There are so many things I love about my job, working with great liquid, on great events but my favourite thing is the people I get to work with on a daily basis – we have an amazing industry full of people who are so ready to share their passion and knowledge for all spirits and wine.
What are your top three whiskies (excluding GlenWyvis)?
Tough one, it always changes depending on what is looking good at the time. At the moment I am loving Deanston 18, New Riff Rye and Hedonism from Compass Box
You must get to sample some incredible drinks in your role, excluding Whisky is there a new brand that your sampled recently that really stood out for you?
There are some incredible English Vermouths coming on the scene at the moment Aperitivo co is just one of these , I am a rum head and Renaissance rum are doing some amazing things.
Do you have a favourite industry event? If so, please share it with us.
Whisky show or course!!! We run 5 brilliant events including Rum Show, Cognac Show, Champagne Show and Old and Rare Whisky Show they are all my children and loved equally but Whisky show is special.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to enter the alcohol industry, as a buyer?
Be prepared to work hard, listen and learn from those around you.
What is the best whisky bar you have ever been to and what made it so special?
God that is tough, there are so many, I don’t think it would be fair for me to mention one in the UK as they are all fantastic and we work very closely with them but I will go overseas to Delilah’s in Chicago – fun atmosphere and great whiskey
You hold a Master of Wine qualification, which is a notoriously hard exam to pass. Could you offer any advice for anybody working towards this qualification?
Run the other way ? It took me 7 years to pass and it was over 20 hours a week on top of a day job studying. Go into it with your eyes wide open and be prepared to fail and get yourself back up and battle on. Definitely the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
In recent years there has been a big shift in distillery’s moving towards more environmentally friendly practices, do you take this into account during the buying process?
100% it is something I have been conscious of for a long time and we recently did a big piece of work to allow our customers to shop brands that are working sustainably in different ways. I very much take this into consideration and bottle weight and excessive packaging is something that I really am looking at the moment.
Is there a city or town in the UK that you have visited recently that offers an exciting variety of bars?
London is amazing and has such a fantastic wealth of bars to try but other cities are hot on its tail – Edinburgh and Manchester to name a few.
Are there any upcoming events or tastings that Specialty drinks are holding, that you would like to highlight?
Whisky Show is coming up fast and is 3 days of the most incredible gathering of the great and good of the whisky world with talks and tastings throughout the weekend.
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