London never ceases to amaze me. Even though I was born and raised here, I still take immense pleasure in going somewhere I’ve never been, seeking out a new restaurant or bar, embracing a new experience, or taking a photo like a tourist as I walk over London Bridge and the sun is shining.
To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, when someone is tired of London, they are tired of life. And while I might be perpetually weary at the moment (I had my second daughter in January and am currently on maternity leave), I never tire of the delights this expansive city offers.
On a rare and recent midweek day out in town (with baby in tow), I was able to start my day at the Siena exhibition at the National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square, observing magnificent 14th-century works of art; hop over to Chinatown for a delicious lunch at The Eight, a Hong Kong–style café; and wrap up with a couple of perfect Negroni Rosato cocktails at Bar Termini Soho—all before nursery pickup.
This tiny six-hour snapshot, in a fraction of the area greater London covers, reflects the many reasons I love this city. Siena is a nod to the amazing history of London and the endurance of first-rate establishments. London is home to an abundance of famous chefs and exquisite dishes, iconic bars that never go out of fashion, and places to enjoy classic high-end bottles, much like the painters, their masterpieces, and the galleries that fill the art world. The Eight, having just opened, represents the constantly changing and innovating nature of London’s gastronomic scene and the diversity it embodies. There is an impossibly broad range of cuisines, beverages, and venues to embrace. It also shows the value that can still be found. Bar Termini demonstrates the beauty of wonderful hospitality, the amazing people and talent we have across the industry, and simple pleasures, like a perfectly executed cocktail. This city really does offer something for everyone.
Even against the backdrop of an uncertain global economy and increasing cost pressures, there is always somewhere in London that is thriving, packed full of people enjoying great food and drink in a buzzing atmosphere, even on a Wednesday afternoon. Moments of joy and connection. That never gets tiring.
–Lydia Harrision MW, Head of Education and Events at WSET School London and GuildSomm Board Member
Featured here are the following wine professionals:
Anjali: I run the events program at WSET School London, where I also teach our wine qualifications, specializing in sparkling wine at Diploma. I’m a Stage 2 Master of Wine candidate via the Gérard Basset Foundation’s Dom Pérignon Scholarship, and I am on the leadership team for Women in Wine LDN, an industry group that works to connect and advocate for women and marginalized genders across London’s wine industry.
I grew up in London and my background is in hospitality—from Camden pubs to Soho ramen bars. I began working in events for museums, galleries, and festivals before I pivoted to wine and worked at a wine bar, then for a distributor, before ending up blending the two at WSET.
Nelson: I previously worked as the event supervisor sommelier and wine buyer at 67 Pall Mall in London, and today I’m the wine buyer of an import and retail company called SWIG. I’m also a WSET educator, and I’m the brand ambassador of the wine region of Bolgheri.
Xavier: I started in the industry back in 1997. Working for Gérard Basset for Hotel du Vin was how I started my career. I was lucky enough to meet him, and then he was my mentor and trained me a lot. From Hotel du Vin, I moved on to Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, in Oxfordshire, working for Raymond Blanc, for five years, and then I opened restaurants in London. From 2007, I’ve opened about 13 restaurants. Most of them are wine-focused, wine-based restaurants, good wine lists. Now I’m a sommelier/restaurateur. I have four places—I’m cofounder and managing them—Cabotte, in the city; The Black Book, in Soho; Comptoir Café, in Mayfair; and Blandford Comptoir, in Marylebone.
Tze: I was born in Singapore, and my early education in wine began at home with my mother, a long-standing member of several wine societies. After university, I spent over a decade in senior roles across global network agencies, working on digital and brand marketing strategy for clients such as Spotify, eBay, and Deckers—none of them remotely wine related! All the while, I pursued the WSET and Master of Wine qualifications in my free time. In 2021, I became the first female Master of Wine from Singapore. Most recently, I launched my own consultancy, Perkin Reveler, to advise drinks businesses on brand and marketing strategy. I’m also the head of marketing at Élevage Wines UK, an independent importer and merchant serving both trade and private clients in London.
