Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine.
My mum is French and everyone in her family works in wine, or at least booze-adjacent, so I grew up around it. I studied finance because I loved everything and couldn’t decide what to specialise in. It was useful, but I quickly realised I found it incredibly boring. Wine, on the other hand, lets you have your fingers in all the pies — it’s geopolitics, chemistry and geology all at once. I truly love my job. Everything and everyone is interesting.
Describe your wine list at Evelyn’s Table
We split the list in two. Evelyn’s Table and The Mulwray share the same selection, so whether you’re in the restaurant or the bar, you have access to the full range. One half is Firm Favourites — recognisable regions and classic styles. The other is The Path Less Trodden — more unusual grapes, methods and places. It means you can follow your mood: a wild card, or a cosy, classic red on a rainy day.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
Mostly slapstick. I once had a Champagne stopper fly across the room and hit the only glass on a table like a missile. I maintained it was natural talent.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
Sune in Broadway Market is pure joy. Brawn, also in east London, is a wonderful restaurant — especially for dessert wines. And The Barbary in Notting Hill has such breadth that you can let your mood completely dictate the direction.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
Honey Spencer, Bella Babbitt and Sarah Millet. I admired Honey’s career so much I messaged her to say so — and that’s how she ended up hiring me at Evelyn’s Table. Bella is endlessly supportive and seemingly omniscient. And I can’t wait to see what Sarah does next. I could listen to any of them talk about wine all day.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
Lumière from Muchada-Léclapart — a collaboration between Champagne grower David Léclapart and Spanish winemaker Alejandro Muchada. It’s old-vine Palomino from Jerez, usually destined for sherry, but treated like white Burgundy and aged in old Bordeaux barrels. It’s exquisite. We paired it with scallops last year.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Textured, structured and tension. Will I stop using them? No.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment? Why?
A Teroldego from Elisabetta Foradori. It’s £90, which sounds punchy, but if it were a more famous grape from a more famous region it would easily be £150. If you love serious Bordeaux but not the price tag, this is for you.
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
Any breakfast item in the world with fizzy wine. It feels unabashedly luxurious and instantly makes people feel special. Magic.
Old World or New World?
The phrase feels outdated. With the internet, makers and buyers are less tied to regional norms. More winemakers are developing distinct personal styles with global reach. Less pigeonholing, more individualism.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
I hate seeing someone nervous talking about wine. No one knows everything. I genuinely don’t mind if you Google something in front of me. It’s less a pet hate, more a wish for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.
Who is your favourite producer right now? Why?
Andrew and Emma of Le Grappin. They visited recently for an industry tasting, then spent the evening at The Mulwray pouring wines for guests. We ran a Burgundy flight — four 50ml pours from across the region, put together by my brilliant colleague Marya — and they talked guests through each wine. Andrew later came down to Evelyn’s Table mid-service and poured everyone at the counter a glass of his Savigny-lès-Beaune. He’s completely down to earth — in it for the right reasons, making pure, honest wine — and people were mesmerised.
As a head sommelier, what question do you most get asked by customers?
Guests are always curious about how we build pairings. Having two lists makes it more interesting — we can take a dish in completely different directions. It’s like chess. You think about the first sip, the flow of the meal and how to keep the guest engaged without disrupting the rhythm. Then you look down and realise you’ve accidentally made everything French — and start again.
Which wine-producing region or country is underrated at the moment? Why?
The Czech Republic. It’s known, but not nearly enough. Some wines also suffer from not having names that roll easily across a bar. It’s fun to shout, “Large Chablis!” Slightly less so, “Large Grüner Veltliner and a medium Zweigelt.”
It’s your last meal, and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
I’m a sucker for an expensive little Burgundy. Maison Gautheron d’Anost is a current favourite — tiny production, understated and beautifully layered. I’m not even sure I’d bother with food.