Ambassadors

Jack Sotti is an award winning bartender, entrepreneur and passionate booze communicator, born and raised in London.

Jack cut his teeth owning and operating award winning venues in Melbourne, London, Auckland such as Boilermaker House and Eau de Vie Melbourne. In a quest to understand global cocktail culture Jack took a year-long pilgrimage around the world in 80 bars. After being crowned World Class Bartender of the Year Australia and placing third globally with the world’s first levitating cocktail, Jack went to work for Diageo, first as Tanqueray Brand Ambassador and later as Head of Brand Advocacy of the UK.

Currently Jack is a cocktail presenter on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch, Founder of KombuchaWarehouse.com and partner at Renais Spirits whilst consulting on numerous projects.

Sophia Longhi is an award-winning wine communicator and wine writer. During her time in the wine industry, Sophia has poured wine in various wine bars, orchestrated wine tastings and has hosted wine masterclasses at national theatres, like the Ideal Home Show. In addition to running her blog on her website www.skinandpulp.com, Sophia has written for Ocado Life magazine, as well as several wine trade publications, such as The Buyer, Academie du Vin Library and Club Oenologique. 

In all her work, Sophia seeks to democratise wine and break down the social barriers that get in the way of people enjoying this incredible drink. One could say that she takes wine right back down to its skin and pulp, which is rather apt, as that is the name she goes by on Instagram (@skinandpulp), where she communicates to over 13,000 followers.

Especially passionate about championing women in wine, she hosts a weekly Instagram Live, #WednesdayWineWomen, and is part of an all-women content creation collab called The Wine Collective (@thewinecollectiveuk).

Pete Brown is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink, especially the fun parts like beer, pubs, cider, bacon rolls and fish and chips. Across twelve books, his broad, fresh approach takes in social history, cultural commentary, travel writing, personal discovery and natural history, and his words are always delivered with the warmth and wit you’d expect from a great night down the pub. 

He writes for newspapers and magazines around the world, and is a regular contributor to radio and podcasts. He was named British Beer Writer of the Year in 2009, 2012, 2016 and 2021, has won three Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, been shortlisted twice for the Andre Simon Awards, and in 2020 was named an “Industry Legend” at the Imbibe Hospitality Awards. 

He was recently accused of being the 31st most important person in the drinks industry and lives in London with his wife Liz, and dog Mildrid.

Laura Willoughby MBE is the founder of the world’s largest mindful drinking movement, Club Soda, and the UK’s foremost expert in low and no alcoholic drinks. Club Soda runs the new Low & No Tasting Rooms in Covent Garden. 

Receiving an MBE for services to the community in 2004, Laura’s devotion to Club Soda means hundreds of thousands of people are supported in their journeys to live well by being more mindful about drinking alcohol. 

Laura was voted one of 2022’s 100 most influential women in hospitality by CODE, named as one of Drinks Retailing’s latest Top 100 Most Influential People in Drink and is a Trustee for The Drinks Trust.

Lorraine is a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur, hospitality consultant and life coach. Having spent two decades as an executive director for brands including Gordon Ramsay Restaurants and Corbin & King, Lorraine felt compelled to form Be Inclusive Hospitality CIC in 2020, due to the consistent lack of representation of people of colour in positions of influence, and the supply chain. This social enterprise now holds the prime position of igniting the much-needed conversations, and delivering initiatives to advance change within hospitality, food, and drink sectors.

Her work has been featured in the Evening Standard, Metro, The Guardian, The Caterer and Big Hospitality. Lorraine is a judge for Guild of Fine Foods Great Taste Awards, Bold Woman Awards UK, by Veuve Clicquot, Uber Eats Restaurant Awards, Purple Umbrella Awards and the British Guild of Beer Writers Awards.

In 2022 Lorraine was named the GQ Food & Drink Innovator of the year winner, she received a special award in the Code Hospitality 100 Most Influential Women in Hospitality list and won Entrepreneur of the Year at the Precious Awards. In 2023 Lorraine was named NatWest and Pioneers Post WISE100: Top women in social enterprise. Be Inclusive Hospitality was recognised by NatWest’s SE100 last year, as one of the UK’s most impressive social enterprises.

Retail expert, writer and speaker, former Forbes contributor, and author of the best-selling book ‘Harry Was Right All Along’, Andrew is the founder of Retail Reflections and former Global Retail Senior Director at Software AG.

One of the most high-profile figures in retail, Andrew is a recognised thought leader within the industry and as a global retail influencer. He is a member of the exclusive global retail community ReTHINK Retail and in addition to being in constant demand for both writing and speaking, he is regularly quoted in the media - on TV, radio and in the national press, including being featured in the Wall Street Journal, Daily Telegraph, Guardian, MSN, Yahoo! News and the Daily Mail.

In a retail career spanning nearly 25 years, Andrew held senior positions at Kingfisher and Superdrug before working for several leading technology partners to bring innovative solutions to many retail businesses. In addition to publishing many retail blogs and articles, Andrew is a member of the IORMA Advisory Board, Advisory Board member at Retail Week, Founder of the Retail Advisory Board and is also editor at large for Retail Technology magazine.