Sommelier

Plates, founded by Keeley and Kirk Haworth, is an ambitious and plant-led food group with divisions in London and South-West France.

As Sommelier, you will occupy an important position within our team. You will hold a central position on the main floor of the restaurant, so you must be personable, passionate, and work efficiently. Your sommelier station will be in full view of the guests, so cleanliness and organisation of your station is really important.

The main objective of the sommelier role is to deliver an exceptional wine service for guests, guiding them through the wine list and the pairings to enhance their dining experience. A big part of the role is building good relationships through attention to detail, recalling past exchanges, and gaining trust to explore more adventurous and diverse choices. This is particularly important when looking after VIPs, knowing when to go the extra mile to make them feel special.

Supporting the Head of Wine, you’ll be expected to understand costings for both bottles and BTG offerings, ensuring the correct margins are set for pairings, and that the list overall is hitting targets set by the company. You will also support with weekly orders to maintain inventory levels of the cellar and provide adequate stock at all times.

You will be expected to cultivate good relationships with wine suppliers to encourage allocations, good pricing, and open up the possibility of event coordination, e.g., winemaker dinners. Attending tastings is important, both with the Head of Wine and individually. This role will also demand an element of training and knowledge sharing with the team, paying particular attention to junior Wine Waiters who may be starting out on their wine journey and will benefit enormously from your know-how. Sharing your joy and love of wine can be incredibly rewarding for you and for the team, ensuring a standard of care should you be absent from your post.