John Hoskins was born into a family of hoteliers but had no intention of joining his relations, studying English literature instead. He was drawn in by the lure of wine. He took over wine-buying for his family?s company and in 1994 became the first person in the restaurant business to pass the Master of Wine exams, also winning the Bollinger Award. In the same year he formed his own company, Huntsbridge, a group of restaurants offering good quality wine and food in an informal environment. He now owns a single hotel-restaurant, The Old Bridge at Huntingdon, with an on site wine shop. For more information see www.huntsbridge.com. He was involved with MW education for 10 years, then a Practical Examiner for 8 (Chair for 6) and is now overall Exam Chair.

Industry sector(s): Business owner, Off trade, On trade, Buying

Specialisms: Independent retail, Food and wine pairing, Restaurant wines