SOMMELIER in St Albans

We are looking for a Sommelier to join a newly awarded 5-star luxury hotel in Hertfordshire.

This is a newly created role and a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Sommelier to take ownership of the hotel’s wine offering and help shape its future direction.

The hotel has two restaurants, alongside bars, private dining and a busy events, weddings and banqueting operation, giving the Sommelier exposure across the wider F&B business rather than being limited to one restaurant.

Initially, this will be a standalone Sommelier position, working closely with the F&B, restaurant, events and culinary teams. As the wine programme develops, there is potential for the role and team to grow further.

The Role

The Sommelier will play an important part in developing the wine offering across the hotel, including:

• Leading wine service across the hotel’s restaurants and wider F&B operation
• Providing knowledgeable and engaging recommendations to guests
• Developing and maintaining wine lists in keeping with the hotel’s 5-star positioning
• Working closely with the chefs on wine pairings and menu development
• Supporting the selection and purchasing of wines for events, weddings, private dining and banqueting
• Managing wine stock, ordering, cellar organisation and controls
• Building strong relationships with suppliers and identifying new wines and producersSupporting tastings, wine dinners and other guest experiences
• Training and developing the wider F&B team on wine knowledge and service
• Bringing new ideas to continually develop the hotel’s wine programme

The Ideal Candidate

We Are Looking For Someone Who

• Has previous Sommelier experience within a luxury hotel, quality restaurant or fine-dining environment
• Has excellent wine knowledge and a genuine passion for hospitality
• Is comfortable working independently and taking ownership of the wine function
• Has an understanding of purchasing, stock management, margins and commercial performance
• Is confident working across different areas of a hotel, from restaurant service to events and banqueting
• Has a warm, engaging approach with guests
• Is excited by the opportunity to build and develop a wine programme from the ground up
• Holds a recognised wine qualification such as WSET, CMS or equivalent

This is a particularly exciting time to join the hotel following its recent 5-star accreditation. For the right person, there is a real opportunity to make the position their own and, as the wine offering grows, potentially develop a larger sommelier function and team in the future.

Competitive salary + excellent hotel benefits.

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