Charlie: Quite by accident, I ran the wine department of a supermarket back home in Dublin for three years. I then moved to Bordeaux, where I completed an MBA in wine marketing and an internship at Château Palmer. I went freelance for a while, working with producers, brands, importers, and retailers as a copywriter and marketer for hire. I moved to London in 2018, where I spent a couple of years as international sales manager for a group of wineries.
I joined Berry Bros. & Rudd in late 2020. My current role as senior copywriter within the marketing department is varied, primarily focusing on writing, commissioning, and editing copy and editorial content for digital and print. I’ve interviewed and written about many of the greatest producers in the world, specializing in Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Kathrine: I am originally from Copenhagen and began my career in hospitality in 2002, interning for one-and two-Michelin-star restaurants while studying at Copenhagen Hospitality College. In 2007, I relocated to London, where I joined the D&D restaurant group, working for restaurants Le Pont de la Tour, Skylon, and Orrery. In 2013, I joined the Japanese fusion restaurant Zuma as head sommelier and, in 2015, left the restaurant floor to specialize in fine wine with one of the UK’s biggest wine importers. Since September 2024, I have been 67 Pall Mall’s head of wine for Europe.
Isa: I have come to wine a little later than most of my peers. I was 27 when I got interested in wine. I was fascinated with the cultural, geographical, and human element of it. It was after uni, not really having a clear direction, by a total chance and the right people at the right time and place. I think in that regard I can count myself very fortunate. My first commis sommelier job was given to me by Edoardo Amadi, to whom I am very grateful. The first assistant head sommelier, Stephen Towler—who has just passed his MS exams—also inspired me a great deal. Currently, I run my own business, Trivet, a two-Michelin-star restaurant, in the London Bridge area.
Anjali: The last five years has seen a bridging of the gap between natural and classical wine bars. The best wine lists in London have harmony between the two, rather than branding themselves as one or the other. The list at Peckham Cellars is a great example of this. The blurred-line categories of skins-y whites, orange wines, and pale reds have become accepted sections of any good list.
Domestic production has become more serious in the last five years. Growth has slowed, but producers are refining and becoming more competitive. Whitewolfe and Danbury Ridge are showing the UK can also make some very serious still wine, too.
I think we may have passed peak tinned fish as the go-to wine bar snack, and I think this is broadly good news.
Nelson: Everything completely changed [after Covid]. Many sommeliers went back home—to mostly France, Italy, and Spain—and many restaurants closed. There have been tons of new, exciting openings that really kept the quality bar quite high, thankfully. The wine industry changed also as new somms arrived on the scene. On the retail side we have recognized that many people overbought during Covid, so the sales of wine are still not as high as during that period.
Xavier: The wine industry has changed quite a bit. More than ever, I think a sommelier needs to be able to do a lot more tasks, to be involved in management. Doing just wine is harder and harder, because you need to be multitasking quite a bit.
Tze: With all the disruption of the past five years, it’s tempting to look back on the prepandemic era as a kind of prelapsarian moment, defined by steady, predictable growth. That may be misplaced nostalgia, but it’s clear that the pandemic caused devastating upheaval in the London restaurant scene, even as it sparked a boom in the private-client fine-wine market. Diners stuck at home with disposable income and nowhere to go funneled this cash into buying things: wine, whisky, art, watches, crypto, luxury goods, even country houses. These markets surged. But what followed, predictably, was a hangover. Now, most of these markets, with the notable exception of crypto, are experiencing a correction—flatlining at best or facing more acute slowdowns and cash flow pressure. The fine-wine sector is no exception.
In this new reality, the spotlight is shifting away from ultrapremium names toward wines that deliver genuine value—rising stars, under-the-radar growers, and producers offering authenticity without the markup. In the restaurant world, a similar recalibration is underway. Fine dining as a category is in slow decline. In wine, too, the pendulum has swung. We’re moving away from manipulation and extraction and back toward transparency.
