We welcome Anthony Gopal to The Premier Cru, who is the Head Sommelier at KOL.

KOL is the brainchild of Santiago Lastra (Head Chef). The principle aim of the cuisine is to transport the flavours and soul of Mexican food using local British produce. Since opening in 2020, KOL has received a Michelin star and also been listed in The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

Anthony has done an incredible job developing the wine offering, creating an unrivalled list of wines from top producers based in central and eastern Europe. On the episode we taste wines by:

Andreas Tscheppe

Marko Fon

Schäfer-Fröhlich

We also introduce you to KOL and discuss what it takes to become a Michelin star restaurant.

Follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

We welcome Melania Battiston to The Premier Cru. Melania is one of the UK's top young sommeliers, having worked at The Medlar and Aman Hotel Group whilst running her own coaching business and judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Melania's latest adventure is joining David Liverpool and the team at Cornus, a new roof-top restaurant based in Belgravia. They serve delicious food grounded in the principles of French cuisine - think lobster pasta topped with caviar and Amalfi lemon. C'mon!

The wine programme is equally exciting as the food, bringing together all of Melania's experience with exceptional prices. Get yourself a reservation now!

On the episode we discuss what it takes to become a top sommelier and introduce you to Cornus.

You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

We welcome Ed Templeton to The Premier Cru, who is the Co-Founder of Carousel. What differentiates Carousel from other restaurants?

Well, they have a weekly chef in residency programme, inviting new chefs each week from across the world to showcase their cuisine to London customers. It is a culinary hub where you can explore different cuisines, cultures and real creativity. On top of that they also have a wine bar and a Mezcaleria acting as more casual spaces in which to enjoy Carousel if you don't feel like fine dining.

Given we invited Ed to join The Premier Cru - you guessed it - they also have a brilliant wine programme, run by Joshua Bratt, who also runs a series of wine raves called Close Ties. With a weekly changing menu, they need a strong wine list to pair with an eclectic range of dishes.

Join us as we discuss how:

• Carousel was founded
• To run a weekly chef in residency programme
• The Carbonara King caused havoc this year

We also try three brilliant wines from the Carousel list:

• Carousel "House white", by Valle Reale, Abruzzo, Italy, NV
• Vi di Taula, by Els Jelipins, Penedes, Spain, 2022
• VB1, by Selvadolce, Liguria, Italy, 2019

You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

Hedonism Wines has to be one of the most luxurious retail experiences in the UK. Think of it as a wine Disneyland including chandeliers made of wine glasses, multiple large format bottles and some of the greatest wines you can get your hands on!

Hugo and Ben welcome Julien Le Doaré, General Manager of Hedonism Wines, onto the podcast. In the episode we discuss:

• The vision behind Hedonism Wines
• The range of wines available
• Expansion into hospitality via a Michelin star restaurant

We also taste 3 wines from the Hedonism range that you can purchase online:

• Alkemi, Xinomavro Rose, 2022
• "Clos des Epeneaux", Pommard, Comte Armand, 1990
• "Le Desir", Verite, 2013

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You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

We welcome Nick Gibson to The Premier Cru!

Nick is the Founder of The Drapers Arms, a pub based in the heart of Islington. They have a ridiculously good (and good value!) wine list showcasing 300+ bottles many of which have some real bottle age.

Nick set up The Drapers Arms in 2009, following a career in finance, and believes that treating staff well is the cornerstone of a good business, with fantastic food and a great wines the rest should take care of itself. The Drapers Arms also have a strong social impact supporting charities such as The Trussell Trust, Refuge and Action Against Hunger.

On this episode we discuss:

• Moral values of running a business
• Restaurant culture
• The pub, food and wine list
• And how Nick's created one of London's best wine lists

Follow ⁠@The_Premier_Cru⁠ on socials and subscribe to our Substack⁠ to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

We welcome Carole Bryon to The Premier Cru!

Carole is the Founder of The Lady of the Grapes, a restaurant and wine bar based in the heart of Covent Garden. On top of serving fantastic food, their wine list exclusively showcases wines produced by female winemakers.

The 2023 Women in Wine survey revealed that 78% of respondents (women working in the trade) agreed that sexism, gender bias and harassment were serious issues in the industry. Initiatives, such as The Lady of the Grapes, represent important efforts to make the wine trade more inclusive.

The best way to support is to get yourselves a reservation and try their amazing array of wines.
On this episode we:

• Introduce you to The Lady of the Grapes
• Discuss inclusivity in the wine trade and Carole's experiences
• Taste 3 wines made by female producers on The Lady of the Grapes wine list

You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

We welcome Joe Haynes to The Premier Cru!

Joe is the Founder of Penzer Wines, which he set up after studying wine at Geisenheim and completing a stint working for the legendary Klaus Peter Keller. All the wines as part of the Penzer portfolio are delicious as Joe seeks out wines from sustainable producers that represent great value.

More recently Joe Co-Founded Cloth Restaurant in Farringdon. Cloth has already been receiving brilliant reviews from critics due to it's wonderful wine list, food and charming interior. It is a great addition to London's diverse and rich restaurant landscape. On this episode we:

• Introduce you to Penzer Wines and Cloth Restaurant
• Discuss Germany's changing wine culture
• Taste three wines from the Penzer portfolio

You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

This week is all about Palestinian food, culture and wine, yes there is such a thing!

Hugo and Ben welcome Fadi Kattan, Founder of Akub restaurant, and Anna Patrowicz, Consultant and Sommelier, onto the podcast. Akub is a Palestinian restaurant celebrating the rich diversity of ingredients and culinary traditions from the region, while working with locally sourced British ingredients.

Fadi Kattan is a Franco-Palestinian chef living in Bethlehem and London. He has two restaurants: Fawda (in Bethlehem) and Akub (in London). He also has a boutique hotel in Bethlehem, as well as a Youtube series profiling Palestinian grandmothers and their food knowledge and traditions. Anna is supporting Fadi at Akub and doing exceptional work to bring awareness to Palestinian producers.

Fadi has become an authority and an ambassador for contemporary Palestinian cuisine and recently released a cook book titled Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food

In the episode we discuss:

• Akub as a restaurant and how it was started
• The intrinsic link between Palestinian food, wine and culture
• Fadi's new book

Check out and subscribe to our Substack. We will be connecting you with our guests and developing our community. Expect wine recommendations, recipes from chefs and much more!

You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.