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WSET honours top performing Diploma students at London ceremony

Published:  29 January, 2015

The brightest and most successful students who have taken part in the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma programme were honoured at a special ceremony this week at London's Guildhall.

Over 500 key figures from across the wine and spirits trade came together on January 26 to celebrate the success and reward the top performing candidates and Diploma graduates from WSET's past academic year.

The event, which was co-hosted by WSET honorary president Gerard Basset and WSET chief executive, Ian Harris, saw some 50 Awards made to the best candidates of the 2013/14 academic year at Levels 2, 3 and 4. It also included the presentation of 140 WSET Level 4 Diplomas to the year's successful graduates.

Cambridge Wine's Julie Frankland won the prestigious Vintners CupCambridge Wine's Julie Frankland won the prestigious Vintners Cup

Julie Frankland of Cambridge Wine Merchants was cream of the crop as she was won the Vintners' Cup, given to the top Diploma graduate of the year.

The ceremony, now in its eight year, also recognised those who teach WSET programmes around the world, with the Riedel Trophy award for WSET Educators of the Year going to Bibendum (UK), Westminster Kingsway College (UK) and Cathy Marston of The International Wine Education Centre (South Africa).

: International Educator of the Year, Cathy Marston AIWS, with Matt Knight of Riedel UK and WSET Honorary President Gerard Basset OBE MS MW: International Educator of the Year, Cathy Marston AIWS, with Matt Knight of Riedel UK and WSET Honorary President Gerard Basset OBE MS MW

It is the first time South Africa has received such an award and Marston said:

"As South Africa continues to shine on the world stage, it is becoming clearer to all that an international qualification is the way to go. Hopefully the award will inspire even more students to study a WSET qualification!"

Harris said the organisation's success lay in the dedication of educators around the world: "We could not have achieved the growth over the past decade without such a dedicated team of educators and course providers around the world, and with another record year of students in the pipeline I look forward to congratulating even more graduates and award winners next year".