By Andy Ives

So the UK’s a great place to be at the moment. We have swine flu running rampant, as a nation we are more in debt than we were at the end of the Second World War, and unemployment has just hit 2.2 million. Those of you I met during my time at Bartender who asked if I was looking forward to coming home… well the answer was yes, but now I’m not so sure.

I don’t know how much of this you will have seen on Aussie news, but on top of the public’s anger at a recession caused by bankers and politicians, a scandal about MP’s expenses has all but brought the Government to it’s knees. Dozens of politicians from every party, many of whom are dripping in peerages and old money, have been claiming things like ‘castle moat cleaning’ and ‘landscape gardening’ on their expenses, paid for of course by Joe Public’s taxes.

The common response to this has been anger, and has raised the question “Who can we trust, if we can’t trust the people elected to represent us?” It may have been naïve to have trusted them in the first place, but we at least thought they might have been smart enough not to get caught.

It’s this thought that leads me, albeit tenuously, back to the bar industry. A friend of mine who runs a bar in London got in touch a few days ago. She had looked at invoices from a well known drinks supplier and noticed stock to the tune of $1000 on the bill that she hadn’t ordered, or received.

Now normally my friend can’t turn around for fear of tripping over the rep, but suddenly he became illusive. After much hounding, he was tracked down and when confronted, he muttered something about “Needing the extra sales for my figures…sorry.”

Now you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that he was always going to get caught. He should also lose his job because he committed a fraud that could cost the supplier a big account; bad enough at the best of times but unforgiveable during a recession when every penny counts.

The moral to be learned from this amoral tale then, is that even when times are tight, dishonesty will get you nowhere. Whether you are a salesman, a bartender or the Home Secretary, it pays to play it straight because the truth will always out, and no-one likes a cheat.

Now I’ve got that off my chest, what time is the next flight to Acapulco? I’m getting off this dump of an island before it sinks back into the sea.

By Andy Ives

UK magazine Theme has just announced its list of the top 100 most influential bar industry players, as voted for by bartenders, operators and the drinks brands.

The great and the good of Britain’s drinks industry gathered at The Bloomsbury Ballroom in London on Tuesday the 28^th to hear the results, and if the photos are anything to go by, could not remember who won what the following morning.

Limoncello loving legend Salvatore Calebrese of Fifty fame scooped the big prize and was joined in the top 10 by the likes of Dick Bradsell, Sir Terence Conran, Eric Yu and Tony Conigliaro.

Here are the top 20 playaz, and for a full run down of the 100 winners and photos of the night, click here

1 Salvatore Calabrese, Fifty
2 Dick Bradsell, The Green Fingernail
3 Sir Terence Conran, Conran & Partners
4 Nick House, Mahiki/ Whisky Mist/ Tini
5 Peter Dorelli, Legend/ The Savoy
6 Eric Yu, The Breakfast Group
7 Robbie Bargh, Gorgeous Group
8 Mal Evans and Roger Needham, Mojo
9 Tim Mutton, Blacksheep
10 Tony Conigliaro, Shochu Lounge
11 Tim Bacon, Living Ventures
12 Nick Strangeway, Hawksmoor
13 Lee Broom, Lee Broom Design
14 Mourad Mazouz, Sketch
15 Matt Hermer, Ignite Group
16 Ian Burrell, Rum Consultant
17 Dale de Groff, New York Bartending Legend
18 Vince Power, Vince Power Media Group
19 Nick Jones, Soho House
20 Oliver Peyton, Peyton & Byrne

Walk In Gin

By Andy Ives

Photography by Sandy Greenway

Let me say first off, to save a flood of corrective comments, that yes, I know a gin and tonic is not technically a cocktail. At least it isn’t when served in a glass, but what if it is atomised and suspended as a cloud in a tiny room and inhaled by intrepid cocktailians in boiler suits? I’ll leave that distinction to 4Bars readers better qualified than I to comment, but the chaps at Bompas and Parr, a London based duo who describe themselves as ‘food architects’ have built such a thing, and they call it the Hendricks Walk In Cocktail.

In an ordinary looking shop just off Carnaby street, Bompas and Parr, who’s normal line of work includes producing bespoke jelly moulds and scratch and sniff cinema productions, got together with fellow eccentrics Hendrick’s Gin to hold an event that had London’s licensing inspectors scratching their heads.

