Cat gets to be the Cream

When Cat first arrived at Laithwaite’s – as Kitten? – she was the lowly assistant with the cleaning-up jobs after the World's Finest Buying Team as they like to be known. Then she won the WSET award for 'Most Promising Newcomer' and blossomed.

Last night Jancis gave her the 'something something' … prize at a packed ceremony in the Guildhall, and all the wine trade was there to see. I reckon that prize – sorry, memory gets worse – amounts to over-all runner up in the Diplomas … and also the highest-placed Brit. Which bodes well for the lass from Bury and for Laithwaite's if we can hang on to this shooting star as she launches into her MW studies. Well done Cat, proud to have been there.

I took a photo of Cat and her proud Mum flanked by the most impressive flankers in the wine trade; the Cox twins. One represented New Zealand wines in the UK. The other the Wines of Chile. That one is also Master of the Vintners. So he must be the one wearing fur.

The WSET – Wine and Spirit Education Trust – is all about teaching wine. To people in the trade mostly, but in fact to anyone who is interested enough to turn up. Ian Harris, who runs it, has a mission to educate the world. He believes totally, totally passionately that the more everyone knows about wine the better the world will become. He has got tens, possibly hundreds of thousands in, I guess by now, every wine-friendly country there is, to sit his exams.

So the Laithwaite's contingent at the Awards was absolutely thrilled when our Len Sexon was declared THE Wine Educator of the Year. Truly no-one deserved it more. Unless it was Guy who works with Len – but Len's done it longer.

Len took on the role of our company Wine Teacher many years ago and attacked it with messianic zeal. Suddenly everyone was in his night classes with glasses. As we expanded our activities in other lands Len was right there every time, with the books and bottles. A 'Flying Wine Educator'.

Len is South African. He does not give up. They never do.  So pretty much everyone passes. Or gets distinctions. Or wins prizes. Or else.

They gave him a huge Riedel decanter. I hope to be around when that monster gets put to work. A good night. Over which Jancis presided like a great queen; elegant, remote, unattainable, lonely? on her throne. To think, once, lovely young Jancis actually worked for me. Now, I'd be beaten back by large men if I so much as tried to touch the hem of her gown, so from the back row I must merely gaze. Bit like 'Roman Holiday' really. 

Great place for a party that Guildhall. I wonder, Simon … you're a Vintner …?