The Buyer | Vineyard’s Romain Bourger is UK Sommelier of the Year 2019

Bourger said that patience is a virtue this being his sixth time of competing for the award.

Romain Bourger was named Champagne Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year 2019 last night at London’s Savoy, after beating two head sommeliers from London – Gareth Ferreira from Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill, and Alan Bednarski from Texture in Marylebone – into second and third place respectively.

It was a crowning achievement for Bourger who is the head sommelier at The Vineyard Hotel in Berkshire but it was also a feather in their cap – the Vineyard can now count four UK sommeliers of the year to its credit.

Bourger joins a long list of celebrated sommeliers that include Gerard Basset MW MS, Ronan Rayburn MS, Laura Rhys MS, Xavier Rousset MS and the 2007 winner Nicolas Clerc MS, who is now President of the Academy of Food & Wine Service (AFWS) and was chair of this year’s judging panel.

Jones sat on one of the judging tables at this year’s event.

As part of the live element of the competition the finalists were required to identify errors on a wine list, undergo blind taste tests of wines and spirits, serve at a bar and in a restaurant scenario, and finally to pour a magnum of Champagne Taittinger into 19 glasses – all part of a gruelling 3-hour final.

Commenting on his win, Bourger said: “I’ve competed six times so patience is a virtue. I had a great time on stage today. I stressed quite a bit but just kept it inside. I thought I was consistent throughout the day and am delighted to have come out on top.”

Jones with former (and youngest-ever) winner of the award Xavier Rousset MS

Now into its 40thyear this sommelier competition is organised by The Caterer in partnership with the AFWS with the event being open to professional sommeliers working in the UK. It is the second year that Champagne Taittinger has been the headline sponsor. After paper-based entries, regional heats are held on April 26 where the three highest-scoring candidates join last year’s two runners up and the Chaine de Rotisseur winner, making up the 15 finalists.

Second-place sommelier at this year’s event Gareth Ferreira, head sommelier, Core by Clare Smyth, London was also a beaten finalist at last year’s awards and explained the attraction of the competition.

“I keep on doing it because I keep on getting better at it, and it becomes a bit like a drug in that respect. It makes you think outside the box. The trickiest part for me is being put on the spot and having to deal with it.”

Tamas Czinki, head sommelier, Northcote, Lancashire who was also been a finalist two years in a row said “It’s an amazing opportunity, from meeting different sommeliers to having that kind of experience under pressure. My hot tip? Do a bit of meditation beforehand – imagine yourself in the situation. When it comes to the restaurant scenario, then just imagine you are in your own restaurant, trying to make everyone happy.”