Dan Keeling

Dan Keeling is an English wine and food writer, restaurateur and wine importer who co-owns Noble Rot magazine and restaurants, wine merchants Keeling Andrew, and wine shops Shrine to the Vine. Dan was born in Watford in 1975. He studied art at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he promoted club nights featuring DJs such as Andrew Weatherall and Juan Atkins, and wrote for Melody Maker and Jockey Slut magazine. In 1996 he moved to London and worked as a talent scout for A&M Records. He moved from A&M to Parlophone Records in Hammersmith, working his way up to Head of A&R (‘artist & repertoire’) where he signed and developed several number one artists, including Coldplay, Athlete and Lily Allen. The liner notes of Coldplay’s second album ‘Rush of Blood to the Head’ state ‘The Scientist is Dan’, referring to their single from the album. In 2006 he become Managing Director of Island Records, whose artists included Amy Winehouse and U2, where he signed Bombay Bicycle Club. During this time he also recorded electronic music under the aliases Bubble Club, Critical Phase and Beetlejuice, the latter of which released ‘Whatever Happened to The Cosmic Kid?’, a collaboration with Chris Martin from Coldplay and Kirk Degiorgio. While working at Island Records Dan would buy wine from Mark Andrew in the wine merchants next door: becoming friends they launched the wine, food and creative arts magazine Noble Rot in February 2013. Over the years Noble Rot has featured guests including LCD Soundsystem, Caitlin Moran, Mark Ronson, Yotam Ottolenghi, Brian Eno, Nigella Lawson, Pierre Koffmann, Hot Chip, Kano, Gary Lineker and Mike Diamond. The magazine features columnists Keira Knightley, Marina O’Loughlin, Simon Hopkinson and John Niven, and is published three times a year. In 2015 Dan and Mark opened Noble Rot Restaurant & Wine Bar on Lamb’s Conduit St in London with Stephen Harris of The Sportsman in Kent as executive chef. The restaurant developed a reputation for the quality of its food, and its extensive, diverse wine list. Noble Rot Restaurant & Wine Bar won the award for the best wine list at the National Restaurant Awards an unprecedented five times, and at the 2019 World Restaurant Awards in Paris. In September 2020 Dan and Mark opened Noble Rot Soho in the former site of the iconic Gay Hussar, and in April 2022 Noble Rot Mayfair in Shepherd Market. Dan won ‘Emerging Wine Writer’ in 2015, and ‘Food & Drink Writer’ at the 2017 and 2018 Louis Roederer Awards. He was also named ‘Drink Writer of the Year’ at 2016 Fortnum & Masons Awards, and is a contributor to FT Weekend Magazine. Noble Rot’s first book, ‘Wine from Another Galaxy’, written by Dan and Mark Andrew, was published by Quadrille in 2020 and was named 2021 'Drinks Book of the Year' by the Guild of Food Writers. Dan and Mark Andrew established wine merchant and importer Keeling Andrew & Co in 2017. Their portfolio includes Jean-Marc Roulot, Frederic Mugnier, Arnoux-Lachaux, Ulysse Collin, Mugneret-Gibourg and E&E Vocoret,, among many others.