Champagne lifestyles: an inside look at the world’s dreamiest jobs and cut-above careers

Most jobs offer competitive benefits, but for certain people their professional life is one wild ride of adventure and fun-packed perks. Fancy switching up careers? Grab inspiration with our behind-the-scenes peek at some of the world’s most enviable jobs. Just don’t tell LinkedIn…

THE CHAMPAGNE CONNOISSEUR

Ethan Boroian is Champagne Ambassador at Moët Hennessy UK

“I’ve always loved Champagne, but I never imagined I’d have the privilege to speak about its magic as a career. Originally, I studied gastronomy and wine at Ferrandi, a historic cookery school in Paris. That led me to work placements in different restaurants and eventually a role at Moët Hennessy emerged: I jumped at the chance.

Every day is different – that’s a big part of why I love the role. It includes working with our marketing team to create unique experiences for the launches of our new cuvées, networking with sommeliers and chefs, and sharing the stories of our wonderful Maisons – which include Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Dom Pérignon and Krug. Naturally, it’s important to schedule regular visits to the French wine province of Champagne, too.

This year has been particularly special as, for the first time, Moet & Chandon has opened their own Champagne Bar at luxury London department store Harrods. The amount of work that’s gone into every detail is incredible. 

My top tip? Drink Champagne in a white wine glass – rather than a coupe or flute. It offers the best expression of the wine that way and gives enough surface area for the wine to open up without losing the fizz.

THE POP-UP QUEEN

Experiential architect Meredith O'Shaughnessy is known as “the Pop-Up Queen of London”

I see the role of my company, the Meredith Collective, as bringing a spark of magic to people’s lives with once-in-a-lifetime moments. My projects showcase stories – and they always start with one bold idea. When I created the Dirty Laundry launderette pop-up for Whirlpool, I converted washing machines into cocktail makers and served drinks in customised detergent bottles. Guests were invited to air their confessions, backdropped by scenes inspired by 1950s Italian-Americana.

Recently, I decided that it would be wonderful to bring a slice of the London parks to the terrace of the Sofitel London St James hotel. This involved commissioning fabricators to design a series of life-size giant swans, with each feather meticulously carved out of fibreglass. Guests could sit in a giant swan with a glass of Moët & Chandon, watching the world go by. Who doesn’t want that in their life?

I also collaborated with Scottish whiskey brand, Bowmore, to create the first ever restaurant in Savoy Place (a private road leading up to the iconic Savoy Hotel). My team and I created a 5m-wide chandelier centred around a Lalique fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Cascading crystal decanters looked as if they were falling from waves made out of flowers onto the space below.

Life is never boring. I travel a lot to events such as the Venice Biennale to research new trends. I’m also inspired by a lifetime of experiences working abroad in Ibiza and Venice, and collaborating with past London nightclubs, such as Bagley’s and Turnmills. I also draw from my engineering degree and my time studying at the London College of Fashion.

THE ICE-CREAM MAKER

Chow Mezger is Managing Director at family ice-cream business Jude’s

We’re a family business; Jude’s was launched by my dad, named after my mum, and soon after, my brother and I joined the team. Working with loved ones on something so fun and bringing a little bit of joy to the dinner table, means it’s a really special job.

We’re constantly pushing the boundaries of our recipes to make them even more deliciously creamy. The perfect ice-cream has to be a combination of incredible flavour, a smooth mouth feel and strong visual appeal. Colour (such as blue from spirulina or black from vegetable carbon) adds intrigue, along with textures created by ripples and chunks. We think about all these elements together.

In recent years, it’s been amazing to develop our plant-based ice-creams: our varieties include vegan honeycomb, salted caramel, peach and champagne and more. We also experiment with flavours such as flat-white coffee, mango and passionfruit kefir with live cultures, and gin and tonic made with Sipsmith Gin. We even have an ice-cream for dogs, produced in collaboration with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. 

I love the fact that we’re working to make Jude’s a force for good in the world, with ice-cream that’s better for the planet. We’re B Corp certified, and in the past year alone, we’ve reduced our carbon intensity by 20%.

THE ADVENTURE GURU

Ollie Jones is Adventure Operations Manager, covering Asia and the Americas, at Flash Pack

I’ve always loved immersing myself in new countries and learning about new cultures, languages and food. I’ve visited 50-plus countries so far, including seven years living in Australia and a year abroad in Paris.

All of my favourite travel memories are linked to the people I was on the road with and the experiences we shared together. For me, the recipe for a great trip starts with good people, a comfy place to rest your head, amazing landscapes and plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in the country you’re visiting.

Over the course of my 14-year career, I’ve been lucky enough to experience some incredible moments, such as a boat cruise in Arctic Norway on New Year’s Eve. There I was, standing on the deck, with whales swimming around the boat, witnessing a spectacular sunset over the vast frozen landscape. Later, we got to watch the Northern Lights dance across the sky. Best party ever.

In my current role at Flash Pack, I spend a lot of time collaborating with our amazing partners all over the world on experiences such as ice-hiking in Argentina, sumo wrestling in Japan and private island glamping in the Philippines. 

I also love to focus on new product development, which involves overseas research trips – a very welcome perk. Most of all, I love that I get to meet people from all over the world and learn about their home countries.