Finalists for Moët UK Sommelier of the Year revealed

Published: 04 May, 2012

The 12 sommeliers who have made it through to the Moët UK Sommelier of the Year competition have been revealed.

These 12 will battle it out to find a winner at a live final, organised by the Academy of Food & Wine Service, at London International Wine Fair on May 23.

The finalists are:

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

Katherine Larsen, Orrery, London W1

Stephen Raducki, Hotel du Vin, Winchester

Laurent Richet, Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham

Clement Robert, Medlar Restaurant, London SW1

Organisers said there was a "particularly tough round" of regional finals held this week in London, Tunbridge Wells, Bristol, and Manchester, where 60 competitors were whittled down to 12 through blind tasting, a knowledge questionnaire, a service skills test and a champagne pour.

Sophie Roberts Brown, AFWS's executive director, said: "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 were 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."

The competition, now in its 33rd year, is one of the UK's most testing titles in sommellerie.

As part of their prize the winner will have the opportunity to visit with Maison Moët & Chandon's chef de cave, Benoît Gouez for a cellar tasting of the Grand Vintage collection.

The winner will also go through to the European Sommelier of the Year competition, organised by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, which Moët & Chandon has partnered with since 1989.

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