Saffron Walden resident abandons celebrity journalism to start new wine school

A JOURNALIST is giving up interviewing celebrities to start a wine school.

Mark Anstead, a freelance journalist from Saffron Walden, is launching Cambridgeshire Wine School next month offering introductory evening tastings, all-day Saturday tastings (including champagne and lunch), eight-week courses and food and wine matching events.

Over the last 10 years Mark has been interviewing luminaries such as Joanna Lumley, Lionel Richie, Vinnie Jones and Patrick Stewart and has seen his interviews published weekly in newspapers such as the Daily Mail, the Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

But now he is focusing all his attention on the Cambridgeshire Wine School - an independent wine education company that does not sell wine.

“I’m passionate about wine and I saw a gap in the market to run a wine tasting company in Cambridgeshire,” says Mark.

“After 10 years of conducting interviews for national newspapers I think the public are finally becoming jaded with celebrity. A renewed interest in entertaining at home is booming, partly because of the recession, and sales of wine to be consumed at home are rising.”

Cambridgeshire Wine School is the ninth to be launched within the successful Local Wine School network, which has schools in West London, East London, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Lancashire, Hertfordshire and Yorkshire.

Cambridgeshire Wine School tastings will be held at d’Arry’s Cookhouse and Wine Shop, King Street, Cambridge.

The first introductory evening course takes place on April 18.

For more information visit cambridgeshirewineschool.com , email info@cambridgeshirewineschool.com or call Mark Anstead on 01223 655391.