Meet the Team: Head Sommelier Francisco Nevot

Francisco

We took a few moments to catch up with Head Sommelier Francisco Nevot on why he loves working in hospitality and his wine tips for all our guests in Hutong.

What inspired you to work in the industry?

It’s always been in my family. My aunt had a hotel in Spain where I grew up which had a lovely restaurant. I helped out when I was younger and worked there in the summers when I was at university.

How did you become a sommelier? 

I started my career as a commis waiter at Galvin. I met a Spanish sommelier there who introduced me to the world of wine. He spent a lot of time with me, teaching me and letting me taste a lot of new wines I was not familiar with. I decided I wanted to be a sommelier and studied for my WSET courses. When I qualified I moved to Bluebird as a commis sommelier, I got promoted to sommelier quite quickly and really enjoyed my time there. I really developed when I worked at China Tang, there was an amazing sommelier team and my passion for wine just grew. Read more +

Celebrating Golden Week at Hutong

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Golden Week, from 1st to 7th October, is a Chinese national holiday celebrating the country’s National Day on 1st October and extending into a week-long bank holiday. With easier visa applications and new air routes linking more and more Chinese cities to the rest of the world, many Chinese people use Golden Week as an opportunity to travel abroad – including to London.
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Delights of our Mid-Autumn Festival menu revealed…

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Our special menu celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival will be available at dinner from next Monday 7th September and we are excited to bring you details of the delights we have in store!
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More cocktails to tempt and delight

 
We recently introduced three of the intriguing cocktails now being served in the Shanghai Bar, and this week bring you three more to tempt and delight, chosen for their complex and unusual flavours as well as their beautiful presentation!
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Bright & StormyHutong's PenicillinShiitake & Cranberry

Exciting and innovative new cocktails

Visit the Shanghai Bar and you will find a new cocktail list has been introduced, featuring unique drinks specially created by our bar team the likes of which you will not find anywhere else! To complement chef Bing’s highly-skilled layering of flavours and use of authentic spicing and seasoning in our food, the cocktails are similarly complex and intriguing.
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London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival this weekend

Hutong Dragon Boat

Today, 26th June, is the second anniversary of our opening and we are celebrating by once again sponsoring a cup at the annual London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, taking place this Sunday 28th June at the London Regatta Centre.

Forty rowing clubs, corporate and amateur teams will battle it out over the course of the day to win one of four cups, among them the Hutong Anniversary cup which is presented to the team which records the quickest time over the course of the day.

The Dragon Boat racing celebrates the annual Dragon Boat Festival or ‘Double Fifth’, and is a fun filled day for all to experience Chinese culture. The event is free and suitable for all the family so do come along and join us to cheer the teams on. Our general manager Simon, restaurant manager Lee and chef Bing will all be attending to present the cup so do be sure to say ni hao!

The ‘Double Fifth’ taste journey begins…

Hutong Shrimp-stuffed bitter melon
 
With the Double Fifth festival only a few weeks away, we are excited to start sharing with you the dishes which will form our special menu – five courses each exploring one of the five tastes.
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New dim sum delights


Delicate, luxurious dim sum – baked, steamed or fried dumplings and rolls beloved of Chinese cuisine, every one handmade fresh daily - have always been an important part of the menu at Hutong. So popular are they with our guests that in addition to the full dim sum menu offered at lunchtime, when dim sum are traditionally enjoyed, a selection is offered in the evening, too.
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Hutong gift vouchers are now available online

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We are delighted to announce that gift vouchers for Hutong are now available to buy online, here on the Hutong blog.
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Celebrating Yuan Xiao, the Lantern Festival

Riddles

Following on from our spectacular celebrations of Chinese New Year last week, next week we will be marking the last day of the festivities by observing the tradition of the Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao (元宵).
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