Having filled a machine usually put to work generating clouds for tropical green houses with Hendrick’s and tonic, they then piped the resulting vapour into a tiny basement room, lit with a single bulb and thumping to exceptionally bad 80s tunes. Guests were provided with fetching white boiler suits to prevent trendy Diesel jeans from getting sticky and encouraged to breathe deeply for up to, but no longer than, 45 minutes.

To be honest, I visited the Walk In Cocktail on a Saturday evening that was following hot on the heels of a fairly epic Friday night, and as such standing underground in a hot room in a cloud of gin steam was about as far from where I wanted to be as it’s possible to get. Having said that, it was certainly something new in the molecular mixology gamut, and I can imagine the fragrant, cucumbery cloud would have been a gas (yes, I know) had I been on finer form. Certainly the pretty young things that were there on their own dollar seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I’m not sure how long one would have to stay mid-mist to get a gin buzz going, we were ushered out after half an hour or so, a measure I would guess designed to placate a liquor board that didn’t know quite what to make of the whole thing. However the 4Bars photographer for the night later told me that her camera tasted of cucumbers (I don’t know what prompted her to taste it either), and I woke up the next morning with yet another hangover to a pillow that smelt of gin, so there was definitely a boozy lining to the cloud. It was a challenging weekend if I’m honest.

Earlier this week, I went to the shops WEARING SHORTS AND A T-SHIRT. Yes, Spring has arrived in London, and with it a taste of Summer sun. It must be a feeling unique in countries that experience severe winters, but walking along Tooting High Street that day, the world felt different; people were smiling, the outdoor market was busy and the fruit on the stalls looked more colourful and appetising.

The next day, I went to the 3^rd birthday party of a bar in London Bridge. There was the usual mix of bartenders and brand reps slamming free booze there, as well as many of the bar’s well-heeled regulars. I floated around being ‘journalisty’ and spoke to people from each of those three groups, and they all said the same thing: “Things are picking up.”

There have been some quiet, largely ignored voices in the media saying that the horrendous weather over Christmas had a lot to do with the UK’s poor economic figures for the first quarter of ‘09. In the face of banking corruption and criminally inadequate governmental oversight of the economy, some grey skies and a bit of snow may seem like small fry when it comes to a country’s bank balance. I’m not so sure though. Obviously I can’t profess to be an expert on geopolitical economics, but I do know that for the first time in months, my entire group of friends are hooking up on Saturday for beers in the sun. No sitting indoors with a DVD and paranoia this weekend, the sun is out and we want to get drunk. And if my friends are doing it, everyone else’s will be too. Bar takings all over London will spike this weekend, those figures will come out next month and hopefully the press will acknowledge it and consumer confidence will slowly start to climb.

Small steps of course, and the urge to make a Spring related jibe about the ’shoots of recovery’ is to be avoided, but just as our industry is one of the first to be hit in tough times, it is also one of the first to feel the effects of positive change. Hopefully the sun will keep shining, and in true British style, we can drink our way out of trouble this summer.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown isn’t exactly flavour of the month around here. Before he moved his chair behind the big desk at 10 Downing Street, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer and pretty much everyone is blaming his policies, past and present, for the God-awful state of our economy.

A side effect of the economic malaise is the closure of over 30 pubs (hotels to you Aussies) every week, simply because they are not getting enough punters through the door to make a profit. The hospitality industry is lobbying hard for tax breaks and other measures that might bring some relief to the struggling trade, but so far Mr Brown has not listened, and the economy is still being denied revenue it needs from a buoyant pub sector.

It is no surprise that government wont listen to drinks industry lobbying…they never do. However, when the doctors wade in, people usually sit up and listen; the smoking ban attests to that fact. This week, Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for the entire UK, suggested that a minimum price of 50 pence per unit of alcohol be applied to each and every retailer in the UK. His recommendation was summarily dismissed by both Prime Minister Brown and opposition leader David Cameron.

“Quite right” you might say, “Stop putting even more restrictions on our industry.” But if you are saying that, you are wrong, and so is Gordon Brown. Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you went into a bar or pub and bought anything to drink that was less that 50 pence (about $1)? Never. It doesn’t happen. And yet I can walk into any supermarket and buy unbranded super-strength cans of lager and cider for far less that 50 pence a pop. This isn’t a tax don’t forget, so it won’t affect the cost of buying in stock, purely what it can be sold at.

