At THE PIG, our people are what really make us tick. From our beekeepers to our wine teams, our nearly 1,000 brilliant PIG People are at the heart of everything we do. They’re the ones shaping the future of caring, considered hospitality - they’re the people who make our PIGs what they are!!
Championing their development, celebrating their creativity and giving them the space to shine sits right at the heart of everything we do. “Hone Your Craft” is one of our much-loved in-house development pathways (our PIG Pathway, as we like to call them), designed to help our teams sharpen their skills, swap stories, share knowledge and become absolute pros at what they love most.
This February, the Hone Your Craft Sommelier Cup 2026 was officially uncorked for our wine teams, and it was all to play for. Before the face-to-face final took place, sommeliers from across the group were invited to take part. To enter, they had to submit a concept for an original wine of their own design, explaining their choices around style, origin, grape varieties, blending and pricing, and where it would sit on a PIG wine list.
The nine finalists were…
· Nate Thompson,
from THE PIG-in the Cotswolds
· Louise Maggs,
from THE PIG-in the Cotswolds
· Luca Genc,
from THE PIG-in the Cotswolds
· Ed Robinson,
from THE PIG
· Alexia Lambert,
from THE PIG
· Jordan Hildersley,
from THE PIG-in the South Downs
· Blake Harvey,
from THE PIG-in the South Downs
· Odie Keating,
from THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay
· Ella Anderson,
from THE PIG-near Bath
The finalists later gathered at THE PIG-in the South Downs to be challenged across three very different rounds, designed to test technical skill, knowledge and guest experience. They were judged by THE PIG’s Group Beverage Director, Luke Harbor, THE PIG’s Group Bar Manager, Sam Vesey, THE PIG's Group Talent Development Manager, Michael Turner, and a very special guest and long time friend of THE PIG, Alan Montague Dennis, Director of Prestige Sales at Mentzendorff & Co.
After much tasting, debating and note-taking, our winner was…
Jordan Hildersley from THE PIG-in the South Downs! Jordan has won a trip to a wine region later this year, plus a few bottles to celebrate, and the coveted HYC Sommelier engraved cup.
Coming in second was Odie Keating from THE PIG-at Harlyn Bay, who has won a Coravin, plus a couple of iconic bottles to put it through its paces, and in third place was Nate Thompson from THE PIG-in the Cotswolds, who has taken home a special bottle selected by the judging panel.
On the day, the atmosphere was wonderfully competitive, full of excitement, encouragement and plenty of good-natured banter. It was a chance for our sommeliers to swap ideas, share stories and share their passion for wine together.
Whether it’s after work, before supper, at the weekend, or simply just because, drop into any of our PIGs for a glass (or two). From perfectly poured classics to something completely unexpected, our brilliant bar teams are always ready to guide you to something delicious.
Despite the competitive edge to the day, the teams very much got the chance to embrace their shared passion for all things wine.
