Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship 2020

A new travel bursary has been created to celebrate the legacy of Gerard Basset OBE, MS, MW, MSc (OIV).

The £5,000 scholarship was conceived by Nina and Romané Basset, Ronan Sayburn MS and Tim Atkin MW. The prize will be awarded once a year to a UK-based sommelier to cover the cost of visiting a winemaking country of their choice.

'We want to ensure Gerard’s legacy lives on. Education, mentoring and inspiring young sommeliers was something very dear to him,' commented Nina Basset. 'He always maintained that travelling to the wine regions of the world broadened his mind, his knowledge and wine experiences better than any other form of study ever could.'

Entrants are asked to submit a written statement (up to 500 words) explaining why they are applying for the scholarship, how they plan to use the bursary should they win and how it would benefit their career.

Entries will be judged by Nina and Romané Basset, Ronan Sayburn MS, Tim Atkin MW and Laura Rhys. The panel will short-list three candidates and call them in for interview before deciding on the winner.

Funds for the scholarship will be raised during a dinner in early 2020 at 67 Pall Mall. The dinner's date and the competition's deadline are yet to be revealed.

For more information contact Nina Basset at or Emma Wellings at