We welcome Michael Sager to The Premier Cru. Michael is the Founder of:

• Sager + Wilde wine bar
• Bruno
• Sager + Wines
• Equal Parts

Michael burst onto the UK wine and food scene via a wine pop-up, which inspired him to found his first venture, Sager + Wilde wine bar. It was an instant success and encouraged him to turn the concept into a brilliant restaurant in Bethnal Green (also called Sager + Wilde).

Although he recently closed the restaurant, Michael has been busy establishing his latest wine bar, Bruno, and building his wine import business, Sager + Wines.

Tune in as we discuss:

• Michael's story to founding Sager + Wilde
• The difficult decision to shut his flagship restaurant
• The challenges facing the hospitality industry
• His new venture in wine importing

We also taste three wines imported by Michael:⁠

• Esmeralda Garcia
• Vin Noe
• Parr Wines & Phelan Farm

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We welcome Matthew Mawtus to The Premier Cru. Matthew is the Head of Food & Beverage at ⁠Hide⁠ restaurant, following an amazing career including stints at Claridge's and Pollen Street Social.

When you imagine a Michelin Star restaurant, Hide is exactly what you see:

Tasteful decor - the UK's most photographed staircase

World class chef - Ollie Dabbous

Unrivalled wine list - full access to range at ⁠Hedonism Wines

⁠Exceptional service - led by Matthew

On the episode we introduce you to Hide and also their plans to go from 1 Michelin Star to 2/3 Stars. We also taste three wines on their list by:⁠

Bruno Paillard⁠ ⁠Plan B!⁠ ⁠Viader⁠

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We welcome our first couple, Patrick Williams and Amy Corbin, to The Premier Cru! Patrick and Amy are the dynamic duo behind the Kudu Collective - a set of South African inspired restaurants in South London.

Since opening in 2018, Patrick and Amy have been serving exceptional modern European food with a South African twist, influenced by Patrick's upbringing in South Africa. From establishing a loyal customer base as a neighbourhood restaurant to battling through COVID, they have since expanded to multiple sites. The Kudu Collective has something for everyone including a cocktail bar and a traditional braai grill!

On the episode we introduce you to the Kudu Collective and discuss South African food and wine. We also taste three wines on their lists by:

Pieter Ferreira

Raats Family Wines

Kaapzicht

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We welcome Anthony Gopal to The Premier Cru, who is the Head Sommelier at KOL.

KOL is the brainchild of Santiago Lastra (Head Chef). The principle aim of the cuisine is to transport the flavours and soul of Mexican food using local British produce. Since opening in 2020, KOL has received a Michelin star and also been listed in The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

Anthony has done an incredible job developing the wine offering, creating an unrivalled list of wines from top producers based in central and eastern Europe. On the episode we taste wines by:

Andreas Tscheppe

Marko Fon

Schäfer-Fröhlich

We also introduce you to KOL and discuss what it takes to become a Michelin star restaurant.

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We welcome Melania Battiston to The Premier Cru. Melania is one of the UK's top young sommeliers, having worked at The Medlar and Aman Hotel Group whilst running her own coaching business and judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Melania's latest adventure is joining David Liverpool and the team at Cornus, a new roof-top restaurant based in Belgravia. They serve delicious food grounded in the principles of French cuisine - think lobster pasta topped with caviar and Amalfi lemon. C'mon!

The wine programme is equally exciting as the food, bringing together all of Melania's experience with exceptional prices. Get yourself a reservation now!

On the episode we discuss what it takes to become a top sommelier and introduce you to Cornus.

You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

We welcome Ed Templeton to The Premier Cru, who is the Co-Founder of Carousel. What differentiates Carousel from other restaurants?

Well, they have a weekly chef in residency programme, inviting new chefs each week from across the world to showcase their cuisine to London customers. It is a culinary hub where you can explore different cuisines, cultures and real creativity. On top of that they also have a wine bar and a Mezcaleria acting as more casual spaces in which to enjoy Carousel if you don't feel like fine dining.

Given we invited Ed to join The Premier Cru - you guessed it - they also have a brilliant wine programme, run by Joshua Bratt, who also runs a series of wine raves called Close Ties. With a weekly changing menu, they need a strong wine list to pair with an eclectic range of dishes.

Join us as we discuss how:

• Carousel was founded
• To run a weekly chef in residency programme
• The Carbonara King caused havoc this year

We also try three brilliant wines from the Carousel list:

• Carousel "House white", by Valle Reale, Abruzzo, Italy, NV
• Vi di Taula, by Els Jelipins, Penedes, Spain, 2022
• VB1, by Selvadolce, Liguria, Italy, 2019

You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

Hedonism Wines has to be one of the most luxurious retail experiences in the UK. Think of it as a wine Disneyland including chandeliers made of wine glasses, multiple large format bottles and some of the greatest wines you can get your hands on!

Hugo and Ben welcome Julien Le Doaré, General Manager of Hedonism Wines, onto the podcast. In the episode we discuss:

• The vision behind Hedonism Wines
• The range of wines available
• Expansion into hospitality via a Michelin star restaurant

We also taste 3 wines from the Hedonism range that you can purchase online:

• Alkemi, Xinomavro Rose, 2022
• "Clos des Epeneaux", Pommard, Comte Armand, 1990
• "Le Desir", Verite, 2013

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You can also follow @The_Premier_Cru on socials to keep up to date with future episodes and behind the scenes snippets.

We welcome Nick Gibson to The Premier Cru!

Nick is the Founder of The Drapers Arms, a pub based in the heart of Islington. They have a ridiculously good (and good value!) wine list showcasing 300+ bottles many of which have some real bottle age.

Nick set up The Drapers Arms in 2009, following a career in finance, and believes that treating staff well is the cornerstone of a good business, with fantastic food and a great wines the rest should take care of itself. The Drapers Arms also have a strong social impact supporting charities such as The Trussell Trust, Refuge and Action Against Hunger.

On this episode we discuss:

• Moral values of running a business
• Restaurant culture
• The pub, food and wine list
• And how Nick's created one of London's best wine lists

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