Looking for a Sake Sommelier Course Manchester can rely on? You have found it. If you would love to taste sake properly, talk about it with real confidence and maybe build a career around it, this is where you start.
Our Certified Sake Sommelier course takes you from curious to qualified over two focused days. You taste widely, learn from a Certified Sake Sommelier and sit a recognised exam, either in the centre of Manchester or live online from your own kitchen table.
More than 10,000 people have learned with us, and we hold consistent five-star reviews on Google, Tripadvisor and Facebook, so you are in steady hands from the first sip.
Northern Wine School was founded in Manchester by John Callow, who trained with the Sake Sommelier Academy and fell for sake the moment he understood how it was made. That curiosity still runs through everything we teach. You can read more about John and the team if you would like to know who you will be learning from.
We teach from real visits to breweries and real relationships, not just textbooks. That means the knowledge you pick up is grounded, practical and easy to put to use the next day.
Manchester’s appetite for Japanese food and drink keeps growing, from city-centre izakayas to cocktail bars putting sake on the list. We see plenty of chefs, waiting staff and bar teams take this course to stand out at work and serve with more confidence.
Plenty of guests join us simply because they love sake and want to understand it properly. Both are welcome, and you learn just as much sitting next to the other.
Day one starts with the story of sake and its place in Japanese culture. You learn how it is brewed, the terminology that trips most people up and the classifications that tell you what you are drinking, with guided tasting along the way.
Day two goes deeper into maturity, serving temperature and aromatic profiles, with more sake to taste. You also learn how to present sake to customers, how labelling, storage and serving vessels work, and why umami matters so much to the way sake tastes.
You finish day two with the exam, which combines multiple-choice and written questions with a blind tasting. No prior knowledge is needed. You only need to be 18 or over, since there is plenty of tasting involved.
Prefer the buzz of a room? The classroom course runs at The Castlefield Hotel in Manchester across two full days, from 10 am to 5 pm, with at least 12 premium samples to taste and your first exam attempt included.
Rather learn from home? The online course covers the same ground with at least 17 premium samples posted to your door, and the exam is sat live and invigilated by webcam. Same qualification, same expert tuition, no travel.
Both the classroom and online courses start from £650, which covers your tuition, samples, handouts and first exam attempt.
New course dates are released regularly. The quickest way to grab a place is to check live availability on the Certified Sake Sommelier page or get in touch to register your interest, and we will let you know the minute fresh dates go live.
If you are new to sake, start gently. The Introductory Sake Professional is a single relaxed evening with five sakes to taste and no exam. The WSET Level 1 Award in Sake is a structured one-day option if you like a workbook and a certificate.
You can also dip a toe in at one of our Manchester sake tasting events, then come back for the full qualification when you are ready. Curious how sake is actually made first? Our guide to what sake really is is a great place to start.
If you run a bar, restaurant or retail team that needs to talk about sake with real confidence, we bring the training to you. Take a look at Train Your Team or our private and corporate events to build something around your shifts and your goals.
Looking for a gift instead? A gift voucher turns into a real experience someone will remember, rather than another bottle on the shelf.
Do I need any experience with sake?
No. There are no entry requirements, and no prior knowledge is needed. You only need to be 18 or over, as there is tasting throughout both days.
How is this different from the WSET sake route?
This is the Sake Sommelier Association qualification, with a strong focus on service and presenting sake to others. The WSET Level 1 Award in Sake is a separate one-day award from a different body. Many people take both, and we are happy to talk through which fits you best.
Is the qualification recognised?
Yes. The Sake Sommelier Association has led sake education for over 25 years. Passing makes you eligible for the Advanced Sake Sommelier Course in Japan and lets you apply to judge at International Sake Challenges.
Where and when does it run?
The classroom course runs at The Castlefield Hotel in Manchester across two days, from 10 am to 5 pm. You can also take the whole thing online, with your samples posted to you.
Bring yourself and a sense of fun and adventure, and we will bring the rest. Taste more, learn more and enjoy more, and walk away with a qualification that opens doors.
Check the next available dates and reserve your place today.
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