Danielle Meenagh our scholarship winner from Michel Roux’s Service
It was such a rewarding experience being involved in the recent BBC2 series Michel Roux’s Service. To see 7 youngsters develop both personally and professionally before your eyes in such a short-time frame was something extremely special.
I got to know two of the scholarship winners Danielle Meenagh (sommelier scholarship) & Ashley Flay (service scholarship) quite well when I took them on a sommelier trip to Limoux last year. Danielle really got the wine bug while we were there and since then she is now turning into a good taster and has an excellent ability to identify different fruit flavours.
When Danielle started work at Hotel Du Vin in Winchester she was very raw and my biggest concern (apart from leaving friends and Manchester to go to Winchester in the first place) was her attitude, the kind of attitude expected from an 18 year old who had never been told what to do before. I needn’t have worried. From the start she was great, very positive and willing to take criticism and advice. Danielle has also built a good following with the regulars who set her wine tasks and ask for her opinion in choosing wines.
I am pleased to say that the whole team at Hotel Du Vin Winchester has really taken to Danielle with Bastian (the head sommelier Winchester) being extremely patient and encouraging with her.
