Andrew Jefford

Andrew Jefford (born 1956) is an English journalist, radio presenter, poet, magazine editor, and as a wine writer, the author of various books and columns.

The son of a Church of England clergyman and the eldest of three brothers, Jefford grew up in Norfolk, England. He was educated at Gresham's School, the University of Reading (where he read English) and the University of East Anglia, where his post-graduate studies were jointly supervised by the late Sir Malcolm Bradbury and Guido Almansi. At UEA he worked for two years on a PhD thesis on the short fiction of Robert Louis Stevenson, which was not completed.

He began work as an editor with Paul Hamlyn's Octopus Group, and his passions for wine and writing led to articles and books on wine, after four years in publishing in 1988. He was the drinks writer for The Evening Standard, the evening newspaper for the London region, between 1992 and 2002, occasionally presents The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4, and writes a bi-monthly column for Decanter. Jefford is also contributing editor to the magazine The World of Fine Wine.

Among his books are The New France (2002), about which Jefford has stated, "..[my theme is] the championing of individuals rather than multi-nationals, of families rather than corporate shareholders, of agriculture rather than industry, of authenticity of origin rather than marketing stratagems".

On television, he has worked as a chef's assistant and has reported on whisky for Food File (Channel 4, 1996) and SCAM (Carlton Television, 2003)

He has won eight Glenfiddich Awards, has twice been named British Beer Writer of the Year, and was named Communicator of the Year in the 2001 International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Jefford lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. He is also a published poet, with work featured in The Spectator and The Independent.

• Bunch Award for Wine Journalism 1994
• Glenfiddich Award 1995 Drink Writer of the Year
• Glenfiddich Award 1995 Whisky Writer of the Year
• Wine Guild of Great Britain 1995 (Premier Award)
• British Guild of Beer Writers 1995 Beer Writer of the Year
• Sony Bronze Award 1996 (for BBC Liquid Companion)
• Glenfiddich Award 1997 Wine Writer of the Year
• Lanson Award 1999 (Broadcast Media, for BBC Food Programme)
• British Guild of Beer Writers 1999 Beer Writer of the Year
• Glenfiddich Award 2000 Drink Writer of the Year
• Lanson Award 2000 (Broadcast Media, for BBC Food Programme and Nature's Alchemists)
• International Wine and Spirit Competition 2001 Communicator of the Year
• Glenfiddich Award 2001 Radio Broadcast of the Year (for BBC Food Programme on cork)
• Glenfiddich Award 2002 Wine Writer of the Year
• Lanson Award 2002 (Broadcast Media, for BBC Liquid Companion)
• Lanson Award 2003 (Wine Book of the Year, for The New France)
• APA Magazine Awards 2003 (Journalist of the Year)
• Glenfiddich Award 2003 Drink Writer of the Year
• Glenfiddich Award 2003 Wine Writer of the Year
• Glenfiddich Award 2003 Glenfiddich Trophy
• Veuve Clicquot USA Award 2003 (Wine Book of the Year, for The New France)
• André Simon Award 2003 (for The New France)
• Symington Family Port Award 2003
• World Food Media Award 2005 (Best Drink Journalist)
• Louis Roederer Champagne International Wine Writer of the Year 2006
• ATOP Travel Writer of the Year 2006
• Louis Roederer Champagne International Wine Writer of the Year 2007