Hey Bert

Product Information

Do you have an interesting job you fancy chatting about? Or did you take an unconventional path to get where you are today? Bert's writing, quite simply, makes me happy. Jealous but happy.' – Crystal Jeans ‘Wow. One of the best things I've read in a long time […] Bert is clearly a deliciously fresh and exciting talent, you’ve unearthed a diamond there ... I thought it was ace.’ – Rhian Elizabeth an impressive debut ... This is profound poetry, spiritual and wise and while engaging with difficult themes (life often being a difficult business) it does so with grace and some humour.' – Frances Spurrier, Wales Arts Review Then I was like, I want to work in the best restaurant in the county, so I did, then the best restaurant in the North, and I did, then I wanted to work at the best restaurant in London, then the UK, and I did.

I also co-authored a book, Which Wine When, which was the product of a drunken conversation over Guinness because my phone is full of all my friends repeatedly asking which wine to buy for different occasions. Over the rest of the afternoon: Meet with restaurants and put together proposed wine lists for clients.

I kept pushing and pushing, until about two or three years ago when I got very tired because I burnt myself out, so that’s when I started consulting. I fell into it – there wasn’t an epiphany moment and no one in my family is in the industry. My mum is a ceramic artist and my dad is a plumber.

I found it more tiresome to sit at a computer than to be running around doing a 14 hours shift on my feet. I moved into restaurants to raise beer money, then I found it left me feeling buzzed. I’m very controlled with alcohol – I have to be. I have certain days I let my hair down like everyone else, but I’m very controlled and I think there’s a lot of people who aren’t and struggle, it’s really sad. I think if you haven’t got that the industry isn’t right for you. I’ve put the graft in, working all available hours, tasting and reading up about wine on days off, and entering competitions. I won multiple, including a Young Sommelier award in 2017.

At one of my previous restaurants I’d start at 9am and finish 2am and I’d have 20 minutes in the day to use the toilet, eat, text a loved one and let my mum know I’m still alive.