Aleesha is a writer, judge and broadcaster. She writes about wine and drinks through the prism of food, travel, culture and lifestyle for publications such as Tatler, Decanter, Ocado Life Magazine, the Independent, Club Œnologique and National Geographic Traveller. She is the resident wine expert on ITV's Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh and can also occasionally be found discussing drinks on BBC Radio.

She has been a judge for several drinks awards, including the Decanter World Wine Awards since 2021 and The Great Taste Awards.

Aleesha was the inaugural winner of the Louis Roederer BAME Bursary and was shortlisted for the IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year 2022. She is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and was recently announced as the wine ambassador for Ocado, and an ambassador for The Fairtrade Foundation.

She is currently writing her first book about the anthropology of drinks.

I am beyond excited about becoming a Patron of The Drinks Trust. It is an honour to join a team that supports people in the industry in so many ways. The multi-layered support that The Drinks Trust provides is incredible and I can't wait to help make a difference to those who need it. I am particularly keen to help those who need support with their wellbeing in order to keep our drinks industry family happy and healthy.

I was delighted and honoured to be asked to become a Patron of The Drinks Trust at a time when I am stepping down as CEO of WSET. The work of the charity has always been close to my heart, and I have done several charity bike rides in the past 10 years to provide tangible, monetary support. and I know many people who have been helped in so many ways during my 45-year career in the industry. Their work, both as The Benevolent (as we used to know it) and with the new Drinks Trust initiatives plays a crucial role to ensure that people in this industry are supported, at the time when they most need it. I look forward to helping The Drinks Trust in any way I can.

I’m so pleased to be joining The Drinks Trust as a Patron and can’t wait to support the Trust in raising awareness of the wonderful work being done across so many areas. The trade has been good to me for many years so I’m particularly keen to help with initiatives for those wanting to further develop their careers in the world of drinks.

It's an absolute honour to join The Drinks Trust as a patron. Their work has helped countless individuals within our wonderful community and I'm delighted to support their ongoing efforts where possible.

Since taking part in The Wine Show I’ve had the privilege of learning more and more about the drinks industry and the people who work within it. So it was both a surprise and an honour to be asked to be a patron of The Drinks Trust and to support the work it does in helping its community to thrive.

As a long-standing supporter of The Benevolent, I am delighted to become a patron of The Drinks Trust and am greatly looking forward to working with the Trust as it evolves, and whole heartedly support its vision for the future.

I remember Roger Moore saying "as you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others." The drinks industry is a friendly bunch and when friends need help, The Drinks Trust is always there with both hands.

I have worked in the drinks industry for a number of years and the challenges this sector faces right now is simply unprecedented.  I will be rolling up my sleeves with pride to help The Drinks Trust to support people in hardship.

When I was invited by Michael, my immediate successor as chairman of The Benevolent in 2019 to lead the patrons team and the recruitment drive, I was not only flattered and honoured, but felt genuine excitement at the prospect.

I am thrilled that in our launch year, 2020, we were joined by three very distinguished individuals, Jancis, Matthew and Olly joining me as our founding patrons followed by Ian, Becky and Jaega. With the Patrons’ support we will promote the charity’s work to the wider drinks industry community.