We welcome Lucas Reynaud-Paligot, Head of Wine at Hélène Darroze at the Connaught Hotel , to The Premier Cru! In 2021, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught was awarded a third Michelin Star, placing the restaurant at the top of the culinary table. It goes without saying that the food and service is therefore impeccable, but Lucas has made sure that the wine list is no supporting act! There is simply no iconic fine wine that has not been opened at the restaurant, which offers customers 5 different win...
Jun 30, 2025•53 min
We welcome Sunny Hodge to The Premier Cru! Sunny is the Founder of two wine bars, Diogenes The Dog and Aspen & Meursault , and the author of a newly published book, called a " Cynic's Guide to Wine ". Sunny's academic background is in engineering and that made him continually question his wine education once he started his career in hospitality. Finding wine textbooks and answers from people in the trade insufficient, Sunny started researching the scientific principles that answered his ques...
Jun 16, 2025•56 min
Welcome to the final part of our mini series "Champagne: Meet the Growers", in which we introduce you to some amazing Grower Champagne Domaines. In this episode, we welcome Raphaël Piconnet to The Premier Cru, who is the head winemaker and vigneron at Domaine de Bichery located in the Côte des Bar. We wanted to end the series by showing you a rising star in the region. Since releasing their first vintage in 2015, Domaine de Bichery has been gaining an incredible reputation and are one of a numbe...
Jun 02, 2025•35 min
Welcome to part three of our mini series "Champagne: Meet the Growers", in which we introduce you to some amazing Grower Champagne Domaines. In this episode we move from the the Côte des Blancs and the Vallée de la Marne to the Côte des Bar, which is one of the most exciting sub-regions within Champagne. Historically it has been viewed as secondary to sub-regions further north. However, the silver lining is that land prices are therefore a lot cheaper making it an attractive destination for some...
May 19, 2025•45 min
Welcome to part two of our mini series "Champagne: Meet the Growers", in which we introduce you to some amazing Grower Champagne Domaines. In this episode we move from the the Côte des Blancs to the Vallée de la Marne, which is the home of the best Pinot Meunier in Champagne. We welcome Geoffrey Delouvin, who is the 11th generation winemaker and vigneron at of Domaine Delouvin Nowack , to The Premier Cru! Since taking over the Domaine, Geoffrey has introduced a new range of wines called, Famille...
May 05, 2025•43 min
Welcome to the part one of our mini series "Champagne: Meet the Growers", in which we introduce you to some amazing Grower Champagne Domaines. We welcome Arthur Larmandier of Domaine Larmandier-Bernier to The Premier Cru! Larmandier-Bernier make quintessential Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. They started in the 1970s and have become one of the leading Grower Champagne Domaines. Simply put, Grower Champagne does not get much better than Larmandier-Bernier. On the episode we discuss: The hist...
Apr 21, 2025•47 min
We welcome John and Desiree Chantarasak, Co-Founders of AngloThai , to The Premier Cru!AngloThai started as a pop-up and evolved into a restaurant in November 2024. Within six months, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin Star, which is testament to the hard work, passion and skills of John, Desiree and their team. The cuisine takes inspiration from Thai flavours, people and culture using seasonal British produce. It is truly a unique addition to the UK culinary landscape! On the episode we disc...
Apr 07, 2025•56 min
We welcome Alex Pitt, Co-Founder of Lower Wine Bar , to The Premier Cru! When a wine bar gets set up by a team that's worked at Brat, The Clove Club, Kiln and The 10 Cases, you know it will be good. Lower has a brilliant wine list and at some of the best prices you will find in London. Right in the heart of Waterloo, the bar is intimate and welcoming with a functional cellar as an awesome private dining room. Their signature dish, Spanish tortilla, is not to be missed either. On this episode we ...
Mar 24, 2025•44 min
We welcome Federico Moccia, Head Sommelier of 67 Pall Mall , to The Premier Cru! 67 Pall Mall is a private members club devoted to fine wine. It gives members the opportunity to enjoy their passion for wine with like-minded people in stunning locations. The first club was founded in London and offers an extensive wine list without standard restaurant mark-ups. The club has a fantastic restaurant in the Members' Lounge and a more relaxed Clubroom. In both locations, members can access a list of 6...
Mar 10, 2025•43 min
We welcome Clément Cousin, Co-Founder of Bavette Bistro , to The Premier Cru! Clément and his partner Sandy met whilst working at Terroirs (now closed), an iconic wine bar located in central London. After honing their crafts for 10+ years , as front of house and chef respectively, they decided it was time to set up their own venture and Bavette Bistro was the result. It has been incredibly well received, winning Good Food Guide's award for "best local restaurant of the year 2024", and is a great...
Feb 24, 2025•56 min
On this episode, we continue our conversation with Jasper Morris, the leading Burgundy wine critic. Jasper is the author of "Inside Burgundy" which is an in-depth guide to the region and has evolved into an online subscription platform . During part 1, we focused on the 2023 vintage and the en primeur campaign. This week we discuss the top trends shaping the region including: Exorbitant prices Top producers Up and coming villages Viticultural and winemaking techniques Climate change Follow @The...
