilltop site, a large terrace that overlooks the 17-acre vineyard, and a wine bar for wine tasting experiences and private events.

Pic: The polished coloured concrete floor at Hencote Vineyard Estate