Sommelier

Collins King; St Albans; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hotel benefits

Job summary

Collins King is recruiting a Sommelier for a newly awarded 5-star luxury hotel in Hertfordshire. You will own the wine programme, lead service across the hotel’s restaurants and F&B operations, and help shape its future direction.

Initially a standalone role with close collaboration to the F&B, restaurant, events and culinary teams, you will develop wine lists, assist with pairings, manage stock and supplier relationships, and grow the team as the programme expands.

Qualifications

• Experience as sommelier in luxury hotel or fine dining.
• Excellent wine knowledge and passion for hospitality.
• Ability to work independently and own the wine function; understands purchasing, margins and commercial performance.
• Comfort working across hotel departments (restaurant, events, banqueting).
• Qualified with WSET or CMS.

Responsibilities

• Lead wine service across the hotel’s restaurants and F&B operation.
• Provide knowledgeable and engaging recommendations to guests.
• Develop and maintain wine lists in keeping with 5-star positioning.
• Collaborate with chefs on wine pairings and menu development.
• Assist with selection and purchasing of wines for events, weddings, and banqueting.
• Manage wine stock, cellar organization and controls.
• Build relationships with suppliers and identify new wines.

Skills

Sommelier experience

Wine knowledge

Hospitality focus

Wine service

Education

WSET/CMS qualification

Job description

We are looking for a Sommelier to join a newly awarded 5-star luxury hotel in Hertfordshire. This is a newly created role and a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Sommelier to take ownership of the hotel’s wine offering and help shape its future direction. The hotel has two restaurants, alongside bars, private dining and a busy events, weddings and banqueting operation, giving the Sommelier exposure across the wider F&B business rather than being limited to one restaurant. Initially, this will be a standalone Sommelier position, working closely with the F&B, restaurant, events and culinary teams. As the wine programme develops, there is potential for the role and team to grow further.

The Role

• Leading wine service across the hotel’s restaurants and wider F&B operation
• Providing knowledgeable and engaging recommendations to guests
• Developing and maintaining wine lists in keeping with the hotel’s 5-star positioning
• Working closely with the chefs on wine pairings and menu development
• Supporting the selection and purchasing of wines for events, weddings, private dining and banqueting
• Managing wine stock, ordering, cellar organisation and controls
• Building strong relationships with suppliers and identifying new wines and producers
• Supporting tastings, wine dinners and other guest experiences
• Training and developing the wider F&B team on wine knowledge and service
• Bringing new ideas to continually develop the hotel’s wine programme

The Ideal Candidate

• Has previous Sommelier experience within a luxury hotel, quality restaurant or fine‑dining environment
• Has excellent wine knowledge and a genuine passion for hospitality
• Is comfortable working independently and taking ownership of the wine functionHas an understanding of purchasing, stock management, margins and commercial performance
• Is confident working across different areas of a hotel, from restaurant service to events and banqueting
• Has a warm, engaging approach with guests
• Is excited by the opportunity to build and develop a wine programme from the ground up
• Holds a recognised wine qualification such as WSET, CMS or equivalent

This is a particularly exciting time to join the hotel following its recent 5-star accreditation. For the right person, there is a real opportunity to make the position their own and, as the wine offering grows, potentially develop a larger sommelier function and team in the future. Competitive salary + excellent hotel benefits.