Five Minutes With... Shepherd Neame’s Tenanted Wine Sales Development Manager, Roshna Ahmad

Name: Roshna Ahmad

Work-related qualifications: Diploma in Wines and Diploma in Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and Shepherd Neame’s in-house Master of Beer award.

How did you get into the industry? I initially planned to pursue a career in radio, and studied a degree in Music and Film, Radio and Television, but I took a part-time retail position with Peter Dominic Wine Merchants after finishing university and discovered a passion for the industry.  I progressed to deputy manager, then joined marketing agency SOPEXA which represents the French food and drink industry in the UK, as wine trade advisor. I stayed with the firm for 11 years before moving to work as an events and administration manager for Sensible Wine Services Ltd in Marden. I joined Shepherd Neame in 2002.

What attracted you to the industry? I found it fascinating. Wine tasting isn’t a magic skill, it is just a question of taking time to think about the flavours in the wine you are drinking. There is always more to learn, with so many wines produced by different vineyards around the world, each with different qualities. 

Has the industry changed since you first joined? Wine has become much more popularised in the last 20 years. When I joined, there were lots of big groups such as Threshers and Oddbins selling wine, but now it is mostly sold by supermarkets, although there has recently been a healthy renaissance of small independent wine shops. The quality of wine in pubs has also got much better, as they have become more focused on food so wine has become more important. The selection of wines available by the glass in pubs is now better than many restaurants. There is also more customer interest in provenance and quality.

What are your main responsibilities? Around 70% of my time is spent out of the brewery visiting pubs, as a large part of my role is liaising with licensees to compile wine lists. Our wine division Todd’s The Wine Company typically offers around 265 wines, and I help to identify which ones fit best with their business and food offering. I also advise on merchandising and back bar display, hold staff training sessions, and host wine tastings and food matching evenings around the estate. Due to the surge of customer interest in gin during the past couple of years, I now also spend a lot of time offering advice on gin selection and presentation.

What are the most rewarding parts of your job? I am passionate about wine, and love the variety of my role. It is very rewarding when you offer advice to a licensee and it results in a real difference to their business. I particularly enjoy the wine tasting and food matching evenings, as I love talking about wine and having free rein to use the full range of our wine portfolio. People are more likely to buy wine now, although we still need to encourage them to be more adventurous. Many go for the same wines over and over as they are unsure of what to try, and I love to try and change that.

Is there a special way to ‘taste’ a wine? Look at the colour to check its clarity and density, swirl it around to allow the release of aromas, take a deep inhalation known as ‘nosing’, then drink it. Suck it across your palate to gain the fullest flavour as it takes in oxygen and touches different parts of your mouth.