In one fell swoop, this initiative could help get people back into pubs (if the price is the same, there’s no reason to sit at home and drink), and more importantly, the there will be less idiot kids hanging around on street corners, pissed on own-brand Special Brew and causing trouble. Crime figures are bound to drop. The only losers would be the huge supermarket chains who would have to stop selling crap, rough alcohol at a loss. I think Walmart can hack it.

Interesting, isn’t it? When the docs shout: “Stop smoking”, the Government jumps, no matter the cost to the licensed trade. However, when they shout: “Stop supermarkets selling cheap booze to kids and alcoholics”, which would help the trade and in turn the economy, their reply is “Nope…I’ve got shares in Safeway.”

Cheers Gordon. Good luck in the next election. You’ll need it.

It’s Friday night. Half your mates want to go for beers in a pub, but the others fancy cocktails in a sexy design-bar – if only you could do both at once. Well, now you can (did you see this coming?). South Melbourne owner/operator Steve Vallas’ new venue, Honey, consists of a modern, stylish pub at ground level and a swish bar up top. Good design is clearly close to Steve’s heart; both parts of the venue look great, with quirky yet clean lines, some excellent graffiti-style wall art and an impressive marble-topped bar with art deco leanings downstairs. Up in the bar the theme continues but along more sophisticated, intimate lines. Tapas, cocktails, wine and beer are all on offer, as is an elevated balcony for smokers.

A few weeks ago, I stepped unsuspecting out of a hotel lobby in Melbourne and was smacked in the face by 46 degree heat that sucked all of the air out of my lungs.

On Tuesday last week, the sub-zero temperature outside London Heathrow airport at 5am did exactly the opposite – I was so surprised that I took in a shocked breath of frigid air and almost passed out. It even made my teeth hurt.

I’ve been back a week now, slowly getting used to the climate again, shaking off the last vestiges of jetlag and reconnecting with friends from the UK bar industry. I haven’t seen any of them yet because there is a night out planned later in the week. It’s a leaving drinks session for someone who has been made redundant due to the dire state of the economy over here.

Well, the perceived state of the economy anyway. The ever reliable media are running one story at the moment – we’re all doomed – and while it’s obvious Britain is in a sticky situation, I can’t help think that all of this negative press is keeping people at home and keeping their hands out of their pockets, even if their financial situation hasn’t changed. Aussie ‘tenders are well aware of the damage a negative press can do, so I’m sure you will sympathise.

But this isn’t a gloomy blog entry, not for you lot anyway. While belts are being systematically tightened down under, the situation in Australia is nothing like it is here. The UK has seen banks topple and have to be rescued by the government on an almost weekly basis, and our unemployment levels are growing exponentially. The first question I have been asked by everyone here is: “How are things there”, and I’ve been able to answer: “Not bad at all, in comparison.”

I’m sure we will come out of it well enough, soon enough, and I’m crossing all my digits in the hope that the industry in Australia will come through unscathed. Spare a thought for your pommie compatriots though, its freezing cold and no-one seems to want a drink. Although that is sure to change when Andrew Symonds hits town to spank us in the Ashes. He may well be the UK bar scene’s salvation.

02 9368 1548

Surry Hills is becoming quite the Sydney hotspot, with a string of recent new openings. Low 302 is one of them, and a very welcome addition it is too. Sporting a large lounge complete with grand piano, which is played by a lovely young lady with an equally lovely voice on Wednesday nights, the bar also has one of the best indoor outdoor smoking areas you will find in Sydney. The cocktail list is a mix of classics, smashes and twists, and the beer menu is all premium. Top stuff.

Low 302

If you type ‘48’ and ‘crime’ into the search box of The Sydney Morning Herald’s website, sitting in the midst of headlines about Serbian war crimes are two stories relating to our industry, one above the other.

The first, dated 21st February, claims that assaults involving pub drinkers are running at twice the number claimed by the government.

The second, dated 27th February, claims that assaults in problem pubs are down and the 2am lockout is working. This claim is based on government figures.

This inconsistency aside, the figures being released by New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees’ office show decreases in violent episodes when comparing the 48 target hotels during the December 08 to January 09 period with the same months one year ago. Rees also states that glass attacks are down throughout New South Wales, with the number falling from 61 to 40.

