Introducing our official Imbibe Live ambassadors for our 2022 event.
We’re honoured to have some of the most respected and influential industry leaders involved in curating this year’s masterclass programme.
Follow them on social, get to know them and look out for updates on what we’ve got coming up at the event.
Aleesha is a wine writer, wine judge and amateur anthropologist and throughout her career she has been drawn to stories of people and places. Using her journalistic and visual storytelling skills Aleesha has become a successful communicator, host and freelance wine writer.
Her articles can be found in publications including Red Magazine, Tatler, Occado Life, Harpers Wine and Spirit, National Geographic Traveller Food, Imbibe, Sarah Abbott MW's Swirl Wine Group blog and WSET's global blog.
@_spillingit
Gabe Cook is The Ciderologist, an award-winning, global cider expert attempting to change the way the world thinks and drinks cider.
Gabe has worked in the cider industry for 15 years, spanning cider making, corporate communications and public affairs. He has worked for cider makers in the UK and New Zealand, from small farmhouse operations all the way up the world's biggest. He has even presented a bottle of Cider to The Queen.
As well as chairing a number of international cider competitions, Gabe is a cider writer, industry consultant and the de facto “go to” independent voice on all matters cider. He established the UK's first Cider Sommelier (Pommelier) programme back in 2018. Gabe also co-hosts the Neutral Cider Hotel podcast and his latest book, Modern British Cider, was published in September 2021. In April 2022 he was recognised by CAMRA as their Campaigner of the Year.
Ian is one the most travelled and sought-after figures within the drinks industry. The multi award winning “EduTainer”, has redefined the definition of an international spirits ambassador by establishing himself as the world’s ONLY recognised Global Ambassador for the Rum category.
Over the last 25 years he has conducted masterclasses & seminars, sipped cocktails, judged competitions and hosted rum events on no less than 7 continents around the world. He is also the founder of RumFest and is a drinks presenter on TV shows such as Sunday Brunch, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Food UnWrapped. His mission in life is to get the world to understand that rum is more than a spirit, it’s a way of life.
Jane Peyton is an award-winning drinks educator, writer, broadcaster, pub expert, and public speaker. She is the founder of the School of Booze – an e-learning business, drinks consultancy and training, and corporate events company.
Her professional accreditations and certificates are from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and the Beer & Cider Academy – Britain’s official awarding bodies for accredited education in wine, spirits, beer and cider.
Jane was the UK’s first accredited Pommelier (cider sommelier) and Britain's first Beer Sommelier of the Year. She is the instigator and driving force of the UK’s annual national beer day – Beer Day Britain (June 15th). She is a former Imbibe Magazine Drinks Educator of the Year. For her beer work she was awarded the title Outstanding Individual Achievement in Beer from the Beer & Cider Marketing Awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Britain’s Parliamentary Beer Group. For her writing she has won several medals from the British Guild of Beer Writers. She is also the Drinks Ambassador for the Love British Food organization.
Jane is currently a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards (as of July 2021).
She is the author of nine non-fiction books including ‘The Philosophy of Gin’, The Philosophy of Beer’ ‘Drink: A Tippler’s Miscellany’ and ‘Beer o’ Clock’.
Jane is a regular guest on radio and television talking about a wide range of alcohol subjects.
Laura Willoughby MBE is co-founder of Club Soda, the Mindful Drinking Movement. Their aim is to help people drink more mindfully and live well.
The inspiration for Club Soda comes from Laura’s experience of giving up drinking ten years ago. A campaigner at heart with a background in movement building and politics, she realised that one of the big sticking points was a way to support people to take a self-guided journey to change their drinking.
Club Soda https://joinclubsoda.com/ has over 70,000 individual members and nearly 100 brand members who they support through research and collaborative projects. They have built a drinks guide and they run the UK’s only Mindful Drinking Festival which is now in its 8th edition. Laura and here team
Opened the pop-up alcohol-free shop in London’s West End in 2022. She is co-author of How to Be a Mindful Drinker published by DK books.
Laura is Imbibe’s No & Low ambassador and judge for the IWSC awards.
Lorraine Copes is an award-winning social entrepreneur, hospitality F&B consultant, career coach and speaker. Lorraine’s social enterprise Be Inclusive Hospitality is the is now the authoritative voice on Equity Diversity and Inclusion within the hospitality, food and drink sectors.
If you source, buy or serve drinks within the drinks industry, Imbibe Live is the must-attend show for you.
Be part of the UK's most talked about event in the on-trade and meet with the industry's finest.