THE award-winning Dedham Vale Vineyard is on the market for a cool £1.9 million.

Taken over by Bunting and Sons five years ago, the 8,000sq ft working winery is set to change hands as soon as a deal can be reached.

It has officially been on the market since October and bosses say there has been “a great deal” of interest in the vineyard, which was among the first in England to spring up in 1988.

But a final deal for the Boxted land is still to be struck.

A spokesman for the business said the vineyard is being sold as a going concern - an accounting term which means it is expected to continue to operate and meet its obligations for a set period after it has changed hands.

When asked whether the Buntings would have any involvement in the vineyard business after any sale, the spokesman said: “It depends on what deal is struck.

“There has been a great deal of interest and, for the vineyard, it is very exciting times.”

A brochure promoting the sale points to a “rare and exciting” opportunity to run the vineyard.

It adds: “The unique site includes a small working vineyard along with 5.65 acres of mature vines, meadows, mixed woodland, a working winery and other buildings ancillary to the vineyard business totalling almost 4,900sq ft, plus a separate workers’ cottage.”

The advertisement also states: “As a leader in what has become known as the Renaissance of the English Wine industry, the vineyard has subsequently gone on to produce award-winning wines.”

The spokesman said the vineyard is not connected to the previously failed Bunting and Sons business, which went into administration in 2013, at the time owing about £14.7 million having fought for a decade to open the controversial Horkesley Park visitor attraction.

In December that year, administrators Deloitte said creditors owed £1 million had “no prospect” of getting their money.

London-based financial experts Deloitte were called in by the banks to handle the affairs of Bunting and Sons in October.

The banks included RBS, from where the Buntings had taken out a £10million loan, plus had a £2.5million overdraft.