People in hospitality
Jiachen Lu Head sommelier,
CORD by Le Cordon Bleu
Jiachen Lu found that formal training courses and on-the-job experience helped her make the transition from law school to sharing her love for fine wine
What was your first job? I started my first job in Chicago after graduating from law school and passing the Illinois bar exam. I had my first taste of a criminal jury trial straight after. Clearly, it was not the hospitality industry.
Did you do any work experience in the industry at a young age? The closest I got was applying for a summer position at a fast-food chain when in junior high school – I was rejected for being underage.
What initially attracted you to working in hospitality? When I paused my legal career in 2018, I studied in the wine, gastronomy and management diploma programme at Le Cordon Bleu London with master sommelier Matthieu Longuère. At that time, I pictured myself helping in the wineries in Sonoma, California, to learn more about vinification, or working for wine distributors or educational institutes.
After obtaining the diploma, I returned to the US but did not have the chance to intern at any winery. Instead, I did a three-month sommelier course at the Little Nell hotel in Aspen, Colorado. Serving and talking about wine to guests on a daily basis in the fine- dining and casual restaurants of the hotel was a very important experience for my career. Not only did I realise that I could work as a sommelier and be comfortable on the floor, I also had a better understanding of the hard work associated with every position in hospitality. I then went back to
stopped by without expecting a job interview. After an hour of chatting, he asked: “When can you start?” Five months later, I put the sommelier pin on my jacket and embarked on my first official job in hospitality.
What is your role now? Since starting in September 2022, I have been promoted to assistant head sommelier. I have also been part of the winning team at the national final of the Copa Jerez and represented the UK at the international final in 2023. I was recently awarded the 2023 Golden Vines Wine Scholar Guild Scholarship. I am indeed very lucky!
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in hospitality? Reaching for a balance between work, study and my personal life – I am working on it!
“If you want
London to do a nine- month cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu London. While interning in the kitchen at Michel Roux Jr’s Le Gavroche in early 2020, I passed the certified sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers (Europe) and started a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) diploma in wines.
to take good care of your guests,
take good care of yourself first”
What advice would you give someone new to the industry? If you want to take good care of your guests, take good care of yourself first. This includes your physical and mental health to cope with long work hours and stress as well as constantly improving your knowledge.
Would you recommend a career in hospitality to
your friends?
Only to the committed and hard-working. A job might be easy but a career is hard and requires a lot of dedication as well as support from friends and family.
How did you make the transition into a job in hospitality? In April 2022 I was back in London for the WSET diploma. One day my chef friend told me that Angelo Altobelli, then beverage director at Dinings SW3, would like to meet me after she had told him about my passion for wine. I
32
What are your goals? The short-term one is passing the advanced sommelier exam. I don’t have specific long- term career goals. In fact, my journey in the hospitality industry has been full of serendipity. If I keep focus and work hard, I will land somewhere fantastic in the wine world!
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
