Two travel bursaries awarded for 2021 Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship

By Michelle Perrett

Published: 19 October, 2021

Two travel bursaries in Gerard Basset’s name are set to be awarded this year.

Daniel Stojcic of The Raby Hunt in Co Durham is the winner of the main travel prize while a second bursary will go to Josie Phillips of The Macallan Estate in Aberlour.

The travel bursary was founded in 2020, in honour and memory of the late Gerard Basset OBE, MS, MW, MSc. The scheme is the creation of Nina and Romané Basset, along with Ronan Sayburn MS and Tim Atkin MW.

Stojcic only came to wine three years ago at the age of 31 and in August was winner of Best Sommelier In Ireland.

He told the judges that after working in technology for years it was time to be around ‘real’ people and “bring them joy.”

A second Bursary will go to Josie Phillips of The Macallan Estate in Aberlour, who intends to use the funds to explore the potential of the wine industry, and wine tourism specifically, as a catalyst for the economic progression of the burgeoning nations of ex-Yugoslavia.

Josie’s bursary is possible thanks to one of Gerard Basset’s Hotel du Vin protégés, Steve Pineau, who will be undertaking a 33 mile sponsored run, setting out from L’Atlier du Vin in Brighton and finishing at Roebuck Estates in Sussex.

Nina said: “The calibre of entries was so high. The decision on who to award the main £5,000 prize to was unanimous, but judges also deemed one applicant’s wish-list of wine-producing countries to visit so refreshingly different that they felt compelled to award an additional bursary.”

The judging panel, headed up by Nina comprises Romané Basset, Ronan Sayburn MS, Tim Atkin MW and Laura Rhys MS.

Prizes will be awarded at a fundraising dinner, hosted by 67 Pall Mall on Saturday, 27 November.

Lise Donier-Meroz, a sommelier at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume restaurant, was the winner of the inaugural Gerard Basset Travel Bursary.

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