E213 Jake Richards
The Angry Somm
Jake Richards joins the show this week for an in-person interview. Jake is a certified sommelier who is currently working at Loloan Lobby Bar in Waterloo, Ontario.
Jake got his start in the Industry at the age of 12 when he landed his first job at a pizza restaurant and he’s been employed in the industry ever since. In our conversation with Jake, he talks about his first steps in becoming a sommelier when he had an accidental injury early in his career. While not being able to work on his feet, Jake enrolled in a sommelier training program and his career took off from there. Jake talks about the rigorous training involved, such as developing a strong sensory memory, and the art of guiding customer to discover new wines and spirits and the importance of creating a welcoming, unpretentious experience for customers. We also talk about the challenges of running a niche liquor business, especially in a smaller market like Kitchener-Waterloo, the challenges of working in the restaurant industry, including dealing with no show reservations. In the closing minutes of the show, we reference a tv show that we couldn’t recall the name of during the recording - the show is named ‘Drops of God’ and we finish off with a humorous anecdote about Jakes first customer that he encountered in his very first serving role in his career.
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Podcast Artwork by Zak Hannah zakhannah.co