Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Languages
Timeline
Generic
Keith  Lyon

Keith Lyon

London

Summary

Passionate fully certified WSET using proven hospitality expertise to provide first-class customer experiences. Well-organized and proactive with hands-on and resourceful style.

My duties also include managing and maintaining inventory. As a wine buyer I am also responsible for sampling, assessing and choosing the wines for the restaurant.


Motivating and respectful leader providing training for front of house team on the basics of wine and collaborating with the kitchen. Building and managing loyal, high-performance teams. Offering excellent communication, interpersonal and decision-making skills. Thriving in challenging environments.


Knowledgeable about recruitment, regulatory compliance besides I posses a good and expansive network of wine trade suppliers, winery owners, wine makers, wine ambassadors and sales people.

Overview

20
20
years of professional experience
3
3
years of post-secondary education

Work history

Sommelier/Restaurant Owner Operations Director

Ardoa
London, London
06.2019 - 12.2022
  • Experience within the fine dining restaurant Ardoa with a strong focus on wine and food pairings. Tasting events, presentation and service of exclusive top notch beverages especially wine .
  • Huge experience and knowledge provides me with confidence and a natural ability to pair wines with food and therefore very able to select and suggest wines that are suited to guests palates and preferences. Liaised with kitchen teams to develop innovative, seasonal pairing menus for maximised customer appeal.
  • Stock management and processing of deliveries.
  • Willingly easy going character and highly cooperative individual able to engage with the team members irrespective of status.
  • I have a contagious enthusiasm and love for wine and skill to convey it to guests.
  • Natural tendency to learn in all aspects within the wine and restaurant industry.
  • Led by example in providing customers with attentive, professional restaurant service.


Owner Sommelier/ Wine Raconteur

Vinothec Compass
London
05.2015 - 04.2019
  • Coordinated 6 person wine service for 20 to 100 speciality wine dinner events.
  • Provided guidance to 10 to 12 waiting staff to increase their wine knowledge and deliver the highest level of customer service.
  • Managed wine operations of Vinothec Compas, achieving wine sales of £500,000 per year.
  • Facilitated seamless operations, effectively ordering, controlling and rotating wine stock.
  • Designed wine lists of over 400 bins and 20 by the glass over the year. Wines by the glass selection were changed three times per year.

Independent Wine Salesman

Alfie Fiandaca Ltd
London
01.2011 - 04.2014


  • Set up wine tastings to bring in business and promote special offerings.
  • Trained service staff on wines, spirits and cocktails to maximize revenue and maintain stellar reputation for service.
  • Traveled to vineyards around world to discover hidden gems and varieties and better understand global winemaking process.

Buyer of esoteric wines

Waitrose & Partners
Bracknell, Berkshire
02.2003 - 04.2010
  • As a Wine buyer I created my own roll by sourcing and selecting esoteric wines from Central and Eastern Europe and also mature parcels from Bordeaux and Germany.

Education

Master of History - History and Politics

The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
09.1979 - 06.1982

Skills

  • WSET dip
  • Innovative restaurant owner due to my extended knowledge of wine and the wine industry with a focus on the on-trade
  • Natural communicator

Languages

English
Native

Timeline

Sommelier/Restaurant Owner Operations Director

Ardoa
06.2019 - 12.2022

Owner Sommelier/ Wine Raconteur

Vinothec Compass
05.2015 - 04.2019

Independent Wine Salesman

Alfie Fiandaca Ltd
01.2011 - 04.2014

Buyer of esoteric wines

Waitrose & Partners
02.2003 - 04.2010

Master of History - History and Politics

The University of Edinburgh
09.1979 - 06.1982
Keith Lyon