Maria is a drinks consultant and educator with a strong focus on the alcohol-free sector. She's gradudated from the Double Dutch Female Bartending scholarship, and also has also completed courses in spirits and Functional/Mood-Enhancing drinks from the WSET and Club Soda respectively.

She runs non-alcoholic cocktail masterclasses and tasting sessions for venues, wellness retreats and corporate clients, helps bars and venues with non-alc staff training and works with emerging brands on cocktail development. 'I’m passionate about raising the profile of alcohol-free drinks within hospitality and helping consumers access better, more exciting choices,' she says.

Maria's favourite drinks are those with a bitter, botanical edge, though for celebrations she tends to reach for a sparkling tea. As for judging, she's particularly looking forward to seeing what happens with functional drinks, a category goes, a category that she believes 'will play a big role in shaping the future of the industry and how people choose to drink' going forward.

When not educating or whipping up non-alc cocktails, Maria loves country walks with her whippet, tracing her ancestry and hosting dinner parties, which, she says, often finish with a spot of karaoke.

'I was married by Elvis in Vegas,' she says, 'which may be where the karaoke passion began!'