Wine - Hospitality

Clement Robert of Medlar named Moet UK Sommelier of the Year 2013

29-May-2013 By Emma Eversham

Clement Robert, head sommelier at Medlar in London, has been named the Moet UK Sommelier of the Year 2013 after winning the hotly-contested final at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London yesterday.

Riedel launches Black Series Collector's Edition glassware

25-Apr-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Wine glass manufacturer Riedel is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its Sommelier range with the release of the ‘Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru’ glass, as part of the Black Series Collector’s Edition.

Summer Lodge sommelier named fourth best in the world

02-Apr-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Eric Zwiebel from the Summer Lodge hotel and spa in Dorset has been named as the fourth best sommelier in the world at the finals of the prestigious Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) contest held in Tokyo.

Trishna sommelier to open first solo restaurant The Pearson Room

02-Apr-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Sunaina Sethi, sommelier at one Michelin-star restaurant Trishna, is set to open The Pearson Room, her first solo restaurant, in Canary Wharf later this month.

Frederic Brugues: Career Profile

15-Feb-2013 By Emma Eversham

Frenchman Frederic Brugues started his career as commis sommelier for Marco Pierre White in 1996. As wine director for London restaurant Sketch he has steadily built up the wine cellar to over 750 bins. He consults on individual tastes and requirements...

Cupari Wines targets on-trade with UK launch of 19 Argentinian wines

07-Nov-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Cupari Wines, a new importer specialising in boutique wines from family-run wineries in Argentina, has launched in the UK and is targeting the on-trade market with its selection of 19 wines from five wineries, none of which were previously available in...

Pop-up restaurant 'veteran' Carl Clarke to open Disco Bistro in the city

05-Nov-2012 By Emma Eversham

Pop-up restaurant 'veteran' Carl Clarke is planning to bring some 'East End cool' to the city by taking up residency at The Rising Sun pub in St Paul's for the next six months.

Portobello House Bistro opens under head chef Jan Ostle

25-Sep-2012 By Emma Eversham

Portobello House Hotel in Notting Hill has re-opened its restaurant as a bistro with ex-Gordon Ramsay chef Jan Ostle appointed head chef.

3 South Place and Angler restaurants to open in D&D London’s South Place Hotel

19-Jul-2012 By Luke Nicholls

D&D London has revealed full details of the two restaurants set to open within the new South Place Hotel later this year.

Eric Zwiebel: England now one of the best places in the world to be a sommelier

06-Jul-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Eric Zwiebel from the Summer Lodge hotel in Dorset has been chosen to represent the UK at the ASI World Sommelier contest and has said this country is now one of the best places in the world to work as a sommelier.

Chaîne des Rôtisseurs' Young Chef and Young Sommelier of the Year winners named

21-Jun-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Daniel Marshall of the Imperial hotel in Great Yarmouth and Arnaud Bardary of The Maze in London have been named as the UK winners of the 2012 Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ Young Chef and Young Sommelier of the Year competitions.

Mickey Finn Irish-American apple infused whiskey launches with support of Golden Boot marketing campaign

12-Jun-2012 By Emma Eversham

Irish spirits distributor BABCO Europe is launching its Irish-American apple-infused whiskey - Mickey Finn - in the UK with the support of a £2.5m 'Golden Boot' marketing campaign.

Young Chef and Young Sommelier of the Year finalists revealed

08-Jun-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The finalists competing in the 2012 Chaîne des Rôtisseurs' Young Chef and Young Sommelier of the Year competitions have been revealed.

Jan Konetzki of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay wins UK Sommelier of the Year competition

24-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Jan Konetzki from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay was last night crowned winner of the Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2012 competition in a closely contested final at the London International Wine Fair at ExCel.

Food and drink matching trends: Wine

15-Mar-2012 By Emma Eversham

Of all the drinks categories, wine is the most traditional match to food. Wine lists are given out readily with food menus in the vast majority of restaurants and most diners will expect to see one at least integrated into the food menu if not given to...

Vinoteca to open third wine bar in Soho

12-Mar-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Brett Woonton, Charlie Young and Elena Ares, the team behind Vinoteca with sites in Farringdon and Marylebone, will open their third wine bar, dining room and wine shop at 53 to 55 Beak Street Soho in mid April.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to help staff sell wine with confidence

05-Mar-2012

Lily Brierley, training manager at Enotria, explains how hospitality business owners can make their staff more aware of wine lists and encourage them to openly talk about wine with customers in a bid to maximise drinks sales.