Charlie: Working remotely has meant that people spend less time at the office and in central London generally, so there’s perhaps less of a physical connection than there was—or at least less chance for spontaneously bumping into a friend or colleague. On the other hand, people now realize that you can achieve a lot through an email exchange or a Zoom call. You can get in touch with just about anybody you might want to contact and ask them for help or advice; some still won’t help, but many will, and the barriers to doing so—time, travel, cost—are far lower now. I like to think that the industry is a little more collaborative and a little less dodgy than it has been in the past. It’s more welcoming, broadly, to “outsiders” of various kinds. The effects of Brexit, and more recently various government policies, have made it more and more difficult, complex, and expensive to run a wine business. The economy is in a bad way and the industry is feeling it at all levels.
Kathrine: Over the past five years, shifting consumer preferences, economic pressures, and a growing emphasis on sustainability have all impacted the wine scene here. There has been a marked move toward sustainability—organic, biodynamic, and low-intervention wines—with sommeliers and buyers increasingly favoring transparency and ethical production. Interest in lesser-known wine regions and smaller producers has grown. English sparkling wine has established itself in fine dining and is often served by the glass. There also seems to be a stronger focus on drinking rather than collecting, with many Coravin-friendly lists and expanded by-the-glass programs.
In the restaurant world, casual fine dining dominates, with a preference for relaxed yet refined experiences over formality. Post-Brexit staffing and rising costs are still posing challenges and have given rise to more streamlined menus and tighter wine lists. Pop-ups and collaborative dining experiences remain popular, as do tasting menus and sharing plates.
Isa: Since the 2008 financial crisis, the wine scene has gradually gotten a little less predictable. Bordeaux left its place of pride to Burgundy, and now that’s on the move by the looks of it. Natural wines, once the niche, are now part of the normal. Certain wines have become less accessible, particularly for younger wine professionals, and I believe they will slowly lose their places in the wine lists of restaurants.
Anjali: Value has always been an important factor in London’s wine scene, but now more than ever. It’s undeniable that much of the on-trade feels gloomy at the moment, with rising costs hitting at the same time as huge cost pressures for consumers. Many wine lists are becoming more consolidated and more conservative. On the upside, this is incentivizing some restaurants and bars to think creatively about their lists—looking at lesser-known countries, grapes, and regions for better-value offerings. Trivet has a cracking wine list, showcasing some incredible wines from Turkey, Lebanon, Armenia, and beyond, with so many great-value gems.
Experiences are going strong. Tasting events at the WSET School show no sign of slowing, and the thirst for wine education persists, with other brilliant events taking place across London, such as Wine Car Boot and South London Wine Fair.
Nelson: Really difficult to say, as there are different scenes. The Michelin guide is still quite influential and dictates a lot of trends for restaurants. But [so is] the trade itself—like where we are going to eat when we are not working.
East London was and still is the hipster scene, where you will find most natural wine bars. Sager + Wilde was probably the most influential. Meanwhile, the city has always been classic: Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy. But things have been changing quite a lot. On one side, natural wines are becoming slightly clearer, and, in central London, cooler restaurants are now close to the classic ones—Mountain would be the primary example.
In terms of influence, we need to recognize the job done by Noble Rot in championing Spanish wines and new wave Italy in their restaurants. Also, there are tons of importers, especially smaller and independent, that are gaining a lot of attention compared to the classic big ones—Flint, SWIG, Indigo, and rising stars, such as Modal Wines, New Generation, and Progression Wines.
Xavier: Obviously, the five-star hotels and three-Michelin-star restaurants still do well, but I think what is opening now is more and more concepts based around personality for the service and [high-quality] produce for the kitchen.
Tze: Diners want more than just good food—they want to enjoy the table. That means not just what’s on the plate, but how it’s served, the energy of the room, the interaction between chefs, servers, and guests. The best restaurants are blurring the lines between kitchen and floor, creating a seamless continuity of hospitality that feels cohesive and emotionally engaging.
Isa: I am really enjoying what the younger generations are doing. There is a group who enjoys drinking wine and doesn’t want the snobbery, very peer-to-peer-led consumption. Almost tribal. That world can be insular though a lot of fun. And, of course, the classic spots, where Burgundy and Nebbiolo are the flavor of the day.
