The Doyle Collection, a family-owned Irish luxury hotel group, has announced the appointment of Philip Dunne as Group Sommelier, overseeing the development of wine and drinks lists within The Doyle Collection portfolio across the UK, Ireland and USA.

Dunne developed his passion and interest in wine culture at an early age, moving into formal training and gaining his qualifications with the WSET (Wine Spirit Education Trust, London), where he is currently an educator. He also applies these learnings while training members of The Doyle Collection team.

Prior to his new appointment, Dunne was Head Sommelier at The Westbury – the Doyle Collection’s five-star flagship in Dublin, where he was responsible for the wine programme, buying and wine education across the hotel’s four restaurants and bars. Prior to this, he was Head Sommelier & Wine Buyer at Ashford Castle, the five-star hotel in Galway.

A personal highlight of Dunne’s career to date has been meeting many icons within the world of wine who have inspired him, including Jancis Robinson, Steven Spurrier and Miguel Torres.

As part of his new role, he will be responsible for the development of wine programmes across the eight hotels within The Doyle Collection in Ireland, the UK, and the US. Dunne will also continue to develop training across the group.

Commenting on his new role, Dunne said: “I am looking forward to stepping into this new role and continuing to work closely with the F&B teams in the UK and the USA as they start to open up again.”

Adding: “A key priority will be building our team and growing our cellars once again, using my experience gleaned over many years in The Westbury to educate our new recruits. I can’t wait to get back into our restaurants and meet our guests as soon as possible.”