Beatrice Bessi announced as IWSC’s 2024 Emerging Talent in Wine Hospitality winner

After last week’s announcement of the incredibly strong shortlist for the IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine Hospitality award, today we are delighted to reveal the winner – Beatrice Bessi.

Head Sommelier at Chiltern Firehouse, London, Beatrice is an admirable candidate, said our judges. She has worked her way up from Junior Sommelier roles in Italy to a Head Sommelier position at a 5-star hotel in London, showing strong commitment to hospitality and a real passion for creating unique, memorable experiences for customers.

“Beatrice is very dedicated to her profession and she has been working very hard, running a successful 5-star hotel,” the judges noted.

The judges appreciated the breadth of Beatrice’s professional goals: her plans include supporting sustainable programs and initiatives, promoting diversity and inclusion in the industry, as well as continuously educating her team. In addition, Beatrice is now working towards her Master Sommelier certification, having passed the first part of her exam last year. “Beatrice has been somewhat overlooked by the wider professional community, but she has been doing tremendous work and deserves recognition,” said our judges.

As the winner of the IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine Hospitality award, Beatrice will receive a travel bursary of £2.5k. She is planning to use it to travel either to South America, delving into its rich wine scene, or to Japan – exploring the country's hospitality landscape and meeting fellow wine professionals.

We are delighted to present Beatrice as our winner for our 2024 Emerging Talent in Wine Hospitality award.