Foni Pollitt

Foni Pollitt

Award-winning sommelier, restaurateur and certified WSET educator, Foni Pollitt is behind one of Perth’s top gastro pubs, Mayfair Lane Pub and Dining Room. After opening the venue in 2016, Gourmet Traveller awarded Mayfair Lane ‘Best WA Wine List’ of 2018, followed by ‘Best Pub Restaurant Wine List’ in their Wine List of the Year Awards in both 2019, 2020 and 2023, with the award of Three Glasses. Last year Mayfair Lane was awarded ‘Sommeliers’ Choice Award 2023’ and ‘Australia’s Best Pub Restaurant Wine List’ in Qantas Wine List of the Year Awards.

Foni was awarded WA Good Food Guide’s ‘Sommelier of the Year’ in 2018 and as well as establishing the Foni T Pollitt Wine School, has spent time as a judge for the WA Good Food Guide, and is a committee member of the WA Wine Press Club, the WA Chapter of Sommeliers Australia, West Perth Local and the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show.

Mayfair Lane has featured in the Top 50 Restaurants for the Western Australian Good Food Guide in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and was awarded Best Medium Wine List at the Australasia World Of Fine Wines 2022, earning a nomination for best medium-size list worldwide. The venue has continued to garner international attention, taking out the ‘Jury Prize’ at the World of Fine Wine Awards in London just last year. Out of 94 venues across the globe, there was only one from Perth – Mayfair Lane.

Alongside running her award-winning venue and wine school, Foni has competed in the Ruinart Champagne Sommelier Challenge and leads the uber-popular Margaret River Somm Trek as part of the annual Fine Vines Festival.

She is currently studying for her Master of Wine, a certification enjoyed by fewer than 450 people worldwide. Foni is passionate about sharing her knowledge and love of wine, whether it be behind the bar, in the classroom, or amongst the vines, encouraging everyone around her to share in her adoration for this noblest of drops.