Our Story
The Samphire Club was founded on a simple frustration: that most networking felt transactional, shallow, and — frankly — a bit of a chore.
John Harvey had spent decades in business development, watching people collect contacts they’d never really connect with. He wanted to do something different. Something that put genuine relationships at the centre, not a formula or a format.
Samphire started quietly, with a small group of people who shared that instinct. It grew — not through marketing, but through the oldest mechanism there is: someone telling a friend.
Today, the club has members across the South West, from Bristol and Bath through to Exeter, Plymouth, Truro and beyond. And the thing that makes it work is still the same thing it always was: the quality of the people in the room.
In 2026, we celebrate ten years of that idea. Not with a retrospective, but with a year of bringing people together in the spirit that started it all.
Founder: John Harvey
John Harvey has spent more than thirty years in business development, advising, connecting, and helping people make the most of who they know and what they offer.
He has an unusual ability to see the potential in a relationship before others do. He’ll spot that the person you just met actually needs the thing you do, or that two members who seem worlds apart could genuinely help each other. It’s not a method. It’s just how he thinks.
The Samphire Club is the natural expression of that. A community shaped around John’s values: warmth, quality, generosity, and the conviction that real business happens between real people.
What We Believe
Relationships first
We’re not transactional. We don’t measure success in business cards exchanged or LinkedIn connections made. We measure it in relationships that last — and what grows from them.
Quality over quantity
Membership is curated. Every person here has been considered. That’s what makes the community worth being part of.
Real hospitality
Great food, great venues, great company. We believe the environment shapes the conversation — so we take it seriously.
Giving something back
Samphire has always supported charitable causes that matter to the communities we’re part of. Our current charity partners are Children’s Hospice South West, St Petroc’s Society, The National Lobster Hatchery, and The Donkey Sanctuary.
The Samphire Experience
Every Samphire event is different, but they all share the same quality: they feel like time well spent.
Whether it’s a select working breakfast, a long lunch at a favourite restaurant, or an evening gathering at one of the South West’s most outstanding venues — you’ll leave having had a genuinely good time, and probably having met someone who matters.
Members also benefit from introductions brokered by John directly — connections made thoughtfully, with both parties in mind. It’s one of the most valued parts of membership, and it’s not something that happens on a schedule. It happens when it’s right.
The Book
John’s book draws on decades of experience to make the case for a different kind of networking — one built on authenticity, generosity, and genuine curiosity about other people.
It’s a practical guide and a personal manifesto in equal measure. Whether you’re just starting out in business or you’ve been doing it for years, there’s something in here that will change how you think about the conversations you have.
Turnstone Cottage
Tucked away in the Cornish countryside, Turnstone Cottage is a beautiful bolt-hole available exclusively to Samphire members and their guests.
Whether you need space to think, somewhere to bring a small team, or simply a few nights away from the noise, the cottage offers peace, comfort, and a little of the Samphire spirit in a very different setting.
Starting from £120 per night.
