Claridge’s Emma Denney crowned UK Sommelier of the Year 2026

Emma Denney, director of wine at Claridge’s in London’s Mayfair, has been crowned UK Sommelier of the Year 2026.

Denney beat finalists Dolly Chao, wine manager at Labombe by Trivet in London’s Mayfair, who was runner-up, and Wilem Powell, head of beverage at Bibi, who came third.

The trio took part in a live final held yesterday (7 July) at St John’s Church in London’s Waterloo, which consisted of theory examinations, blind tastings and practical service assessments.

Denney, who is an advanced sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is working towards the master sommelier diploma, has competed in the prestigious competition four times, having previously ranked fifth.

This year’s competition attracted a record 68 applications, with entrants spread across 56 hospitality establishments, representing 33 nationalities.

Thirty-nine competitors competed in this year’s competition, the highest-ever number of contestants.

Denney said: “I’m incredibly happy. It was an incredibly hard group of people to compete against, and everyone was so supportive. We all worked very hard together. The girls I trained with—thank you so much. I couldn’t have done it without them. It’s been a long and sweaty two days, but an amazing day.”

The examination was designed and delivered by the UK Sommelier Academy and assessed by an independent panel of judges comprising 18 former UK Sommelier of the Year winners and finalists.

In addition to taking the overall title, Denney was awarded best performer in the service task and the blind tasting task.

Other category award recipients included Dion Wai, head sommelier at Cabotte, who took home best performer in theory, Sam Weatherill, wine director at Etch by Steven Edwards, who was named best performer in food and wine matching, and Powell of BiBi, who was best performer in blind spirits tasting.

Christelle Guibert, owner of UK Sommelier of the Year, said: “Emma delivered an exceptional performance throughout the competition. What distinguished her was not only her technical knowledge, but her composure, judgement and consistency under pressure.

“This year’s competition demonstrated the remarkable strength of the profession in the UK. From a record number of applications to an exceptional standard throughout every stage of the competition, the future of British sommellerie has never looked stronger.”

The UK Sommelier of the Year is aligned with international competition standards through its connection to the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI).