What got you into booze?

“I took a very indirect path into the industry. It began on family holidays, travelling across Europe with me in the back of my parent’s campervan. Being of Jamaican and Indian heritage, wine wasn’t part of our culture, but I fell in love with France. I remember roadside ‘honesty boxes’ where farmers left produce with a little tin to pay. Amazing.

As a child from inner city Birmingham I’d never connected the food on my plate with where it came from. That was my first introduction to the concept of terroir – how certain places grow certain things and I began to romanticise the culture.

Then one day I had a glass of Premier Cotes de Bordeaux (a basic Tesco bottle I’d ‘liberated’ from one of my mum’s cupboards) and it was like angels dancing on my tongue. I stared at that label determined to remember how good it tasted.  I can still see it now.

From then on, I became the most enthusiastic wine consumer my budget allowed. So, when I reached a crossroads in my previous career, wine felt like something I’d truly enjoy and I decided to give it a go.”

What’s your best British bubbles recommendation and what nibble complements them best?

“I particularly enjoy Camel Valley Rose, Gusbourne BDB and Simpsons Chalklands. Nibble-wise I think sparkling wine is the most versatile when it comes to food-matching. I love anything high-low, so you’ll find me indulging in crisps (an absolute weak spot of mine) and, of course, a classic fish and chips.”

How important is Fair Trade in the drinks business?

“Crucial. Ultimately who wants to live in a world, or be drinking wine, that contributes to unfair conditions for others and the planet? Rather annoyingly, I think Fair Trade has a weird reputation in wine. Outside of wine, say chocolate or coffee, people associate the label with a more premium product, but for some reason the same cannot be said for wine and I don’t know why that is.”

Tell us more about Wine Then Dine on @channel4served

“It was a really fun series to film where the traditional thinking about what to drink after you’ve picked the meal is flipped on its head. The series has been really well received on socials with over 4 million viewers already. I loved doing it because, I have to say, it’s actually the way I think about food and wine matching most of the time, so it was great to explore that.”


WATCH: ‘Wine Then Dine’ on @channel4served with @laithwaites.wine, a series about pairing ultimate comfort dishes with amazing wines.

FOLLOW: @aleeshahansel