10th May 2012

Moët UK Sommelier of the Year: Finalists announced

The names of the 12 sommeliers who have made it through to the final of this year’s Moët UK Sommelier of the Year competition, organised by the Academy of Food & Wine Service (AFWS), have been announced as:

• Loic Avril, The Fat Duck, Bray
• Arnaud Bardary, Maze Gordon Ramsay, London W1
• Tobias Brauweiler, Ellenborough Park, Cheltenham
• Remi Cousin, The Fat Duck, Bray
• Sergio Dos Santos, Atlantic Hotel, Jersey
• Bavand Foroughi, Savoy Grill, London WC2
• Lukasz Kolodziejczyk, The Fat Duck, Bray
• Jan Konetzki, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London SW3
• Kathrine Larsen, Orrery, London W1
• Stephen Raducki, Hotel du Vin, Winchester
• Laurent Richet, Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham
• Clement Robert, Medlar Restaurant, London SW1

This follows a particularly tough round of regional finals held last week in London, Tunbridge Wells, Bristol, and Manchester, where 60 competitors were whittled down to 12 through a series of tasks including a blind tasting, a knowledge questionnaire, a service skills test and a champagne pour.

Said AFWS executive director Sophie Roberts Brown: “This year the Academy’s technical director Gerard Basset and master sommelier Ronan Sayburn set very hard tasks for our regional finalists. But the judging panel was impressed with the high standard and particularly with the 12 that have made it through to the final. With this calibre of finalists it’s certain to be a closely fought and exciting event.”

This year the final of the competition – which is in its 33rd year – will be held as part of the London International Wine Fair at ExCel on 23 May. The winner will qualify for the European Sommelier of the Year competition, organised by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, which Moët & Chandon has partnered since 1989.

www.afws.co.uk