Are you an up-and-coming name in wines & spirits? Or maybe you have a colleague under the age of 30 who you believe should be recognised for their skill, knowledge and creativity, uplifting businesses across the drinks spectrum?
If either of the above applies to you, we would love to hear from you!
Harpers 30 Under 30 is officially back for its fourth year as we embark on our latest search to find the wine & spirit industry’s future leaders.
Last year, our definitive list of the industry’s next-gen talent was announced at the London Wine Fair, where friends and colleagues gathered to cheer on the achievements of the under 30s who have been blazing a trail in the UK industry.
In 2025, we’re back for another round… and we need your input.
We are inviting members of trade of all ages and from all business types to help us identify those individuals who deserves to make our shortlist.
We welcome self-nominations too. So, whether you’re front or back of house, in retail, production, NPD development, supply management, marketing, buying or more, if you’re 29 or under and carving your own path in UK wine & spirits, we want to hear from you.
Nominating is simple. Just click on the link below where you will be prompted to provide a few simple details, including the name of your nominee, their place of work and a brief description of why they should be considered.
Harpers will take things from there by following up with nominees and asking for evidence to support their nomination. This will then also help us to decide who to crown our standout champions for 2025 across six categories: leadership, commitment, communication, education, innovation and sustainability.
NB: Every year, we look to put together a brand-new list of never-before-featured talent. So if you were unsuccessful in the past, please do try again! This past year might have made all the difference.
We are also once again looking for candidates who demonstrate entrepreneurship in all aspects of their role or business. Last year’s champions included Ben Franks, chief commercial officer & head wine buyer at Canned Wine Co (Leadership Champion), Elizabeth Mellish, sommelier at Gleneagles Townhouse (Education Champion), and Joshua Castle, fine wine buyer/head buyer at Noble Rot/Keeling Andrew (Commitment Champion).
Judging will take place in April, where we will once again be gathering a top panel from across the industry to whittle down our final list. Last year’s judges were Katy Keating, MD, Flint Wines; Kim Wilson, MD & founder, North South Wines; Michael Saunders, CEO, Coterie Holdings; Miles Beale, chief executive, WSTA; Rachel Webster, global APP development director, WSET; Regine Lee MW, MD, Indigo Wine; Jo Gilbert, head judge and deputy editor, Harpers Wine & Spirit.
Deadline for nominations is 10 February.
We look forward to receiving your nominations. The full 30 Under 30 2025 list will then be announced at this year’s LWF and published in Harpers Wine & Spirit’s June issue, in print and online.