Profile - Dawn Davies

After stints at Zuma, Boxwood, The Square and the Ledbury, Dawn Davies has gone on to become head sommelier at Selfridges department store. She explains how working in retail has given her a whole new perspective on the world of wine.

What first got you interested in wine?
I was a bit of a snob when it came to the wine shop across the road from my flat at Uni - I always went for the shelf one up from the normal student one. When I came to London I applied for a waitressing position at MJU, where I met Nobuko Okamura, who suggested that I might have an OK palate. The rest is history.

How did you end up in your current job?
I am a very lucky person when it comes to jobs - I just seem to be in the right place at the right time! I'd resigned from my position of manager at the Ledbury, when I got a phone call from Ewan Venters, director of food and restaurants for Selfridges (who was an old customer of mine). He asked me to come to have a chat with him. I thought he wanted me to run the wine shop, so got a bit of a shock when he offered me the job, but it was too good an opportunity to miss.

Has your current job at Selfridges given you a new perspective on your previous work as a sommelier?
I think it is the other way round in a way. I came into this job with a restaurant mindset. I am learning daily about retail and what works and what doesn't, and have even sold myself to the devil a few times (something I never did as a sommelier) - but the customers are so different.

What do you miss most about working in a restaurant?
The customers! I had some of the most fantastic customers you could ever ask for. Luckily I still see many of them, but not as much as I used to.

And what do you miss least?
The hours, no question about it.

Do you have a wine world hero? If so, who is it - and why?
Tough question. There are so many people in the industry I admire, like Nick Brooks from Vine Trail and Richard Lashbrook from Thorman Hunt, or I could go classic and say Jancis Robinson or Peter Gago. I think any winemaker who goes out there and makes wine, no matter what it is, deserves an award for the passion they put into their work.

What makes a great sommelier?
Someone who listens to the customer.

What's your proudest professional achievement?
My first job as head sommelier - I couldn't believe someone actually hired me to do something I love.

What makes a great wine list?
There are lists that I love, like Trompette's, Texture's or The Square's, mainly because they stand for different things. The Square for its amazing range of vintages and because it is a dictionary of French wines; Trompette for all the gorgeous interesting things Matheiu finds; Texture because of all the different grower champagnes Xavier has, all of which are reasonably priced.

Is there any kind of wine you wouldn't want on your list?
I am (usually) open to everything, more so now then ever before. Once I would have been very against big brands, but now I am aware that they have their place in the market.

How much emphasis do you attach to matching wines with food - and what's the best way of helping customers steer their way to appropriate wine choices?
I think that food and wine matching is very important, but it is more important to pair wine to the customer as that way they will get the most pleasure.

What's the oddest request you've ever had from a customer?
'I would like a red wine sweet and sour style...'

What would be your desert island wine?
Inflorescence blanc de noirs brut champagne from Vine Trail because if you are stuck on a desert island you might as drink a fizz that would work with fish.

And what would you want to eat with it?
Sushi and sashimi - but only because I am craving some at the moment.

• Sommeliers