AFWS UK Sommelier of the Year competition open for entries

21-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Acadamy of Food and Wine service (AFWS) has this week launched its 2012 UK Sommelier of the Year competition and is calling for sommeliers and wine waiters nationwide to test their knowledge and skills by entering.

Final of AFWS Sommelier of the Year competition to be held at LIWF

15-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

The final of the Academy of Food and Wine Service's (AFWS) UK Sommelier of the Year compeition will be held at the London International Wine Fair for the first time this year.

Marco Marco to open second Italian restaurant in Cheshire with plans to double portfolio in next 12 months

13-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Italian restaurant Marco Marco, which has a site in Northwich, Cheshire, is set to open a new restaurant, pizzeria and bar in the nearby village of Lymm this week.

Cork & Bottle wine bar closes in on two new London sites

07-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Cork & Bottle wine bar in Leicester Square is close to agreeing terms on the first of two new sites in central London.

Chefs get more creative with Christmas menus this year as cost of ingredients rises 7%

22-Dec-2011 By Emma Eversham

Many chefs are being forced to be more creative with Christmas menus to remain profitable this year as the latest food price index shows that the ingredients used in a traditional Christmas dinner have risen by an average of 7 per cent on last year.

Ask restaurant chain begins rollout of new look and more authentic concept

07-Dec-2011 By Restaurant magazine

Italian chain Ask is rolling out a new look and a more authentic food and drink offer across its 123-strong estate following a successful trial of the revamp in select locations.

IDEAS FROM YOUR PEERS

Gospel Brunch at Altitude 360 and Wednesday Wine at Playboy London

25-Nov-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Restaurants, hotels, pubs and bars from across the UK including Altitude 360, Playboy London, Sandman Signature Hotel and The Beach Bistro tell BigHospitality about special events they're running to attract more customers.

Could listening to Tom Jones give more body to a Merlot?

18-Nov-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Restaurant, bar and café owners accustomed to recommending wine to accompany dishes now face a new, rather bizarre challenge: matching background music to affect the taste of wine.

Del’Aziz reveals details of restaurant number six

18-Nov-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Del’ Aziz, the Mediterranean and deli restaurant operator, has revealed details of its sixth site, set to open next month in the heart of Clapham Old Town.

Sud de France sommelier competition winner revealed

14-Sep-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Austrian-born Stefan Neumann from The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray has won the 2011 Sud de France sommelier competition, held at the Maison de la Region Languedoc-Roussillon in Cavendish Square, London.

Encourage all hospitality staff to improve wine knowledge, industry told

09-Aug-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurant and bar operators should encourage their British staff to take up sommelier as a career to balance the level of foreign sommeliers in the hospitality industry.

Yohann Jousselin wins UK Sommelier of the Year after six attempts

02-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Yohann Jousselin, head sommelier at the Vineyard at Stockcross, has been named the UK Sommelier of the Year 2011 after six attempts at the title.

Yohann Jousselin: Sommeliers need to be proud and adaptable

02-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

An exceptional sommelier is proud of his work and adaptable to any given situation, according to the UK Sommelier of the Year 2011, Yohann Jousselin.

The London International Wine Fair returns

16-May-2011 By Becky Paskin

The 31st London International Wine Fair (LIWF) is kicking off this week at ExCel London, offering restaurateurs, publicans, sommeliers and wine buyers the chance to meet suppliers and improve their wine list.

Elior opens City wine bar at Lloyds

05-May-2011 By Becky Paskin

Contract catering giant Elior has launched a new wine bar underneath Lloyd’s of London in the City, featuring a wine list compiled by the World’s Best Sommelier 2010 Gerard Basset.

eBay Wedding at Peckforton and 40 years of The Capital

26-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including Peckforton Castle and The Capital Hotel tell us what they’re doing to promote their business.

Sommelier of the Year 2011 finalists revealed

14-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS) has revealed the 16 finalists of this year’s Sommelier of the Year competition.

Zuma owners to open Mediterranean restaurant in Mayfair

11-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The operators of restaurant chains Zuma and Roka will be opening a new Mediterranean restaurant concept this summer in London’s Mayfair.

Charity bike ride at Exclusive Hotels, and Gluten-free menus at Le Bistrot Pierre

18-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including Exclusive Hotels and Le Bistrot Pierre, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Pearls of Wisdom: Ronan Sayburn

11-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Master Sommelier has been Hotel du Vin’s director of wine for 15 months, and previously oversaw the wine offer at Gordon Ramsay Holdings for eight years. He recently appeared on Michel Roux’s Service programme for BBC2, and is now concentrating on...

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