Le Gavroche sommelier receives AFWS Excellence award

The head sommelier at Le Gavroche in London has received one of the top accolades in this year’s Awards for Excellence from The Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS).​

The awards, which aim to raise the profile of front-of-house achievements, were delivered last week and included nine different categories.

Sommelier David Galetti from Le Gavroche received the academy’s Dalmore Award for Excellence for his contribution to sommellerie and “outstanding” food and wine matching skills”.

“This was a big surprise and I’m very pleased,” said Galetti. “My aim has always been to please our customers and give them the best experience and the best service I can. For me it is all about simplicity and making people feel comfortable without being intrusive.”

Other awards​

The Company of the Year award was given to Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, for its support as a company to AFWS’s bid to raise the profile of front-of-house as a profession.

Richard Hurley, conference and events services manager, The Langham London, received the Virgin Rising Star award, which recognises an up and coming star and future leader in hospitality service.

Other awards included the College of the Year award and the Louis Jadot & Savoy Educational Trust Sommelier Scholarship.

The Academy also granted honorary fellowships to Derek Picot, regional general manager of London’s Jumeirah Carlton Tower, and Jason Goddard, general manager of London’s The Roof Gardens for their “outstanding support for craft skills training and the encouragement of young people in the industry.”