Richard Hemming is many things. Alongside his role as Head of Wine for Asia at 67 Pall Mall, he is a qualified Master of Wine and frequent speaker at Chief Wine Officer events. He is also a musician, a once-lauded comedian (although he’s relieved no evidence of this exists online), and an awarding winning writer.

Richard moved to Singapore in July 2019 to pursue career opportunities outside of London for the first time. What a decision that was. Although he’d been a 67 Pall Mall member since 2014, he wasn’t aware that they had planned to open their Asian HQ there. But after being brought into the loop, he was instrumental in helping establish it.

His monthly blog, Meanwhile in Singapore, is testament to his storytelling skills, offering a light-hearted and insightful glimpse into life as a wine-loving expat in Singapore.

His latest instalment is a self-deprecating look at attempting to eat lunch like a local in a hawker centre – one of Singapore’s many sweeping collections of food stalls serving up all manner of cuisine to voracious lunchtime crowds. Richard does a fantastic job of illuminating the anxious waltz we must all attempt when ordering unfamiliar delights.

Richard’s musings are not restricted to food alone, as he unravels the many quirks of expat life, ranging from adjusting to foreign commuter experiences, choosing your favourite supermarket, and even how not to break the law in his new homeland. He also waxes lyrical on the wildlife and his first Singaporean Christmas.