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Paul and Emma Ainsworth appointed Elly Owen as Group Sommelier of their growing empire in Cornwall which includes Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth at No.6, Rojano’s in the Square and The Mariners, Rock. Renowned for her approachability and ability to make wine accessible to guests, Elly now oversees all wine purchasing, menu curation, and staff training across the group.

Elly has been working in hospitality for 25 years. She began working at a local pub in Alresford at a young age and, after various roles in the industry, moved to Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in Cornwall, in 2008. Elly started off as a waitress but, very quickly, found her passion for wine and trained as a sommelier. In 2010, she was promoted to Assistant Sommelier followed by Head Sommelier five years later. During her ten-year period at Fifteen, Elly was responsible for the entire wine programme.

Elly has completed her WSET levels 2, 3 & 4 and is qualified to teach up to level 3. She is also a certified member of the Champagne Academy and regularly demos at events across the UK. As well as this, Elly organises a wide variety of wine-focused events including silent-wine-discos where she expertly matches wine to music.

She is also involved with ESF funded programmes including Hospitality Table Cornwall, set up to encourage more engagement and training in the hospitality industry. Elly is currently helping to establish an initiative based at HMPS, London, which will offer training to young offenders.

Elly lives in Cornwall with her family and is a keen surfer.