In a wine trade career spanning almost 30 years, Simon began by working for some of the UK’s leading specialist high street wine retailers. Here, he gained considerable insight into the requirements of the UK wine consumer as well as gaining his Wine and Spirit Education trust (WSET) Diploma and an interest in the technical side of wine production.
After a stint in consultancy, providing specialist wine knowledge to one of the UK’s largest hospitality businesses as well as teaching WSET qualifications to members of the off and on-trade, he joined The Wine Society – the world’s oldest wine-selling co-operative.
Initially responsible for the Society’s wine tasting programme, he then joined the buying department with responsibility for all aspects of product due diligence. An MBA with a focus on sustainability (then CSR) led naturally into his current role. As Head of Wine Sustainability, he is closely involved in developing cross industry sustainability schemes encompassing winery environmental impacts, shipping & packaging as well as Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. As a result of ambitious carbon reduction plans, including a focus on alternative packaging and lightweighting of glass bottles, The Wine Society was awarded The Drinks Business Green Company of the Year 2024 and The Green Packaging Award.
