Matt Smith joined the wine trade in 2002, starting out at Majestic Wine where he managed a number of the company’s key branches around London for five years. In 2007 he joined the Waitrose wine buying team, and over the six and a half years he was with the retailer, he sourced wines from Burgundy, the South of France, England, Australia and New Zealand, along with a wide range of countries across Eastern and Central Europe, and even wine from India. In November 2011, he was made a Chevalier de Tastevin for his services and commitment to Burgundy wines, and two years later he joined Bibendum Wine originally to head up it’s New World buying but later managed a broader cross section of the portfolio. In 2018, Smith joined Berry Brothers & Rudd primarily to develop their Italian fine wine portfolio. He has recently set up his own wine consultancy business using his extensive knowledge of the UK market to help producers achieve greater success.