Feb 10, 2025•54 min
It is January, which means one thing for the wine calendar: Burgundy en primeur. As a result, we decided to welcome Jasper Morris to The Premier Cru. Jasper has established himself as the leading Burgundy wine critic, having previously imported many of the top domaines to the UK. More recently he wrote “Inside Burgundy” an in-depth guide to the wine region, which has developed into an online subscription platform . There was so much we wanted to ask Jasper that we decided to split our conversati...
Jan 27, 2025•52 min
We welcome Walter Speller to The Premier Cru. Walter has built a brilliant career as a wine writer, specialising in Italian wine and contributing to Jancis Robinson's purple pages. Walter recently invited us to the Benvenuto Brunello tasting, to try the 2020 vintage that is being released to market in January 2025. We thought it was the perfect opportunity to: Introduce you to Brunello as a wine region Discuss the 2020 vintage and resulting wines Assess the trends shaping Brunello, including sin...
Jan 13, 2025•46 min
We welcome Patrick McGrath to The Premier Cru. Patrick has had an amazing career in the wine trade, becoming a Master of Wine in 1993 and the CEO of Hatch Mansfield . More recently he has also founded Domaine Evremond in collaboration with the Taittinger family. It represents the first attempt by a famous champagne house to produce wine in Britain. The project began in 2015 and their first non-vintage sparkling wine will be released to market in Spring 2025. Given the anticipation ahead of the r...
Dec 09, 2024•38 min
We welcome Charles Carron Brown to The Premier Cru. Charles is the Restaurant Manager at Aulis , an exclusive Michelin Star restaurant as part of the Simon Rogan Group. Aulis is not your everyday dining experience, incorporating: Tasting menus - both food and wine Exceptional food - Michelin Star restaurant Sustainability - food sourced from Simon Rogan's farm Exclusivity - just 12 covers per evening On the episode we introduce you to Aulis and their wine program, tasting three wines on their li...
Nov 25, 2024•41 min
We welcome Michael Sager to The Premier Cru. Michael is the Founder of: Sager + Wilde wine bar Bruno Sager + Wines Equal Parts Michael burst onto the UK wine and food scene via a wine pop-up, which inspired him to found his first venture, Sager + Wilde wine bar. It was an instant success and encouraged him to turn the concept into a brilliant restaurant in Bethnal Green (also called Sager + Wilde). Although he recently closed the restaurant, Michael has been busy establishing his latest wine bar...
Nov 11, 2024•52 min
We welcome Matthew Mawtus to The Premier Cru. Matthew is the Head of Food & Beverage at Hide restaurant, following an amazing career including stints at Claridge's and Pollen Street Social. When you imagine a Michelin Star restaurant, Hide is exactly what you see: Tasteful decor - the UK's most photographed staircase World class chef - Ollie Dabbous Unrivalled wine list - full access to range at Hedonism Wines Exceptional service - led by Matthew On the episode we introduce you to Hid...
Oct 28, 2024•53 min
We welcome our first couple, Patrick Williams and Amy Corbin, to The Premier Cru! Patrick and Amy are the dynamic duo behind the Kudu Collective - a set of South African inspired restaurants in South London. Since opening in 2018, Patrick and Amy have been serving exceptional modern European food with a South African twist, influenced by Patrick's upbringing in South Africa. From establishing a loyal customer base as a neighbourhood restaurant to battling through COVID, they have since expanded ...
Oct 14, 2024•54 min
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...
Sep 30, 2024•54 min
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...
Sep 16, 2024•42 min
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 d...
Sep 02, 2024•56 min
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 ...
Aug 05, 2024•57 min
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 str...
Jul 29, 2024•57 min
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 imp...
Jul 22, 2024•49 min
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 a...
Jul 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min
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 Bethl...
Jul 08, 2024•48 min
It's all about sake this week. Somewhere between a beer, a spirit and a wine, there is a mystique when it comes to sake as people rarely understand what it is, the range of styles and therefore the possibilities it offers. This week we change that! Hugo and Ben welcome Tom Wilson, Co-Founder of Kanpai , onto the podcast. Kanpai is the UK's first sake brewery based in Bermondsey beer mile. They produce a range of styles and are open to the public via tours and their amazing taproom. In the episod...
Jul 01, 2024•52 min
Hugo and Ben welcome Karl Sjöström onto the podcast, our final instalment from filming at Karakterre wine festival in Vienna, Austria. In the episode we discuss: Fruit wine as a category and what it actually is Fruktstereo, who they are and what they're getting up to in Sweden 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 socia...
Jun 24, 2024•47 min
Hugo and Ben welcome Henry Jeffreys onto the podcast. It's English wine week and we are delighted to be telling the story of how England became a wine producing country. Henry is the author of "Vines in a Cold Climate: The People Behind the English Wine Revolution" , which was awarded Drink Book of the Year at the Fortnum & Mason food and drink awards 2024. Nobody knows the people and stories underpinning England's growing wine industry better than Henry. In the episode we discuss: How Engla...
Jun 17, 2024•58 min
The Premier Cru are on tour, visiting Austria for a wine festival called Karakterre. This time Hugo welcomes award winning wine writer, Simon Woolf, onto the podcast. Simon has been writing about wine since 2011, focusing on natural wine, and related themes such as organics, biodynamics, minimal intervention and orange wine. In this ep we discuss: Simon's book, Amber Revolution What orange wine actually is How to get stuck into more of them About Amber Revolution: New York Times best wine book o...
Jun 10, 2024•58 min
