Vineyard boss is accused of fraud

Apr 18 2009 by Coreena Ford, The Journal

A spokesman for the South African business said: “He was removed from the board. He parted company with the company because of disagreements with the way it was being run.”

His story of realising his ambition 6,000 miles away from his wife and family proved an irresistible draw to TV stations and magazines. They followed his fight to make his venture work in a media campaign his former agent said had a PR value of £6m.

He became a regular guest on the Richard and Judy Show, ITV’s Saturday Cooks, cable television’s UK TV Food channel, The Saturday Kitchen, on South African TV’s top cookery show and he appeared in OK magazine and national newspapers as well as The Journal and its sister papers.

TV’s Discovery Channel ran an entire series based around the project, entitled The Grape Escape.

Mr Hindhaugh – who is an art collector – was embraced by people living in the townships after he set up the Art Foundation, working with people from the surrounding area to support the local community. Based on the estate, the charity encourages local township children to express themselves through painting and sculpture and the resulting artworks are sold on site.

However, while the business appeared to flourish, Mr Hindhaugh’s marriage suffered.

He and wife Sue agreed that she and their four children should stay in Northumberland until the business was a sustainable success, while he was making regular trips home.

However, the family never moved to South Africa and the stress and strain of making regular 12,000-mile round trips between Eaglevlei and the North took its toll on the couple’s marriage. They divorced in May 2007.

Mr Hindhaugh could not be contacted last night.