Anjali: London wine lists are often more eclectic than those of cities in wine-producing countries, like Paris and Melbourne. Compared to New York, the focus is much more on value—countries such as South Africa, Portugal, and Greece can dominate more than France and Italy. Londoners are very good at drinking, so volume is also a key factor in the market.
Nelson: We have access to all the wines of the world. Producers want to be here for high positioning probably more than in other markets. Nonetheless, even if the trends slightly move, many companies are focused on Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne.
Xavier: We get access to pretty much everything from all over the world. It’s winemakers coming every other day or every other week—they all come through London. It’s a tough market because it’s very, very competitive. But it’s great for sommeliers. I think that’s one of the reasons why I’ve been here [so] long in this country, and also why there’s a lot of fine sommeliers staying here for longer than they planned originally—because of the offering. You learn a lot and you meet a lot of interesting people.
Tze: The key to London is the lack of a single culinary identity or even a majority identity. Rome and Paris are also multicultural capital cities, but Italian and French cuisine dominate. Partly because London has historically appeared somewhat embarrassed about English or British food, it has been more open and less nationalistic about absorbing food influences from its former colonies and the Commonwealth.
London has its finger on the pulse of global trends and is fast to react, it is not dogmatic about a canonical national cuisine, it has an infinite capacity to incorporate foreign food influences, and it is a city in constant flux, shaped by migration, experimentation, and reinvention. Best of all, it is a city rediscovering pride in British-sourced ingredients from small, independent, and artisanal producers.
Charlie: London is a great city for wine and food, with a staggering variety on offer. This made a marked difference from my experience of French cities like Bordeaux, where the emphasis was still heavily on local wines. It’s still something of a travel and trading hub, so there’s a wealth of events and tastings throughout the year. It’s also the home of some major wine-education bodies, so it’s an attractive place for students from around the world. Since Brexit, the United Kingdom has become a much more difficult place for people who aren’t lucky enough to have British or Irish passports; for many people, it has become a much less attractive place to work, if it’s even open to them at all. The industry has lost a lot of international talent over the last decade or so and is likely not the better for it.
Kathrine: I think London’s global access to wine is unmatched anywhere else in the world. It is a mature and very educated market, with a supersophisticated consumer base. London has a strong fine-wine culture, for consumption but also for investment purposes.
Isa: London is the most open-minded wine market anywhere in Europe. People here would try any wine at least once, and, if they like it, they will have it again. And you can find pretty much any wine that’s made somewhere in the world.
Anjali: It took me a little while, but I now feel at home in the industry and part of a lovely crowd. The London wine scene is small, and it’s a bit like dominoes—making a couple of friends had a knock-on effect to meeting lots more amazing people. The wine trade still has lots of work to do to become more accessible and inclusive, but it’s moving in the right direction. A renewed focus on diversity and inclusion built up in the wake of Black Lives Matter—the important thing is to keep that momentum going.
If you are a woman or non-binary person, join us at Women in Wine LDN—it’s free! If you are a person of color, get involved with Be Inclusive Hospitality. I am biased, but the way I made friends in the industry was often by studying with them. Get out into the trade—go to tastings and chat to people. If there is anybody you really stan, get in touch with them. There is a nice culture of informal mentorship in the trade; many senior people are happy to give an hour of their time to offer advice to new entrants.
Xavier: If I was new to the London restaurant scene or industry, I would go to tastings—with fellow sommeliers or wine lovers, and through the importers. People in London are pretty friendly when it comes to that. We’re all pretty much from abroad, so it’s not like there’s a strong historical wine industry or sommelier industry. We are here from Italy, from France, from Australia, from wherever, so we all become part of the London wine family.
Tze: London is the most mature and open-minded wine market in the world. It is rich in its diversity, not just of cuisines and styles, but in voices from every background imaginable. The community here is broad, open, and supremely geeky—the most stimulating, challenging, and rewarding community to be a part of.
Food and wine are the best possible vectors of connection, and the industry in London thrives on generosity, curiosity, and conversation. Many of the most exciting projects in London today were born from casual chats over a kitchen counter or a bottle opened after-hours.
