Academy of Food & Wine: Search is on for 2010 Sommelier of the Year

The Academy of Food & Wine (AFW) has this week launched its prestigious UK Sommelier of the Year 2010 and is inviting entries from sommeliers and front-of-house professionals across the country.

The competition, sponsored by House of Champagne Piper-Heidsieck, seeks to test the product knowledge, serving ability and customer service skills of sommeliers and wine service professionals. It is one of the industry’s toughest competitions, and since it launched 30 years ago, has become a prestigious accolade for sommeliers and wine professionals to win.

The 2009 Sommelier of the Year was Laura Rhys, head sommelier at Hotel TerraVina in Hampshire. The previous year Gearoid Devaney, then head sommelier of Tom Aikens in London, scooped the top prize.

Victor Lanson from First Drinks, Piper-Heidsieck’s UK distributor said: “We are looking forward to another exciting Sommelier of the Year competition, with some top quality entrants. This competition is all about raising the profile of this profession and encouraging and rewarding those individuals who have become the best in the business.”

“We are confident that this year we will attract more entries than ever as more and more sommeliers seek to pit their skills against those of their peers,” added Sophie Roberts-Brown, the Academy’s executive director. “Competing at this level has the benefit of raising the profile of the individual as well as that of his or her establishment. It is also a fantastic training exercise for anyone interested in furthering their career in wine service – not only are they meeting other top sommeliers, but they have an opportunity to work with some fantastic wines and Champagnes and to broaden their knowledge base too.”

Entries are being sought by the Academy from any establishment in the hospitality sector. In the first round of the competition candidates are asked to complete a written questionnaire. From those entries around 100 are invited to one of five regional finals where they will complete a blind tasting, interview task and theoretical test.

The winners and highest scoring candidates from the regional finals are then invited to the semi-finals, held in London in April 2010, where they will complete a gruelling round of tests. The three best then go forward to the final held later that day.

“The status of the UK, and in particular London, as an international centre for business and tourism means that hotels, bars and restaurants need knowledgeable, highly qualified sommeliers to provide a first class service to visitors. With the Olympics in 2012 we need to demonstrate to the wider world that we are a nation which offers great service – entering this competition is a great way of doing that,” said Nick Scade, chairman and chief executive of the Academy.

Employers are invited to nominate a member of their staff for the competition by downloading an entry form from www.acfws.org or by calling the Academy on 020 8661 4646. The closing date for entries is 11 December 2009.

For further information, please contact:

Academy of Food & Wine
Linda Pettit
T. 01883 742955, M. 07973 789853, press@acfws.org.
Sophie Roberts-Brown or Nicky Barwood
T. 020 8661 4646 sophie@acfws.org or nicky@acfws.org.

Piper-Heidsieck UK
Elaine Begley
T. 0207 491 9903 M. 07801 515585. elaine@sidhuandsimon.com

Editor’s notes

ABOUT THE SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
Entry to the Sommelier of the Year competition is open to professional sommeliers and waiting staff working in the UK. All competitors must be supported by their employer. Once the entrant has been registered, they will be sent a first round questionnaire. Entrants who achieve a 75% pass mark on the questionnaire are selected to go through to the regional finals – usually 75 to 100 entries.

The regional finals are held in five locations – Scotland/the North, the Midlands, the West, the South and London. Here entrants undertake a written paper, a blind tasting and an oral service element. The three highest scoring entries then complete two practical service elements and an oral food and wine matching sessions.

The five regional winners and the seven highest scoring candidates will then make up the 15 candidates who compete in the national semi-final, along with the previous year’s runners-up and the Jersey winner. The national semi-final is held in London in April 2010 and consists of a written questionnaire, a blind tasting and a practical skills test.

The top three semi-finalists will compete in the final the same day on a stage in front of a live audience of industry professionals. Candidates will undertake a wine list correction test, a serving exercise, a blind tasting and a Champagne pour.

The judging panel is headed by the Academy’s Technical Director Gerard Basset MW, MS, and includes Matt Wilkin MS, Ronan Sayburn MS, and Ian Harris of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET).

The winner is announced at a gala dinner following the final and will be awarded with a trophy and a fabulous trip to House of Champagne Piper-Heidsieck in the heart of the Champagne region of France. The trip will include a personalised tasting with Chef de Caves Régis Camus.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy is a not-for-profit social enterprise organisation, founded in 1988. It is the professional body for front of house service personnel focussing on improving the quality of personnel and the image of front-of-house service as a meaningful career choice.
The Academy’s purpose is to identify, promote and maintain the highest professional standards for the education and training of food and wine waiting staff and bar assistants in the UK hotel, restaurant, catering and bar industry.
Its objectives are: for every practicing waiter/waitress, wine waiter and
bar assistant in the industry to be a member of the Academy – their
professional body; to gain greater recognition for these operatives throughout the industry by accreditation, badging and recognition; to help members develop, maintain and advance their knowledge, skills and ability; to provide an interface between educators, service staff and their employers; and to enhance member’s career prospects.
Currently the Academy has over 1,000 members.

ABOUT PIPER-HEIDSIECK
The House of Champagne Piper-Heidsieck was founded in 1785 by Florens-Louis Heidsieck. Since its creation, Champagne Piper-Heidsieck has always been associated with the greats and the goods; from Marie Antoinette Queen of France to Marilyn Monroe. Champagne Piper-Heidsieck is now the third largest Champagne exporter. With its new British distributor, First Drinks, the emphasis for the brand is to gain new distribution channels in the on-trade.
Champagne Piper-Heidsieck has been part of the Rémy Cointreau group since 1988 and benefits from the expertise of the celebrated Chef de Caves Régis Camus. London’s prestigious International Wine Challenge has awarded Régis Camus the Sparkling Winemaker of the Year Trophy in 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009, which underlines its efforts to be among the best made Champagne.

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