Today marks International Women’s Day – a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements. From the political to the economic, and the social – while calling for gender equality.
Although the day is usually celebrated across the globe with talks, networking events, performances and marches, today will be different all together due to covid restrictions.
At Savour HQ, we’re shining a light on leaders within in the hospitality sector. From master distillers and bartenders to development chefs on a mission to educate people on new flavours. Ladies, we salute you.
Bartender at The Dorchester, Lucia Montanelli
Lucia Montanelli really knows how to shake and stir things up at The Bar at The Dorchester in Mayfair.
A key player in Bar Manager Giuliano Morandin’s award-winning team of experimental alchemists, Lucia has been recognized with several industry accolades. She took first place in the Tio Pepe Challenge González Byass competition for her signature sherry cocktail “Don Tio” as well as her take on the classic Sherry Cobbler. That victory was followed by Lucia being crowned as the first-ever female winner at the United Kingdom Bartender’s Guild National Cocktail Challenge 2015, as well as representing the UK at the International Bartender’s Association World Cocktail Championship.
INSPIRATIONAL MANTRA: “Escape from pre-established patterns by creating new stimuli. I follow my instinct and I enjoy organisation, but to continue growing I constantly set new goals which force me to adapt and be creative.”
Director of Champagne Bureau UK, Francoise Peretti
Francoise Peretti is the Director of Champagne Bureau UK, in the United Kingdom the Champagne Bureau is the educational and promotional arm of the Comité Champagne based in Epernay, France.
INSPIRATIONAL MANTRA: “It’s so easy to overlook detail and yet in the Champagne world it’s an essential component of everything we do from terroir, viticulture, viniculture, blending, craftsmanship, sustainability to deliver the best sparkling wine in the world to our consumers. Excellence is about detail.”
Chef sommelière at Terre Blanche, Aurélie Deharbe
Aurélie Deharbe has worked at Terre Blanche in Tourrettes, France, for more than five years, and last year she was promoted to Chef Sommelière. Working across all the hotel F&B outlets, she can organise tastings for guests at the hotel’s impressive wine cellar and select some of the most famous wines from the region. If guests want expert advice on local wines from Provence, Aurélie is definitely the person to go and talk to… Of course, the hotel’s clients are totally inspired by her passion and love exchanging with her and following her advice!
INSPIRATIONAL MANTRA: “In order to always stay motivated and on top of that goal, I meet each wine maker I feature on the menu at his vineyard. I can therefore really understand his story, his ‘terroir’ and the specificity of his wine. This allows me to share fully and honestly my experience with the guests at the hotel’s restaurants.”
Master Distiller of Gin 44°N, Marie-Anne Contamin
Master Distiller of Gin 44°N at the French Riviera distillery, Comte de Grasse, Marie-Anne was originally an aromatician within the fragrance industry.
Not only did she created the recipe for the gin using local botanicals from the region, she also imagined a distilling process inspired by the perfume industry. Seeing Marie-Anne at the distillery is quite a sight! She’s often trying new things. Recently, she was spotted macerating blue peas to extract the juices in order to create a natural coloring for a Comte de Grasse cocktail.
INSPIRATIONAL MANTRA: “I like the idea that sensory brings subjectivity, intuition and poetry to science and technology.”
Development Chef and MasterChef: The Professionals 2020 Finalist, Philli Armitage-Mattin
She’s got a masters in Chemistry, has worked for Gordon Ramsay Group, was one of the four finalists on the last series of MasterChef: The Professionals and her ethos is to take people’s taste buds on a tour of Asian flavours.
Philli Armitage-Mattin hit our screens in November and the pocket rocket chef became a firm fave with the nation and the judges.
The self-proclaimed science geek – who was taught by the same professor as Heston Blumenthal, loves to understand food on a molecular level.
She’s also got a huge passion for Asian flavours, having spent a year travelling to gain knowledge of the cuisine and culture, and she hosts cook alongs on her Instagram to get the nation cooking with new ingredients such as Gochujang – a Korean red pepper paste that’s great as a condiment, marinade or in stir fries, or stews.
INSPIRATIONAL MANTRA : “I try to pass on my experience and passion of Asian flavours, or flavours and ingredients that I find interesting, with others. I was first introduced to Asian ingredients within the Ramsay group and fell in love with them. I took it upon myself to spend a year researching and working through Japan, South Korean, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia and the regional recipes I discovered have heavily impacted the food I cook today. I cook what I love and put my own interpretations into dishes and my hope is to inspire others to do the same, while learning about an understanding new ingredients.”