Charlie: It’s a big industry, to state the obvious. There’s a critical mass of wine-industry employees, which means there is actually a viable community should you choose to get involved. I think it’s a more open and welcoming industry now than it ever has been; I’m not sure I’d have liked to be a part of it back in the bad old days. Having said that, it’s not perfect: it’s still male-dominated by and large. I’ve found pockets of the industry to be insular, exclusionary, and unwelcoming. I know people who have found it much worse, with problems drawn along gendered, racial, class, and other lines. Sexism still exists.
Despite all of that, though, there are many brilliant people working in wine in London. If you’re new to the industry and want to get involved, there are more ways to do that than ever before. Don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues for help or for recommendations; look into what events and tastings are on, many of which are free of charge to professionals; use social media to find people who are doing things you’re interested in and contact them.
Kathrine: There’s so much wine community here, among sommeliers, traders, collectors, and any kind of wine professional and wine passionate person, really. I think great ways of getting involved are joining a wine education body, entering the UK Sommelier of the Year competition, and going to tastings.
Isa: I would say the wine world here is very inclusive; people from all over the world are involved. I think it may be a little easier to get involved on the restaurant and wine bar scene than [in] distribution.
Nelson: WSET and CMS are the industry standard and extremely relevant.
Xavier: The Court of Master Sommeliers has been developed a lot over the last few years. The WSET is obviously very strong as well in London. When I receive CVs, I see those [certifications].
Tze: The principal certification bodies for wine—WSET, IMW, and CMS—still reflect quite an Anglocentric, rather than international, pedagogical framework. While these institutions have played a huge role in shaping global wine knowledge and continue to be respected benchmarks of expertise, their curricula, assessment styles, and assumptions about wine communication styles are still very much rooted in a UK or broader Anglo-American context. This is increasingly at odds with the globalization and diversification of the wine world. As the wine world continues to evolve, I think we’ll see a parallel evolution in certification systems—not just in what they teach, but in how they teach it, and who gets to define the criteria for inclusion.
Charlie: As far as I know, the numbers of people studying with WSET are higher than ever. I completed the Level 4 Diploma in Wines a few years ago, and I was struck by how many of my classmates didn’t work in the industry. Some were planning to use the course to help them get a wine job, though others had no such aspirations and just wanted to learn or get to know other wine lovers. Separately, and perhaps somewhat contradictorily, there is more vocal questioning of the merits of formal education and certification than ever before. The think tank ARENI Global recently published a white paper on the role of education within the industry and whether current programs are truly fit for purpose and how much value they bring to the business. Certain functions and areas are covered little if at all; whether that’s the role of a provider like WSET or not is up for debate.
Anjali: For sparkling, crémant is overtaking Prosecco as the go-to value fizz. In news that won’t surprise anybody, I’ve never seen a glass of Champagne turned down by somebody who works in the trade. There is lots of excitement about Spain—from Atlantic whites to Gredos reds and island wines, too. Rosé is still important, with more structured styles from outside Provence getting hyped, Greek rosé in particular, for good reason.
Nelson: For Europe, Spain and Italy are going strong, especially with the rising prices of Burgundy and the weird pricing strategy releases of the last few vintages of Bordeaux. South Africa is still highly appreciated, especially thanks to a lot of events for trade and consumers that are present throughout the year. On top of my mind, I think of the report release event of Tim Atkin.
Xavier: The trend in London is freshness, low oak, and high acidity. It’s all about freshness. The overoaked and the overextracted wines are not very highly in demand at the minute. It’s much more to do with Gamay, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Assyrtiko—all those high-acid, salty whites and the lighter reds. The natural wine movement is slowing down, I think.
Charlie: I’m fascinated by the popularity of natural wine. Its impact on the culture is surely outsized relative to the actual size of the market. It transcends the wine bubble, too: I have friends who couldn’t name two or three grape varieties—and would have no interest in doing so—that’d think nothing of spending £15 on a glass of skin-contact white or chilled red in a wine bar.
