Sommelier of the Year : Front of House Awards
When it comes to talk of restaurants, it is usually the chefs who get all of the attention. However, finding the perfect wine for your palate and meal can be just as important as the food it accompanies.
To help redress the balance and recognise that a genius in the kitchen is not alone in creating an exceptional dining experience, The Restaurant Show in association with Restaurant magazine is delighted to announce its Sommelier of the Year in the very first Front of House Awards.
Commenting on the awards, Master of Wine, respected restaurant consultant and judge of the Sommelier of the Year category Peter McCombie said:
“The era of the snooty, superior sommelier of cliché might just be over. Our finalists were confident and enthusiastic and offered excellent advice based on sound knowledge of both food and wine. They make eating out both enjoyable and memorable.”
The Front of House Awards 2007 Sommelier of the Year is Gearoid Devaney at Tom Aikens. The judges were highly impressed with the runners up, citing Zuma’s Alessandro Marchesan’s ability to put customers at ease with the difficulties of cross cultural food and wine matching as impressive and that Les at Strattons (in Swaffham, Norfolk) unpretentious enthusiasm reflected the style of the restaurant very well.
But of course, it was the brilliant Gearoid who made top marks. A consummate professional without pomposity, his breadth of knowledge was reflected in the impeccable choices - both conventional and unconventional - that were offered without a wrong move.
The full list of the Front of House Awards winners is:
Manager of the Year : Silvano Giraldin at Le Gavroche
Waiter of the Year : Lionel Fauvet at Sketch
Sommelier of the Year : Gearoid Devaney at Tom Aikens
Front Desk of the Year : The Fat Duck
Bar Team of the Year : Shochu Lounge
Overall Service : The Fat Duck
Front of House Team of the Year : St. John Bar & Restaurant
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