Head Sommelier, The Savoy Hotel

The Savoy is one of the world's most iconic hotels. We are the original British luxury hotel, opened in 1889, and have a reputation for outstanding service excellence. We blend our rich history with innovation, and have played host to royalty, world leaders, and legends of the stage and screen. Today, we pride ourselves on creating special memories for our guests by delivering the very best in five-star luxury hospitality.

Our award-winning, colleague-centric culture truly differentiates us in the luxury hospitality marketplace. We offer competitive salaries and benefits, along with outstanding career development opportunities globally within Fairmont.

• Top Ten (Big Organisations) – Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2025

• HR in Hospitality Awards 2025:

  • Excellence in Employee Experience

  • HR Team of the Year

  • HR Leader of the Year – awarded to our Director of People & Culture, Sally Webster

• Institute of Hospitality Awards 2025

  • Talent Development Team of the Year

Job Title: Head Sommelier

Department: Bars, Food & Beverage

Inspired and Supported by: Head Of Bars

Your purpose will be:

To lead one of the most ambitious and extensive wine programmes in luxury hospitality. The Head Sommelier will be responsible for curating and delivering an exceptional wine experience centred around Beaufort Bar's Discovery Programme, featuring over 100 wines available by the glass and one of the largest public luxury wine selections in the market.

You will inspire guests and team members alike through exceptional wine knowledge, engaging storytelling, and a passion for discovery, ensuring every guest interaction reinforces Beaufort Bar's position as a world-class destination for wine, Champagne, and luxury hospitality.

You will be accountable for:

Leadership and Team Management

• Always being present on the floor during service and getting hands-on to assist when needed.
• Lead, motivate, and inspire the bar team and support staff, fostering a positive work environment.
• Set performance expectations, provide regular feedback, and conduct performance evaluations.
• Develop and implement training programmes to enhance the team’s knowledge and skills.
• Schedule staff efficiently to meet business needs while maintaining labour cost controls.
• Promote teamwork, collaboration, and excellent communication across the team.
• Assist with recruitment within the bar department.

F&B Programme Management

• Leading and developing Beaufort Bar's wine Programme and extensive wine-by-the-glass offering.
• Maintaining one of the largest public luxury wine selections available in London.
• Delivering exceptional wine service standards that complement Beaufort Bar's luxury positioning.
• Driving wine sales, guest engagement, and profitability through expert recommendations and innovative activations.
• Managing wine procurement, inventory, supplier relationships, and cellar standards.
• Educating and inspiring the team to confidently navigate and sell a diverse portfolio of wines.
• Creating unique guest experiences that encourage exploration and discovery across the wine list.
• Supporting the ongoing evolution of the wine programme, ensuring it remains innovative, relevant, and commercially successful.
• Acting as an ambassador for Beaufort Bar within the global wine and luxury hospitality communities.

Financial Management

• Achieve revenue and profitability targets in line with guidance from the Head of Bars.
• Monitor and analyse weekly performance reports, sharing insights and recommendations.
• Manage labour and inventory costs to achieve financial objectives.

What you will need to do in this role? 

• Continuously identify opportunities to enhance the guest journey through innovative wine offerings. 

• Acting as an ambassador for Beaufort Bar within the global wine and luxury hospitality communities. 

• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, including health and safety, liquor licensing, and food hygiene. 

• Maintain impeccable standards of cleanliness and organisation. 

• Champion impeccable adherence to Forbes and LQA standards, curating an unparalleled five-star experience that reflects the sophistication and legacy of true luxury hospitality. 

• Uphold The Savoy’s brand reputation by delivering consistently exceptional service 

Minimum Qualifications, Skills & Experience Requirements 

• Minimum 10 years’ experience within luxury hospitality or premium food & beverage environments, including significant experience in wine leadership roles at a luxury hotel, fine dining restaurant, or recognised wine-led venue. 

• Demonstrated experience in wine programme development, cellar management, supplier engagement, and premium beverage commercial performance. 

• Strong technical wine knowledge supported by a recognised professional qualification, preferably WSET Level 4 Diploma, Court of Master Sommeliers (Advanced Sommelier or above), or equivalent internationally recognised certification. 

• Proven ability to lead, inspire and develop high-performing teams, with experience in training, coaching and embedding elevated service standards. 

• Strong understanding of luxury guest expectations and the ability to curate memorable, commercially relevant guest experiences through storytelling, recommendation and personalised service. 

• Excellent knowledge of food and wine pairing, by-the-glass programme management, premium beverage trends, and luxury market positioning. 

• Demonstrated commercial acumen, including experience with beverage costing, stock management, purchasing, margin optimisation and revenue generation. 

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to engage credibly with VIP guests, collectors, industry stakeholders and senior leadership teams. 

• Strong organisational capability and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced luxury environment. 

• Right to work in the UK and flexibility to work evenings, weekends and public holidays in line with business requirements. 

Desirable: 

• Previous experience within a Forbes Five-Star, Michelin-starred, Leading Hotels of the World, or equivalent luxury hospitality environment. 

• Existing network within the international wine industry and exposure to rare wines, collectors and fine wine events. 

• Additional language skills considered advantageous. 

Please note that we believe in flexibility and multi-skilling, and you may be asked to do different tasks from time to time to enable us to meet the needs of our guests and colleagues. 

• What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary and additional service charge
• Life insurance and pension
• 31 days of holiday (including public holidays)
• Exclusive discounts:
  • Savoy, Fairmont, Raffles, and Accor hotels (friends & family rates included)
  • 50% off at American & Beaufort Bars, Afternoon Tea, spa, florist, and select Gordon Ramsay restaurants
  • 20% off at other Gordon Ramsay restaurants and Restaurant 1890
• Free stay for two at The Savoy after successful probation
• Colleague restaurant, gym, interfaith prayer room and wellness room
• Laundry services
• Cashback for wellbeing/healthcare expenses; HSF & Perkbox
• Employee assistance program
• Virgin Active and The Gym Group membership discounts
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Season ticket loan for commuting
• Annual optician reimbursements of £100
• Local discounts for F&B and retail