The UK Sommelier of the Year competition has long been a prestigious event in the hospitality industry, celebrating the talents and expertise of sommeliers across the country.
At the IWSC, we are proud of our continued commitment to fostering excellence and education within the wine, spirits, and hospitality industries. It is with great pleasure that we take ownership of the UK Sommelier of the Year competition.
We will be working in partnership with the UK Sommelier Academy to host this annual event, celebrating and recognising the UK’s finest sommeliers.
The 2025 competition has now taken place and you can read about our winner here: Maria Boumpa crowned IWSC UK Sommelier of the Year | IWSC. You can also relive the event courtsey of our live stream here: IWSC 2025 UK Sommelier of the Year: The Final Live Stream | IWSC and view a copy of our special magazine here.
The entrance exam consists of three parts: a theory exam, an opinion-based exam, and a tasting exam. These are designed to assess wine knowledge, wine tasting skills, and one's ability to demonstrate hospitality etiquette.
Applications are reviewed by the Technical Committee, who select the candidates invited to the next stage.
Candidates selected will be invited to join the UK Sommelier Academy. Membership in the academy provides several benefits and support to help them compete effectively, including:
Successful candidates will be invited to attend the two-day event in London (2026 dates TBC).
Day 1: Quarter final
Day 2: Semi-Final and Final
Morning: Semi-Final
Afternoon: Final
All candidates are invited and encouraged to attend the announcement evening where we will celebrate the achievements of all the sommeliers at our networking event. During this event, we will award the following categories, amongst others:
You can read more about our current winner, and the event, here: Maria Boumpa crowned IWSC UK Sommelier of the Year | IWSC.
2025 | Maria Boumpa |
2024 | Philipp Reinstaller |
2023 | Agnieszka Swiecka |
2022 | Vincenzo Arnese |
2019 | Romain Bourger |
2018 | Alex Fréguin |
2017 | Mathias Camilleri MS |
2016 | Terry Kandylis |
2015 | Tanguy Martin |
2014 | Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS |
2013 | Clement Robert MS |
2012 | Jan Konetzki |
2011 | Yohann Jousselin MS |
2010 | Christopher Delalonde MS |
2009 | Laura Rhys MS |
2008 | Gearoid Devaney MS |
2007 | Nicolas Clerc MS |
2006 | Claire Thevenot MS |
2005 | Matthew Wilkin MS |
2004 | Eric Zwiebel MS |
2003 | Loic Maillet |
2002 | Xavier Rousset MS |
2001 | James Payne |
2000 | Matthieu Longuère MS |
1999 | Alan Holmes |
1998 | Ronan Sayburn MS |
1997 | Vincent Gasnier MS |
1996 | Franck Massard |
1995 | Henri Chapon MS |
1994 | Mark Walter |
1993 | Nicholas Mobbs |
1992 | Gerard Basset OBE MW MS |
1991 | Michael Simms |
1990 | John Walker |
1989 | Gerard Basset OBE MW MS |
1988 | Stephen Wilcock MS |
1987 | Simon Hopkinson |
1986 | Michael Varney |
1985 | David Hair |
1984 | Michael Simms |
1983 | Bryan Dawes MS |
1982 | Charles Piggin MS |
1981 | Claudia Harris MS |
1980 | June Schmidt – Lowe |
Terms & Conditions
Please download the Terms & Conditions here to ensure your application meets the criteria.
Timeline - 2026
Submission
In order to enter, please download and complete this application form (link available in due course), then submit to community@iwsc.net.