Douglas Palin

Having passed his WSET Diploma (Wine and Spirits) in 2019, Douglas is now working as a wine educator with the East London Wine School hosting tasting events in and around Hoxton. This experience is providing a welcome vinous opportunity to hone his teaching and presentation skills in preparation for WSET's Certified Educator Training Programme.

It was Sherry that first sparked his consuming interest in fine wines and has remained a constant ever since with regular trips to the region to keep up with the latest gastronomic and oenological developments. This Sherry journey started In February 2006 a guest judge at the Salon Culinaire competition to choose the UK’s Sous Chef and Wine Waiter entrants to the ‘Copa Jerez’ competition. Before starting his WSET Advanced Certificate he worked as a 'Mystery Shopper' for a number of years for a hotel chain and group of private members' clubs originally aimed at those in the arts and media. From May 2010 to February 2013 he visited their numerous clubs, restaurants and outlets to write reports on the various aspects of the customer experience which included food and drink, menus and pricing. Thanks to his knowledge of wine in general and Sherry in particular he was able to give recommendations on listing, pricing and serving Sherry in order to improve take up as well as the customer experience. His study trip to Jerez with Gonzalez Byass in February 2015 helped prepare him for the Certified Sherry Educator course which he completed in September 2019 as a joint winner of the tasting examination.