My work mostly covers more classic fine-wine regions like Burgundy and Bordeaux. These categories are not immune to the economy, and it’s fair to say that most people are spending less on wine than they were, though there is still demand, particularly for Burgundy. I personally love Bordeaux, although many of my industry colleagues, particularly younger people, have either fallen out of love with it or are yet to discover its varied charms.
Kathrine: Depending on the specific circles, grower Champagne remains popular. English sparkling wine, naturally, because it is local. Lighter styles of red wine, or balanced red wines. Pale Provence-style rosé wine with the general public. Skin contact and natural wines are still immensely popular in those circles.
Isa: It is still very much Burgundy and Piedmont. I think Georgia and Greece do quite well, of the lesser-known places.
Anjali: You’ll find London’s key wine spots, including The 10 Cases, Andrew Edmunds, and Noble Rot, on lots of London listicles. They are all fabulous and well worth visiting.
I don’t know many people who can afford to go to these places very often, so I think a more exciting way to drink fine wine in London is to BYO. London has a vibrant scene of independent retailers: Theatre of Wine, Shrine to the Vine, The Good Wine Shop, Passione Vino, and The Sourcing Table all have a range of superb bottles. Buy a bottle and take it to a restaurant that does free or cheap corkage.
I love a jus as much as the next person, but BYO is also great if you find it more interesting to pair wine with food that is not European. Some of my favorite BYO spots include Maries Thai, in Waterloo—go to Lower beforehand for an aperitif; Tayyabs, in Whitechapel; Little Georgia in Hackney; and Viet Rest, in Deptford. If you want to keep classic, Hawksmoor has a fiver corkage deal on Mondays and has become a bit of an industry night.
Nelson: The ones that are priced fairly. The 10 Cases and Lower Wine Bar are the places where you find most of the trade people drinking on their days off.
Tze: My regular haunts are The 10 Cases and Lower Wine Bar. Other outstanding beverage programs include Core [by Clare Smyth], Mountain, Noizé, and Dorian. Of course, no list would be complete without mentioning the clubs: 67 Pall Mall and Maison Estelle, both of which offer extraordinary access to rare bottles, deep lists, and passionate wine teams.
Charlie: Noble Rot has both breadth and depth, which I appreciate. You don’t need to spend a fortune to find interesting stuff, and it’s a surprisingly good place for mature Bordeaux. The 10 Cases, with its ever-changing list, is always fun. Lower, behind Waterloo Station, is a relative newcomer with a thoughtful, considered list, including a lot of lesser-seen European regions. I was recently impressed with Doppo, an Italian specialist in Soho. The Drapers Arms, in Islington, is an industry favorite and with good reason.
Kathrine: 67 Pall Mall, of course! Noble Rot, Trivet, Core by Clare Smyth, A.Wong. There are so many.
Anjali: Go to the pub. Don’t get wine, get pints. Not all pubs are created equal. It’s important to research or get recommendations beforehand. The Sheephaven Bay, in Mornington Crescent, Blythe Hill Tavern, in Honor Oak, and The Dog & Bell, in Deptford, are all great pubs with good Guinness. If you must have wine, go to The Drapers Arms.
There are two cuisines London does better than most cities: Caribbean and Indian/South Asian food. Caribbean spots Honey’s and Likkle ‘d,’ in Deptford, will cure everything from a hangover to a broken heart. My favorite South Asian places include Everest Curry King, in Lewisham, and Diwana Bhel Poori House, in Euston—this one is BYO.
At the weekend, get a fry-up over a Sunday roast. Don’t worry about it being social media approved; go to your local greasy spoon. Don’t bother with brunch.
Nelson: There are tons of amazing restaurants in London. But if you’ve never been, it is good to stick to the classics. The Ledbury and Chez Bruce would be my two recommendations.
