The internet has created a new kind of expert, one who draws knowledge from search engines and social media rather than years of investigation and practice. Yet the opinions of the modern connoisseur are not to be taken lightly. How are they signalling their status and influencing everyday habits?
Emma Meese is the director of community journalism at Cardiff University and a successful renovations/creative social media influencer. She previously worked as a researcher and producer at the BBC.
Tous Davy is a former writer who left print journalism to start his own business. He is a self-confessed coffee connoisseur and owner of the Jamaica Delia, which specialises in juices and Blue Mountain coffee.
Kevin Engberg is part of the GanjaGold, a cannabis connoisseur company comprised of long-standing industry experts who have been championing safe, quality cannabis since 2008.
Lynda Cowell is a London-based writer, web editor, and former BBC television researcher. Having written for the likes of The Voice, Pride, The Guardian, Time Out and Marie Claire, much of her work has focused on race and gender, but not exclusively. In her free time, she likes to read, drink red wine, and watch the kind of television programmes other people sneer at.
