Annual Awards – the Judges

Based in Suffolk, Janne is a wine educator, presenter, & judge. Founder of How2EnjoyWine & The English Wine Academy.

Janne did not come from a wine background. She only discovered her passion for wine when she joined a wine loving friend on a course. Understanding how difficult it can be to navigate wine, her approach is to provide courses, tastings & videos suitable for all, from home enthusiast to connoisseur.

She presents food & wine pairing videos on YouTube@how2enjoywine. She develops and presents courses on English Wines, new wine regions and changing wine styles.

She is excited to be head judge at this year’s WineGB East Awards. She also judges at the International Wine Challenge and Glass of Bubbly.

She is Chair of WineGB’s Wine Tourism Working Group, working on developing wine tourism across Great Britain. She is a member of the WineGB East Committee. Winner of the 2023 WineGB East Guy Howard award.

Based in Norfolk, Jeremy is Managing Director of Wine School Franchises Ltd, the UK’s leading wine education and experience network, and also runs Norfolk Local Wine School.

Jeremy is a WSET Diploma holder and a certified wine educator, competition judge, wine columnist and food and wine pairing expert. He has travelled the world during his long career in wine visiting France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Australia and California.

Jeremy has hosted hundreds of wine events and enjoys sharing the stories behind the wines he has tasted to inspire wine enthusiasts of every level to explore the wonderful world of wine. An active supporter of local wines, he’s delighted to be back on the judging panel for WineGB East.

Matt of Grape Britannia is based in Cambridge. He created Grape Britannia after a career in Accountancy, with the aim of championing retailing and wholesaling of English wines.

Founded in 2019, Grape Britannia is the winner of the Decanter Retailer Award for Best English & Wine Specialist in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and International Wine Challenge GB Specialist 2023 and 2024. Having built a list with over 200 English & Welsh wines in its range, there are few people who will have tasted more domestic wines than Matt.

Matt gained the 2022 Wine GB East Guy Howard award for promoting East Anglian wines, and is delighted to be returning as a judge for WineGB East. He has also judged at the national WineGB Awards competition in previous years.

Jake is co-owner and founder of Vino Gusto. A wine shop, tasting room and regional wholesaler based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

With a background in fine wine sales and restaurants, Jake launched Vino Gusto as a pop-up in May 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. By March 2022, Vino Gusto was established as a three-story wine shop, which is now recognised as one of the best independent retailers in the country by Harpers Wine & Spirit.

Jake was also named to Harpers “30 Under 30” list and highlighted as the Commitment Champion, acknowledging his dedication to the industry.

Between selling wine, he also writes about it and hosts the Vino Gusto podcast, which he launched in 2022.

He enjoys – above all – discovering deliciousness and the people, stories and places behind the wine.

North Norfolk Cellars was launched in 2023 by sommelier Bert Blaize. We’re based in Holt, we’re here to share great wines.

Bert learned his stuff at La Belle Epoque in Manchester and Raymond Blancs Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, 2 Michelin Star in Oxfordshire. Before joining the Clove Club – UK’s top-ranked restaurant in ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ for two years running and 26th best restaurant in the world. He then went on to open the Mandrake Hotel as Wine Director. Where he was named in the top 50 most influential people in the wine industry by Drinks Business.

In 2020, he published his first book with Penguin ‘Which Wine When’ – what to drink with the food you love. It was shortlisted for The Fortum & Mason Award for Drinks Book of the Year 2021. He then opened Bottles ‘n’ Jars in Highgate – an award-winning wine & deli shop.

In 2023, Bert was named the 18th most influential person in the UK drinks trade. Bert’s next book ‘The Winemakers Guide to Drinking the World’ will be released later in 2024. He currently consults & supports some of the UK’s best restaurants, chefs and bars, writing and curating bespoke beverage offerings, specialising in wine.

Tanja is an independent wine merchant based on North Norfolk. She studied for the Diploma at WSET in London & after working in London, returned home to East Anglia.

Passionate about supporting small producers, finding off-piste wines & something a little different, often from up & coming or emerging wine regions, for her clients

Being a farmers’ daughter she is also keen to know that the wines are made to the high standards of viticulture & vinification, followed here in this country by agriculture.

Tanja enjoys food & wine pairing, working alongside chefs and doing tutored wine tastings for clients.

Following a few years in the family turkey business in Suffolk, James worked on a vineyard in Switzerland which confirmed his great interest in the wine trade which continues to today, some fifty years later!

Working in the retail world, as a wine buyer and a salesman to hotels and restaurants. With private clients in the horse racing world in Newmarket, he retired from Corney & Barrow Ltd after over thirty years.

He is now a wine consultant concentrating on hosting wine tasting events and sorting out wine cellars for private customers.

For several years he was a judge of the Wine of the Year on behalf of The East Anglian Wine Growers Association. He is delighted to be returning as a judge for WineGB East.