I was nominated for an award!

...I didn't win but that's fair enough when you see who did.

This is just a quick message to brag that I have been celebrated as one of Code Hospitality’s Women of the Year 2024 for my small business Manchester Wine Tours.

I was shortlisted from 850 nominees and made the list of 55 women who were celebrated as the women of 2024. I travelled down to London to enjoy Champagne (via Bibendum) and canapes at the awards ceremony which was hosted by TV’s Grace Dent and held at Claridge’s Art Space. Pretty wild.

In my category, Innovator, the brilliant Hannah Crosbie won. You may have seen Hannah talking about wine on Sunday Brunch or writing about it for the Evening Standard or The Guardian. She’s also just released a book. I never even considered that I would end up nominated for a list like this never mind win it. Congrats to Hannah, this is definitely her year.

Me with my pals Lucy Noone and Camilla Topham Image: Roxy Yuen/Getty

But it was so lovely to be mentioned in the same breath as people like Hannah and other nominees and winners who include Adejoké Bakare (the first black woman to win a Michelin star in the UK for her modern West African restaurant Chishuru), restaurateur Sally Clarke, and some of my brilliant Northern hospo industry friends like Kimberly McBride and Anna Søgard (Suppher / Erst / Bistro Freddie), Camilla Topham (Distrkt), Baneta Yelda (Companio Bakery) and Lucy Noone Blake (Pear Comms).

Baneta Yelda, Sinead Murdoch, Anna Søgard and me at Claridge’s Art Space

Thank you to whoever nominated me in the first place, to Glossop’s own Thom Hetherington who sat on the judging panel and championed Northerners for the list, and of course to Code for picking me and celebrating Manchester Wine Tours.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, book a summer wine tour with me now. They are starting to fill up fast!

Please note: my friend and wine expert Jack Tovey will take a couple of tours for me on 10 and 11 May as I will be on tour with my band!