UK sommelier of the year, mandarin oriental
This year's Moët UK sommelier of the year award was held at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London.
(Image credit: This year's Moët UK sommelier of the year award was held at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London)

See below who has won the Moët UK sommelier of the year 2016 competition, announced in London this week following a tense final.

Terry Kandylis, originally from Greece and working at 67 Pall Mall in London, has won the Moët UK sommelier of the year 2016 title after beating 11 other hopefuls in a fraught final at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London’s Mayfair district.

Terry Kandylis, uk sommelier of the year 2016

Terry Kandylis (centre), of 67 Pall Mall wine bar in London, receives his Moët & Chandon prize as the UK’s best sommelier.
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

In second place was Jess Kildetoft, of Mash in London, and in third place was Olivier Marie, of Coq d’Argent.

‘It feels incredible,’ Kandylis told Decanter.com after winning the prize, which includes a Jeroboam of Moët & Chandon with a gold sleeve.

Sommelier colleagues were quick to congratulate Kandylis and all finalists on social media.

Gérard Basset OBW MW MS, winner of the best sommelier in the world competition in 2010, is chair of the judging panel. Basset is also guest vice-chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).

The winner will benefit from mentoring programme and an all-expenses-paid educational trip to one of Europe’s top vineyards provided by UK distributor Matthew Clark, owned by Conviviality Retail. Prizes also include an engraved Riedel decanter and a collection of Riedel glasses.

The Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2016 is also supported by AdVini, BaxterStorey, Hildon, Matthew Clark and Winterhalter. Now in their 37th year, the awards are run by the Academy of the Food and Wine Service (AFWS) and The Caterer, and are recognised by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI).

The full list of Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2016 finalists:

Scotland Regional Final Winner: Ladislav Basta, head sommelier, The Kitchin

North of England Regional Final Winner: Tamas Czinki, head sommelier, Northcote

West of England Regional Final Winner: Christopher Parker, assistant head sommelier, Lime Wood

London Regional Final A winner: Serdar Balkaya, head sommelier, Royal Automobile Club

London Regional Final B winner: Mathias Camilleri, head sommelier, The Five Fields Restaurant

Regional finals runners-up:

Remi Fischer, head sommelier, Old Course Hotel

Terry Kandylis, head sommelier, 67 Pall Mall

Jess Kildetoft, head sommelier, Mash London

Olivier Marie, head sommelier, Coq d’Argent

Petri Pentikainen, sommelier & assistant restaurant manager, The Three Chimneys Restaurant

Neils Sluiman, assistant head sommelier, Restaurant Sat Bains

Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Young Sommelier Competition winner: Romain Bourger, head sommelier, The Vineyard at Stockcross

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Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.