While this seems at face value to be a positive result for the lockout restrictions, many operators are reporting a very quiet start to the year, with poor weather and financial worries keeping large numbers of customers out of their bars. Direct comparisons of data year on year may not be appropriate as the market and economic climate are vastly different.

In fact, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on the 24th February that violent crime of all types was on the decrease, and quoted Detective Inspector Stephen Days as saying:

”It’s difficult to generalise and Sydney is a very unique place, considering the amount of people that come through it day to day. But if anything, it’s been much quieter this financial year than years gone by. It’s very peaceful at the moment, and we are glad for that. Everyone’s got their own theories [why violence has fallen] … whether it’s because of the economic climate, or because of cooler weather last winter.”

Inspector Days makes a strong point. It is premature to proclaim the 2AM lockout a success and the hospitality trade will continue to encourage Mr Rees to consult with operators before introducing further measures.

So who are Re:Love?

JH – Re:Love is a collaboration between James Hudson, Mark Tarrant and Mark Bowey.

What are your respective roles?

JH – I’d say predominantly Mark Bowey is creative, Mark Tarrant is operations and I tend to deal with the business side of things, but also get involved with the creative as I studied design at university. My parents were hoteliers back in the UK and I grew up in the industry, but also having a design background, I tend to flit between that and ops.

MT – I’ve been in the industry since I was about 11 years of age, stocking fridges and doing glassy work when I was 16 and then went on to TGI Fridays and various other bars in London and in Europe too.

Who leads the bar and cocktail lists?

JH – We took on Hugh Payten-Smith when we launched Rum Diaries as bar manager and he has had a lot of influence on the lists.

MT – When Rum Diaries first opened up I created the cocktail list, but because we as operators tend to get our hands dirty and don’t have the minions of a Justin Hemmes or Dave Evans, we have been so busy. With Rum Diaries we stripped it and did all the renovation work ourselves as well. It’s the same at (Cream) Tangerine. Every wall you see, every bar top we did ourselves.

JH – We were having a laugh the other day about writing a book on how to open a venue on a shoestring budget, it was literally as Mark said, we were painting, we were building all the way through till we opened, we were waiting tables, bartending, managing.

MT – I’ve been a consultant for quite a while, working with Bar Solutions and it’s easy to jump in and be flown off somewhere to open up a venue. When you do that everything is there for you. But to actually build the venue and then open on top of that is a real challenge.

So if you did write that book, how many chapters would be devoted to ‘how not to do it because we cocked it up’?

JH – (Laughs) To be honest with you we have been more than fortunate. The only cock-ups we’ve had have probably been as a result of our own positivity and arrogance that we could do it. Looking back on what we have done on the budgets we had and the amount of hours we’ve put in over the last year, it’s fucking ridiculous. You know, it’s not a thing that you would think plausible to do but we pulled it off.

One of my other questions was going to be how many days off have you had in the last year?

MT – (laughs) Well he’s (JH) just been on holiday as you know. But not much aside from that.

How has Cream Tangerine’s first three months of trading been?

MT – Its been good, very good. We are predominantly an outdoor venue so November was a bit tricky for us but December was absolutely fantastic and January is also looking to be great.

JH – It is weather dependent obviously, so November was tricky.

MT – But even when it rains we still get a good crowd. We just roll down the shutters round the bar.

Now for the obligatory Credit Crunch question - have you felt any effects of the global financial crisis?

JH – People will drink regardless, either to celebrate of commiserate and I think at the high end, which is the demographic we get through Diaries and Tangerine - not complete top end but in the upper bracket, and I think that bracket tends not to be so affected.

MT – I think quite a lot of fine dining restaurants are struggling but we have made sure that Rum Diaries is quite approachable, it’s the way we have always angled ourselves. Its not expensive, well it can be if you get elaborate and want to impress a girl or something, but generally what James is saying is exactly right, when depression goes on people want to get out and drink.

MB – I think it depends what you are known for as well. It could be that some venues who have a very, very premium price attract a certain kind of crowd that is very cliquey and although we have some aspects of that crowd, this (Tangerine) is a very social venue and we do attract a range of demographics.

Where are you from in the UK?

MT – We are from Portsmouth, York and East London respectively.

