Erik Simonics joined Sunset Hospitality Group as Head of Wine and Beverage following his role of Head of Wines at Annabel’s in Mayfair before stepping up to the Group Head Sommelier position to oversee all the other Birley Clubs.

Turning his upbringing in Slovakia and family’s passion for wine into a career, Erik has worked with a host of great names in hospitality throughout the years, from starting his career as a sommelier at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s through to moving to the Savoy in 2012, where he spent four years. Erik then looked after the wine programme at the newly opened La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, the restaurant of one of the Michelin starred Anne Sophie Pic.

Erik has a plethora of awards to his name, highlights including, being awarded Sommelier of the year in Slovakia in 2013, through to winning the Wine Bar War of Chilie in 2015 and the South African Sommelier Cup in 2016. In 2016, he finished as a Semi-Finalist at the Castle European Young Sommelier Cup. In 2022, he became the first sommelier to gain the Master of Havana Cigars qualification. In 2023, he completed his MBA program at Aston Business School.