Cateys 2025: Wine and Spirit Ambassador Award: Honey Spencer

In 2019, Sandia Chang, founder of Bubbledogs, blew the Catey judges away with her unique pairing of gourmet hotdogs and grower Champagnes, which resulted in her receiving the Wine and Spirit Ambassador Award that year. Fast-forward six years, and the judges were once again excited by another “Sandia Chang moment” – this time from Honey Spencer, acclaimed sommelier and co-founder of Sune, a neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar in London’s Broadway Market.

Spencer has left a lasting impact on the wine industry throughout her global career at renowned venues such as Sager & Wilde in London and 10 William Street in Sydney. She is the wine director at Studio Paskin, the group behind the Michelin-starred Evelyn’s Table, the Palomar and the Barbary, where she consistently champions organic and sustainable wines, introducing them to both refined and casual audiences with enthusiasm and expertise.

As well as publishing her book, Natural Wine, No Drama: An Unpretentious Guide, in April 2024 to better educate consumers and demystify assumptions, she has raised the profile of organic and sustainable wines onboard the Eurostar, where she is head sommelier.

This determination to showcase natural wines has filtered down to her own restaurant, Sune, which takes its name from her mentor, the Danish wine importer Sune Rosforth. Spencer opened the stylish outpost with her husband Charlie Sims in November 2023, and she has made sure to enlighten her guests’ tastes with an all-natural wine list encompassing almost 100 wines. Grace Dent of The Guardian described it as a tempting introduction to the “weird and wonderful world of experimental, low-intervention, funky, kombucha-style brews”, while Jimi Famurewa of the Standard praised “Sune’s general willingness to go the extra mile”.

In November last year, she also hosted a vibrant Beaujolais Nouveau party at Sune with Hugo Foizel and Angela Quiblier of Obora Wines in Chénas, France, to consolidate relationships with industry peers – an event that contributed to the restaurant hitting milestones in wine sales over the past 12 months.

And, in true ambassadorial spirit, she has sought to train fellow hospitality professionals throughout her career. While based at Paskin & Associates, for example, Spencer trained staff on the wine list and encouraged tastings and pairings, something she continued at Gleneagles Townhouse, where she played a critical role in elevating the wine programme and enhancing the overall guest experience.

The esteemed sommelier has also made it her mission to mentor women in wine, always seeking to create inclusive and inspired workplace environments. She has proven to be a true natural in the wine trade – a stand-out entry in a particularly impressive list of nominees.

What the judges said

“While the number of entries this year was impressive and of high quality, Honey stood up from the others on the way she has established her career. Not only she is a successful entrepreneur and business owner, but she still manages to dedicate her time to launch an acclaimed book, partner with Eurostar and raise a family. Honey is the complete package, commanding respect and admiration within the judging panel and within our industry.” Nicolas Clerc

The shortlist

• Vincenzo Arnese, Raffles London at the OWO, London
• Nina Basset, Gérard Basset Foundation
• Emily Jago, JKS Restaurants
• Honey Spencer, Sune, London
• Agnieszka Swiecka, Mount St Restaurant, London

The judges

• Romain Bourger, the Vineyard
• Zoe Burgess, Atelier Pip
• Nicolas Clerc, Armit Wines
• Daniel Garnell, Seed Library 
• Chidde Ly, the Audley
• Xavier Rousset, the Audley

If you would like to enter the 2026 Cateys, or you know someone who you would like to nominate, register your interest for updates