Tze: When it comes to what’s typically thought of as English food, my favorite Sunday roast is at The Colonel Fawcett, in Camden—heaving plates of Yorkshire pudding, roast meats, gravy, and all the trimmings, washed down with a proper selection of craft beers and an equally generous range of gins. Another exceptional beer spot is The Rake, and I enjoy The Yellow Bittern’s idiosyncratic take on weekday luncheons. For pizza, Marta, which opened in early 2025, serves the best Roman-style pizza I’ve found in London. London’s Chinese food scene has come a vast way. A standout for me is The Sichuan, on City Road.
If I had to choose just one restaurant in London, though, it would be Jugemu. Yuya Kikuchi’s counter is a lesson in restraint and detail, and London’s most quietly transcendent dining experience.
Charlie: It’s hard to beat a late lunch at Noble Rot on Lamb’s Conduit Street. The set lunch menu is notably well priced for central London, though for me it really is simply an accompaniment to the wine list. Whatever your budget and whatever the size of your party, there’s so much to explore there. Go crazy with by-the-glass pours of top-tier Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux, or get into the weeds of the digital wine list, where you can spend a little or a lot and still be happy. Follow on with some cheese and linger around the bar or the tables outside for a while, and that’s an afternoon well spent.
Kathrine: Duke’s Bar, in St. James’s, for a Martini. Wiltons, in Jermyn Street, or Scott’s, in Mount Street, for seafood. Quo Vadis, in Soho, for classic British cooking with a tongue-in-cheek twist.
Anjali: The true cost of wine and hospitality is not communicated well enough to consumers. It’s resulting in a race to the bottom, and the consumer ultimately loses out. With few exceptions, wine needs to cost more to ensure stakeholders across the supply chain can remain afloat. I hope to see less commissioning of “Best Wines under £10” articles and more education about the actual cost of going out to eat and drink in this city, with the hope that consumers become happier to pay more for the right wine or dining experience. This is no mean feat in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, but London as a gastronomic destination will fade away without change.
Nelson: This is not a classic trademark period. Wine sales are down for many, and times are hard. It is also true that wine is still extremely consumed, and many places are packed with younger audiences. The wine industry in London has always been able to stand up strong after these moments, like the restaurant industry postpandemic.
Xavier: What I’m really hoping for the wine industry in London and the food and beverage scene is that the training carries on. Service is currently dropping badly. I have heard a lot of restaurateurs and chefs have to drop the standard so they can have stuff in the kitchen or at the front, which is scary. The food is still very trendy in this country, and wine is very trendy, and people want to know where it comes from and so on, but the actual service of it in hotels and restaurants is pretty poor at the minute, so I’m hoping we can get it back up.
Tze: I hope for opulence and garnish to continue fading away. For a new generation to come up and continue opening the industry, making it approachable and friendly, not exclusive and old school. For more fresh blood and new perspectives to keep making London one of the most vibrant and exciting places to be in food and wine in the world.
Charlie: The industry’s woes and headwinds have been well covered, many of them relating to the policies of the current and previous governments. Attempting to look on the bright side, I hope that wine in London becomes a more and more welcoming place for everyone and anyone that wants to work here. It’s a more diverse industry than it was, though it’s not diverse enough. It’s more open and accessible, though again it has a way to go. I hope that courageous, open-minded leaders continue to step up and harness the passion and enthusiasm of a new generation of wine professionals. Wine is famously not a well-paid industry, and London is a painfully expensive place to live at times; I hope that employers keep that in mind. I’d love to see more training and education that may or may not fit the established mold of WSET, CMS, and IMW. These organizations and their certifications absolutely have their place, though it would be beneficial for the industry to get better at structured work placements, internships, and apprenticeships, and for the people within it to get involved in mentoring and other supports for newer members.
Kathrine: I hope London continues to be a diverse and inclusive city. I also hope the future of the industry is one that becomes more accessible—not just in terms of pricing but as a space where everyone feels they can get involved and truly understand it, without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed by complexity.
Isa: I think the last decade hasn’t really been easy. I just hope the general outlook of the economy gets better and that we can have fun!
Thank you to this great group of drinks professionals for sharing your insights and reflections on the London wine industry!
These interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Compiled by GuildSomm Editor Stacy Ladenburger.
This makes me want to go back to London soon! Thanks to everyone who contributed!