Hospitality for life: Katie Woodhead on finding joy, one table at a time

Katie Woodhead is a sommelier, hospitality lifer, and the ultimate “waiter’s waiter” whose gift for service has shaped dining rooms across the UK and New Zealand. She’s joy, wisdom, craft, and charm wrapped into one unmistakable hospitality force.

Katie first cut her teeth at Darcy’s, a UK restaurant run by two formidable Australian women who shaped her early understanding of discipline, humour, and genuine service. After moving to New Zealand, she honed her skills with the Bresolin brothers at Dough Holdings, deepening her love for the buzz and connection of hospitality.

Her path took her back to the UK to join the famed Noble Rot, where her wine intuition made her a favourite among London’s sharpest diners - including A-listers like Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Returning home, Katie helped open Hello Beasty, one of Auckland’s most acclaimed restaurants, before becoming sommelier at Cellar 495, where she recently won Sommelier of the Year at the Cuisine Awards.

Beyond service, Katie’s true strength lies in training - teaching teams to understand wine, connect through storytelling, and elevate every guest interaction. With her new wine education company, WineHeads, she’s investing in the next generation of hospitality professionals.

Katie is a laugh, a light, and an immense source of wisdom. We should all be so lucky to experience her service, even once. If you care about wine, connection, and the craft of hospitality, this episode is a must-listen.

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The Kitchen Day Podcast is proudly supported by Boring Oat Milk. These folks love hospo as much as we do.

We'd also like to thank the following sponsors:

🍴 Upstock - these guys created smart tech for anyone who buys or sells wholesale.

🍴⁠Droppah - look after your team with rosters that just make sense.

Filmed at Loretta Restaurant pre-service. Recorded & produced by Jono Tucker at Empire Films.