Laura Clay is the UK Champagne Ambassador 2010

Congratulations to Laura Clay who won the UK Champagne Ambassador 2010 Award at the Dorchester Hotel in London last week.  Presenting on the theme of Champagne Diversity, Laura fought off competition from fellow AWE members, Helen Savage and Gilbert Winfield.

The finalists were judged on their knowledge, communication skills and ability to bring the subject alive; the judges were Gerard Basset MW, Peter McCombie MW, Nicholas King (WSET), Daniel Lorson (Director of Communication at the CIVC) and Francoise Peretti (Director of the Champagne Bureau UK).

Commenting on Laura's performance, Francoise said "Laura was very confident, engaging, fun and focused and, most importantly, she targeted her audience and stuck to the theme."

Laura now goes on to represent the UK in the European Finals which are held in Epernay later in October.

The UK has a fine record in the Awards because Carol Whitehead and Richard Bampfield MW are both past European winners, Anthony Stockbridge won the Prix Special du Jury in the inaugural competition in 2005 and Sophie Rudge was a European finalist in 2008. As it happens, all are members of the AWE!

As Francoise Peretti added "The UK is a fantastic market for this competition. This is the 6th edition and every single UK candidate has shown an amazing level of Champagne knowledge; our ongoing success should encourage all educators to enter the competition.