Great service is a skill that is not mastered by all. Great service is the ability to recognise. To recognise a regular. To recognise a potential complaint before it happens. To recognise an opportunity to make someone happy. Most restaurants manage to deliver food and drink to a guest adequately. The great ones make their guests feel special doing it.
Conor O’Leary
Director of Food and Beverage
Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill
UK Sommelier of the Year
DOWNLOAD THE ENTRY FORM FOR THE 2012 UK SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION BY CLICKING THIS LINK
Yohann Jousselin of the Vineyard at Stockcross, UK Sommelier of the Year 2011
The competition
As the UK branch of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, one of the aims of AFWS is to raise the profile of food and wine service staff in the industry.
One of the Academy’s key achievements has been developing the UK Sommelier of the Year competition into a nationally recognised, highly acclaimed industry competition that tests the true skills of the sommelier including business acumen, wine knowledge and service skills. Each year the competition receives an increasing number of high calibre entries and a growing level of interest from the media. Many of our past winners return to judge the competition and all competitors benefit from the profile and level of interest the competition brings.
The Academy is delighted that UK Sommelier of the Year is sponsored by Champagne Piper-Heidsieck.
Click here to read more about this year’s UK Sommelier of the Year Yohann Jousselin
About the sponsor
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 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, 2009 and 2010, which underlines its efforts to be among the best made Champagne.
Past winners
2011 Yohann Jousselin, Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury
2010 Christopher Delalonde, Sarment Wines, London
2009 Laura Rhys, Hotel Terravina, Southampton
2008 Gearoid Devaney, Tom Aikens Restaurant, London
2007 Nicolas Clerc, Milestone Hotel, London
2006 Claire Thevenot, Hotel Du Vin, Winchester
2005 Matthew Wilkin, Capital Hotel, London
2004 Eric Zweibel, Cliveden Hotel, Taplow
2003 Loic Maillet, Great Eastern Hotel, London
2002 Xavier Rousset, Hotel Du Vin, Bristol
2001 James Payne, Sharrow Bay, Cumbria
UK Restaurant Manager of the Year
The UK Restaurant Manager of the Year is the nationwide search to find, acknowledge and reward the best restaurant managers in the UK.
Following the submission of entry, membership form and written answers to questions, the judges will select the best entrants from five regions – The South, London, Wales & The Midlands, The North, and Scotland.
These entrants are then invited to attend a semi final where they will be interviewed by the judges on their knowledge and expertise. Five semi finalists will then go forward to the final.
There are two stages to the final. In stage one finalists will be sent a paper scenario. They will have 14 days to familiarise themselves with it and prepare an oral presentation. In the second stage a 5-10 minute presentation will be given which will be followed by a number of questions asked by the judges to the candidates, based on the scenario and their presentation.
Entries are welcome from all restaurant managers working in a UK establishment, regardless of size and style. Entrants must be a member of the AFWS or apply at the time of entering.
In the past winning restaurant managers have received a week in New York, staying at a top Manhatten hotel to complete a stage at one of New York’s top Restaurants.
Click here to watch a video clip from the 2011 UK Restaurant Manager of the Year dinner.
Click here to read more about this year’s UK Restaurant Manager of the Year Michele Caggianese
About the sponsors
The competition is supported by the National Skills Academy for Hospitality and the Savoy Educational Trust, The MAve Hotel, New York, and sponsored by OpenTable.com
Past winners
2011 Michele Caggianese, Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel, London
2010 David Hennigan, The Crown at Whitebrook and Celtic Manor, Monmouthshire
2009 Peter Avis, Babylon restaurant at the Roof Gardens, London
Gastronomy Team of the Year 2011 launching this autumn, watch this space!
Click below to watch a clip from Gastronomy Team of the Year
and the Future Stars of Gastronomy
About the competition
Designed to highlight the importance of a good working relationship between kitchen and front-of-house staff, the AFWS Gastronomy Team of the Year competition invites entries from chef/waiter teams from restaurants of any size and style. They will be asked to impress a panel of judges with the planning and serving of a two-course meal with accompanying wines, demonstrating careful consideration of ingredients, seasonality, balance of flavours, and a choice of wines that perfectly complement the food.
Entries will initially be judged on answers to a questionnaire. Successful teams will then send in written menu submissions with the chef required to outline the ingredients and preparation method for the dishes, and the wine waiter to explain the choice of wines. Entries will also be assessed on presentation and the theory and reasoning behind the food and wine combination.
The best team from each of the five regions – The South, London, Wales & The Midlands, The North, and Scotland – will then be invited to compete for the top accolade during a practical cook and serve final. In the past prizes have included extensive international educational tours.About the sponsors: to be announced
Past winners:
2010 Laurent Richet, Neil Cooper – Hotel TerraVina, Hampshire
2009 Alan Holmes, Nick Hewitt – Chewton Glen, Hampshire
How to enter: Entry forms not yet available. Further news on this competition will be announced soon.
Sponsorship opportunities
Please contact us for sponsorship opportunities for any AFWS competitions or events.
