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Peter Darbyshire
Michael Palij MW
Michael Cox
Andrew Shaw
Tim Atkin MW
Guy Woodward
Richard Milsom
Murray Harris
Angus Jacobs
| Peter Darbyshire |
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| After starting as a management trainee with Grants of St James in 1973, Peter spent 10 years as a regional director for J&B Rare Scotch Whisky before heading North to become export director of The Famous Grouse in 1987. Six years later, he became MD of The Drambuie Liqueur Company, followed by 3 yrs as MD of Glenmorangie Plc. Ultimately, the call of the wine trade proved irresistible and in 1999 he took over as MD of Rosemount. Since the takeover of Rosemount by Southcorp, Peter has been MD of Thierry’s Wine Services. |
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| Michael Palij |
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| Michael was educated at a leading single-sex boarding school before studying Latin and Greek at university. He toyed with careers in both the army and the ministry before calling a friend of the family who secured him a position with a leading city wine merchant. Today, he spends most of his time grouse shooting and smoking Havanas at the club. He’ll be posing in a fetching number from Cordings. |
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| Michael Cox |
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| Michael has been in the wine trade for over 30 years, which is almost as long as Allan Cheesman. The first 20 year stint took in working in Canon Street, Clerkenwell, Leeds, Cognac, and Sydney before he swapped one family firm for another and set up Negociants UK – the UK office of Robert Hill Smith’s Yalumba – just when Australia’s halcyon days were forming, and launched brands like Angas Brut and Oxford Landing. More recently a new challenge, a new wife, and a new continent beckoned, and in 2003 Michael set up the UK office of Wines of Chile – a country whose wines he has become so passionate about he will bare all for the cause. |
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| Andrew Shaw |
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| First experience of vineyards in Somerset and worked one school holiday at Averys and saw there was more to wine than Schonberger. Studied Hotel & Catering at Oxford…Polytechnic and chose to do dissertation on wine. Worked briefly in Hong Kong wine scene before joining Oddbins. Worked at Matua Valley in New Zealand for a harvest where I was ‘assistant winemaker’ – yes, it’s in my passport – in truth: cellar-rat. Then back to the UK buying for mail order wine merchants before helping set-up Stone, Vine & Sun!
Ambition: become pole dancer at local strip club for women in wine.
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| Tim Atkin MW |
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| Tim Atkin MW is the wine correspondent of The Observer and wine editor at large of OLN and Class. He has won more than a dozen awards for his writing, including four Glenfiddichs and four Lansons. He has never see The Chippendales live, but he does own a DVD of The Full Monty. |
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| Guy Woodward |
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| Deputy editor of Decanter since March 2003, previously editor of a gambling magazine. In between did a bit of travelling under the guise of ‘working’ as a freelance travel and sports writer, covering such notable events as the World Frisbee Championships in Boston. Having worked on titles covering gambling and drinking, Guy is now aiming to complete the set of vices by working for a porn magazine. |
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| Richard Milsom |
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| Started his career with Bibendum’s Fine Wine Division in 1997, and then Maison Louis Latour in Burgundy before joining Charles Taylor Wines in 2000. Richard enjoys sports and the stage, but isn’t usually stupid enough to get on it! |
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| Murray Harris |
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| Born in Zimbabwe, emigrated to Scotland at 2 years old and after living in Scotland for 6 years, my folks headed back to the Southern Hemisphere. After school and national service in South Africa, decided that catering was the ticket for me. I worked in a local restaurant for a year and half, then to London with stints at Thistle Hotels, Planet Hollywood, Mash bar and restaurant. Then decided to go it alone with my current business partner, Harvey Simpson. We now run 6 bars, gastropubs and restaurants: The Odd Spot, Hit Bar and Restaurant (both in Hammersmith), The Bridge Pub and Dining Rooms in Barnes, The Albany Pub and Dining Rooms in Twickenham, The Goat in Boots and 333 Club, Chelsea, and due to open a steak and seafood restaurant and cocktail bar in Fulham. I enjoy the pace of what I do and the brilliant and interesting people I meet. I love my golf and try to keep as fit as a butcher’s dog through cycling, running and just being on my feet. |
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| Angus Jacobs |
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| Trained at Guildford School of Acting. Since leaving he has appeared in many plays and musicals around the country including A Chorus Line, Hot Mikado, La Cage Aux Folles and several Pop videos, Film (The Importance of Being Earnest – with Reese Witherspoon and Rupert Everett), TV (Waking the Dead, among others). His choreography credits include ‘Pam
Ann’s Christmas Cracker’ at the Soho Theatre, West End, and other cabaret performances in and around London. This is his first venture into stripping!!
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