Having fallen in love with wine at the age of 16 after visiting a winery in Collioure, I was lucky enough to come across an article in the local paper near St Etienne a few years later about a famous sommelier called Gerard Basset, founder of Hotel Du Vin. I wrote to Gerard for a one-month summer job (this was before email existed) and the rest is history… My restaurant career now spans over 20 years, at 23 I won the Master Sommelier of the Year, becoming the youngest ever. I have been lucky enough to work with some of the most prestigious restaurants around the country, such as Hotel du Vin in Bristol and Raymond Blanc’s 2 Michelin star ‘Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. I opened my first restaurant empire – Texture, in 2007 which went on to win a Michelin Star. Closely followed by 28-50 Wine Bars in 2010. Following this, I spent some time travelling, judged on a key industry panel, and taught at the Court of Master Sommeliers. In 2015 I opened Blandford Comptoir in Marylebone, closely followed by Comptoir Café & Wine in Mayfair. 2016 also saw the launch of Cabotte – Burgundy Wine Restaurant in the City, which I opened with business partner Gearoid Devaney.