Wine expert Joe Wadsack – best known as Tom Kerridge’s co-presenter on the BBC’s flagship Food and Drink Show – will be headlining next month’s Lakes Hospitality Trade Show. Meanwhile, a leading hotelier who has previously worked at The Dorchester and The Savoy is also lined up to host two workshops at the event.
The former wine columnist for the Daily Express, Joe Wadsack is an internationally respected wine judge and has made expert appearances on a string of TV shows including Saturday Kitchen and Great Wine Walks.
Joe has just been confirmed to officially open the two-day Lakes Hospitality Trade Show on Wednesday 7 March and will also host a free wine tasting workshop for attendees to book on the opening day.
At the same time, top hotelier Nigel Sandiford has been signed up to share his 5-star expertise with Cumbrian hospitality businesses with a workshop on both days.
Nigel’s career spans three decades at some of the world’s best-known 5-star hotels; he was Food and Beverage Manager at The Dorchester until last month and is the only person in the hotel’s prestigious 86 year history to have achieved their ‘Manager of the Year’ accolade twice. Nigel was instrumental in shaping the food and beverage businesses at both The Dorchester and Coworth Park over a 13-year period, and is also a former finalist at the hotel Cateys – the Oscars of the hospitality industry.
Drawing on his experiences of the luxury London hotel market, he will lead two workshops aimed at inspiring the local hospitality sector around maintaining standards and the culture of customer service. Nigel is also one of the key managers at the Dorchester Academy, linked to their graduate programme, and will provide attendees with a unique insight into training the next generation and developing the skills needed to deliver a five-star service to guests.
James Tasker, a Director of the Lakes Hospitality Association, adds, “It’s a real coup to get two speakers of Joe and Nigel’s calibre to talk directly to businesses and give them practical, first-hand advice.
“Joe has a phenomenal CV and is known to millions as a TV drinks expert with an energetic and passionate style. Meanwhile, Nigel will be drawing on experience working with some of the country’s most successful and respected hotel brands, who invest millions of pounds into researching and test-driving new trends and developments each year.
“We hope local businesses will make the most of this unique opportunity to sign up for these free workshops and access insider knowledge that simply isn’t available anywhere else.”
The Lakes Hospitality Trade Show will take place on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March 2018, at the J36 Rural Auction Centre. Being held by the Lakes Hospitality Association (LHA) in conjunction with Cumbria Tourism, the event is expected to be the biggest in its 43-year history, with well over 100 exhibitors already confirmed and an additional marquee added to meet exhibitor demand.
As well as Joe and Nigel’s expertise, the full workshop programme will include specialist speakers covering everything from the impact of new data protection laws and the launch of Carlisle Lake District Airport to social media, PR, and the latest on making the most of the Lake District’s World Heritage inscription. Participants can book for free online.
