UK hit by a Sommelier Shortage

Carol Wright on why there is a shortage of sommeliers in the UK and what it means to be a sommelier

There is a severe shortage of sommeliers in the UK, (about 500 to 600 vacancies are advertised each week) with hundreds of vacancies needing to be filled. Finding young staff passionate about wine is as difficult as sourcing rare vintages. Asma Kham, owner of Darjeeling Express in London, says, “There’s a real panic. Everyone is looking for a general manager or a sommelier.”

The situation is made worse by the traditional reluctance of young Britons to view the hospitality industry as a viable career path, and compounded by the effects of the pandemic and Brexit, after which the backbone of hospitality staff returned home to Europe. A 2022 survey by the job site Caterer.​com found that only 5% of young adults were thinking of a sommelier’s career in hospitality.

It has been recommended that qualified sommeliers should be allowed into the UK on special visas classifying them as skilled workers, a designation which may encourage more Britons into the job. Sommelier skills may be acquired through work experience rather than training courses and certificates. The initial tough physical work that is involved often masks the possibilities of career development in wine related education, consultancy and wine distribution.

Just as a chef must master the complexities of countless recipes, would-be sommeliers, confronted with thousands of wine labels, producers and terroirs, need to have a passion for knowledge and can start by visiting restaurants and taking part-time jobs in restaurant service to learn from experienced wine waiters. They should network with wine industry professionals, attend the free wine tastings that merchants and producers offer, and visit vineyards when possible.