CHAIR

Marie Cheong-Thong

Marie Cheong-Thong is a food and drink educator, freelance writer and judges regularly. She is the Knowledge and Education Director on the Board of the British Sake Association, and has judged regularly for many years in Wine, Sake and Spirits competitions in UK and internationally. Marie has lectured and presented events at the Milan Expo, York Food Festival, Colonsay Food and Drink Festival and Abergavenny Food Festival, and also hosts and organises “one of a kind” wine/sake/culinary trips around the world.

She is a WSET certified sake educator, a JSS certified sake and shochu educator and a member of the Association of Wine Educators, the Circle of Wine Writers, and the Japanese Culinary Academy (UK).

JUDGES FROM 2025

LEFT TO RIGHT: Sarah Stein, Japanese Alcohol Specialist; Henry Thorogood, Bagabonds; Oliver Hilton Johnson, Japanese Alcohol Specialist; Marie Cheong Thong, The Larder at 36; Maxim Kassir, Mandarin Oriental; Tony Yip, VSF Wine Education