It’s obvious why someone would want to set up a business in Bondi, but how did you come to do it?

MB – We found each other by drinking in the same circles.

Was that back in the UK or here?

JH – We all met here. As Mark said, we all went out and socialised in the same circles and went out at the same venues and it just turned out that we had a collective drive for the same result. I think between the three of us and the different talents that we have, I don’t think any one of us could have done it individually. Without the three of us it wouldn’t have been able to be what it is.

Is it more difficult to raise money for a business if you are from the UK?

MT – It is more difficult, and I’d say it is definitely more expensive to do it here what with the licensing requirements. The UK is more accessible.

JH – Sourcing finance I think is slightly more difficult but as we did it on a shoestring we were able to self fund.

There is a lot of media coverage on alcohol related violence at the moment and the NSW lockout has just kicked in. Do you think it is over blown and is there a political agenda?

JH – No it’s not overblown. I think it is only natural; in any corner of the world there will always be that element that causes trouble.

MT – I think it is hyped-up by the media. This is a big country with a small population, but if you look at the UK they probably have triple the problems but very few of them get registered in the media. Over here that is not the case - problems seem to be big news. That’s how I see it anyway. .

You run two very different bars, both of which have received a lot of praise. What makes a good bar a good bar?

MB – For me, I don’t like going into a place where it’s so pretentious that everyone is looking at each other and eyeing each other up. I like to go to a place that is very social and very honest. I think with both our venues, although they are very different, we have been able to reflect our own personalities and characters and I think that has attracted our kind of crowd which is why we enjoy ourselves so much.

JH – It’s a combination I think of the crowd, the operational backbone and the drinks and service. Now to your punter the drinks and service aren’t as scrutinised as your industry following, but I think we have a great bar team and a very strong cocktail offering which is why we stand out within the industry crowd.

MB – It looks nice here as well!

JH  - Yes, it looks nice here. But your general punter a lot of the time doesn’t appreciate the cocktail list as much as say, and industry person would, so I think we have that kind of industry following and backing because we have quality product and service but we wrap it up with the social backdrop that we have at the diaries and down here. Door policy I suppose down here, its not that you can’t come in if you aren’t wearing shoes, or you are wearing thongs. You have to be more flexible.

MT – The five senses…taste, touch etc are important to us, that is a natural instinct and if you can satisfy those senses you can’t go far wrong.

JH – Yeah, if a venue caters to those five senses then people will want to be in it.

You mentioned having a good time because your guests are having a good time. On from that, do you think the operator’s personality type affects the type of guests attracted to the venue?

JH – Absolutely.

MT – Yes, definitely.

JH – Yes, not only the physicality of the venue which the creative director has guided, but the social aspect and the crowd that are in here too.

MB – We want our friends to be here, and they bring their friends as well. What’s interesting is that both these venues have been launched in a viral way, especially the Diaries where there was no PR at all. There is a lot to be said for doing something well, looking after people and caring for them, genuinely giving a shit about them as they walk in. You will find that they will actually tell all their friends and their friends will come. We have a lot of anecdotal feedback from people about this.

With all of those things taken into consideration, you have a universe of people that come to your bars. This is a bit of an esoteric question, but within that group of people, what role does the bar play in their lives?

MB – It’s about losing yourself with someone you love or a group of friends, and also being social. It is easier to speak to someone here than at say a restaurant because they are not at your table.

As an industry, what do we need more of?

JH – More of a grounding in caring about what the punter wants. It’s easy to spend a million dollars on a glamour and glitz venue whilst forgetting about the core reasons why you are opening a venue – hospitality, looking after people, interacting and talking and making sure they are getting the right products and services. Because I think that basic, fundamental element gets lost very quickly with the grandeur of ‘I own a bar’ mentality. But hang on a minute mate, you are there to talk to people, serve drinks, interact with people, make them feel comfortable and make them have a good experience. I think those core values are lacking in a lot of operations.

What do we need less of?

JH  - Less of the AHA I suppose (others laugh)

What advice would you give to an aspiring bar operator?

JH – Be prepared to get your hands dirty and be prepared to get no sleep for at least 12 months.

Last question, on a scale of 1 – 10, how much fun are you having at the moment?

MT – How much Fanny?

(Everyone laughs)

JH – Its gotta be 11.

(Everyone laughs)