Sommelier

The Dorchester; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary Stays with breakfast

Hotel discounts

Royal London Private Pension scheme

Seasonal ticket loan

Apprenticeship & development programs

Social events

Referral bonus

Well-being support

Job summary

The Dorchester is seeking a talented Sommelier to lead wine service in a luxury setting. You will cultivate exceptional guest experiences through expert wine recommendations, stock management, and thoughtful pairings, while collaborating with kitchen and floor teams.

Join a renowned property recognized for its award-winning learning and commitment to excellence, with opportunities to mentor staff and engage with Michelin-level dining traditions.

Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of wine regions, varieties, tasting notes, and wine service techniques.
• Ability to pair wines with food to enhance the dining experience.
• Clear verbal communication with guests and team members.
• Strong customer service mindset and guest satisfaction focus.
• Ability to work with kitchen and service staff to coordinate wine service.
• Calm and efficient handling of guest concerns about wine or service.

Responsibilities

• Recommend wines for all occasions, select wines and create drink lists, manage stock, and serve wine orders efficiently.
• Ensure guests receive the best possible wine experience and adapt service to needs.
• Fulfill special requests related to dietary requirements, preferences, and celebrations.

Skills

Advanced Wine Knowledge

Food and Wine Pairing

Communication Skills

Customer Service

Team Collaboration

Problem-Solving

Job description

Join us as a Sommelier at The Dorchester’s Alain Ducasse recognised as one of ‘The SundayTimes Top 10 Best Places to Work for’ in 2024-2026 and ‘Hotel of the Year –London’ at the 2024 AA Hospitality Awards. We continually strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is part of our DNA, reflected in our values of passion, personality, respect, working together, and creativity. Webelieve that a variety of perspectives enriches our culture and drives our success.

We care about your career and are known for having the absolute best people in the industry. When you join us as a Sommelier, you start a unique opportunity to become celebrated as the very best in your field. You'll learn not only from your fellow Legends, but also through our award-winning learning academy, so that you can achieve the highest standards of craft, service, and leadership and become a legend in your own story.

What you'll do

As Sommelier, you'll lovewhat you do and take pride in taking care of our guests/employees:

• You willbe responsible for recommending our exceptional wines to our guests forevery occasion during their day. This will includeselecting winesand creating drink lists, managing stock, as well as serving wine ordersefficiently and in a timely manner all to ensure our guests receivesnothing but the best experience
• Sometimesour guests have special requests involving dietary requirements, winepreferences and even special occasions. Most of these requests arefulfilled by our Sommelier.

The items shared are the essence of a dayin the life of our Sommelier, but we will makesure you are provided with specifics on how we care for our hotel.

The operational hours of work areshift-based and may be subjected to change.

What you'll bring

Essential Skills:

• Advanced Wine Knowledge: In-depth understanding of wine regions, varieties, tasting notes, and wine service techniques.
• Experience with Food and Wine Pairing: Ability to recommend pairings that enhance the dining experience.
• Communication Skills: Clear verbal communication to interact with guests and explain wine options, as well as collaborate with team members.
• Customer Service: Ability to enhance the guest experience by recommending suitable wines and responding to requests or preferences.
• Team Collaboration: Working closely with kitchen staff and waiters to provide seamless food and wine pairing service.
• Problem-Solving: Handling guest concerns about wine or service in a calm and efficient manner.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Mentorship Experience: Experience training or guiding junior sommeliers or waitstaff.
• Additional Language Skills: Knowledge of languages other than English to communicate with international guests.
• Experience in Fine Dining or Luxury Hospitality: Previous experience in a Michelin-starred or upscale dining environment.

What you'll get

• ComplimentaryStays: Enjoy complimentary stays with breakfast at Dorchester Collection Hotels every year.
• Discountswith ourhotels, and benefit fromdiscounts at various high street and online shops
• Employee Perks: Enrol from day 1 into the Royal London PrivatePension scheme (we contribute 8% towards your pension); Benefit from seasonal ticket loan, rental deposit scheme, private financial advice, and eye care vouchers.
• Training andDevelopment: Advance in yourcareer by accessing various apprenticeships from Level 2 to Hospitality Degree Level 5. We partner with outstanding nationally recognised Apprenticeship providers.
• Social Events: Participate in vibrant social events, includinga summer party, winter ball, pub quizzes, and cultural and milestone recognition celebrations.
• Referral Bonus: Earn a £1000 bonus when you recommend a friend.
• Well-beingSupport: Access immediate well-being advice because we care about our employees.

We celebrate diversityand are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees andapplicants. If you need us to do anything to support you during the recruitment process (such as adjustments to how you apply, alternative formats ofinformation, or adjustments to the assessment process itself