Bar Magazine | September 2012

September 2012

www.barmagazine.co.uk

Developing premium bar excellence

LE ROI DES ORANGES, THE ESSENCE OF ORANGES IN A FRENCH TRADITION Available from Toorank UK Ltd. Tel: 01865 343395 / E-mail: info.uk@toorank.com www.toorank.com / www.drinkaware.co.uk

WIN A TRIP TO NICARAGUA

7

THE GRAND FLORITO COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2012 FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT WWW.AMATHUSDRINKS.COM/FDC2012

速

As parts of Britain basked in temperatures of over 30C last month, Pernod Ricard UK decked the halls of its London offices with tinsel and baubles for the announcement of its Christmas plans. With new ideas for festive serves including wine cocktails, it was an untimely reminder that, however your bar has performed over the summer of the Olympics and Paralympics, a sure-fire business opportunity is on the horizon. According to Pernod Ricard’s research, consumers expect to treat themselves with nights out this December more than ever despite the recession.

As the days grow shorter, the traditional time for liqueurs approaches.

In this issue, we cover ideas from some of the key brands, showing that many are looking to be not just for Christmas but for all year round. We also report on the renaissance of RTDs, from flavour innovation to the revival of retro brands.

If you are looking for ideas, this month’s Boutique Bar Show is the place to go for drinks, while the 100% Design show provides inspiration for interiors.

We preview both these events and also look at how two key elements of interior design – lighting and flooring – can enhance the ambience and look of a venue.

Mark Ludmon Editor

Cover picture: Toorank’s new liqueur Le Roi des Oranges is part of growth in liqueurs in the UK ontrade. See page 27.

CONTENTS SEPTEMBER

10

Regulars 05 Industry news 66 Barhopper diary Profiles 08 Après, Sutton Coldfield 10 Chaophraya, Glasgow 12 Gorilla, Manchester 14 Heliot Bar, London 16 Intertain and Maluko 18 Weighing Room, Chester Drink 21 Drinks news

EDITOR Mark Ludmon • mark@cimltd.co.uk Tel 020 7627 4506 PUBLICATION MANAGER Manjeet Griffiths • manjeet@cimltd.co.uk Tel 01795 509109 Fax 01795 591065 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Dan Hickford • dan@cimltd.co.uk Tel 01795 509109 Fax 01795 591065

08

27

CHIEF EXECUTIVE John Denning • jdenning@cimltd.co.uk STUDIO MANAGER Paula Smith • paula@cimltd.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION Grant Waters • grant@cimltd.co.uk James Taylor • james@cimltd.co.uk ACCOUNTS Vickie Crawford • vickie@cimltd.co.uk Tel 01795 509103 www.barmagazine.co.uk www.twitter.com/barmagazine

27 33 36 40 42

Liqueurs Ready to drink Mixology Boutique Bar Show Scotch whisky

Features 44 100% Design preview 47 Flooring 50 Expert advice: websites Club 53 Lighting design 57 Technology © 2012 CIM Online Limited, The Goods Shed, Jubilee Way, Whitstable Road, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8GD. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form – electronic, mechanical or physical – without express prior permission and written consent of the publisher.

Contributions are invited and when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and addressed envelope. Manuscripts should be type written. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during transmission or in the editor’s hands. In the absence of an agreement the copyright of all contributions, literary, photographic or artistic, belongs to CIM Online Limited. The publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and the opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the late appearance or non publication of any advertisement.

www.barmagazine.co.uk |3

Jamie’s Italian, Norwich

bespoke banquette seating

tel 01202 485 115

email sales@craftwood-uk.com

web www.craftwood-uk.com

news

Novus Leisure set to expand after £100m sale

Leading bar operator Novus Steve Richards Leisure is set for expansion nationally after being sold to investment companies Hutton Collins Partners and LGV Capital.

The deal, worth £100million, will fund acquisitions both in London and in other cities in the UK, expanding the 52-strong estate that is mainly in the capital but also includes the national Tiger Tiger chain.

The new owners have backed the existing management team, led by chief executive Steve Richards. The funding will initially focus on doubling Novus Leisure’s central London portfolio over the next three years, with

future potential to expand outside London to cities such as Manchester, Bristol and Leeds. Its London estate also includes Balls Brothers bars.

In the year to June 30, Novus saw profit growth of 51 per cent and like-for-like sales, at 37 sites, increase by 11.3 per cent.

Hutton Collins has invested in operators such as PizzaExpress, Loch Fyne Restaurants, Caffè Nero and Wagamama, while LGV Capital’s investments have included Enterprise Inns, The Unique Pubco, The Liberation Group and Amber Taverns. n More at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

A new stand-alone restaurant and bar has been unveiled at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow hotel in Hayes, west London. The Art Deco-style venue, named after the first airport terminal to bring US visitors to the UK, is inspired by New York and Miami. Alongside American-inspired cuisine, the bar serves classic cocktails from the past 200 years.

Rooftop expansion Be At One adds food for Manchester bar Cocktail bar Individual Restaurants is investing £1million in expanding its Restaurant Bar & Grill in John Dalton Street in central Manchester.

Work has been completed on a new 80-seat south-facing first-floor terrace, created by designer Robert Angell, as part of a refurbishment of the bar and restaurant plus an extension of its 50-seat private dining room with its own bar and kitchen.

Planning permission has also been approved for the Sky Bar & Grill on the roof of The Restaurant Bar & Grill. Due to open in spring 2013, this new area will have a bar, a wood-burning oven, a charcoal grill and a mix of restaurant and lounge seating under a retractable awning.

group Be At One is to offer food for the first time at its latest venue opening in the City of London in October.

It is investing about £650,000 in the 2,000 sq ft site of former Bar Battu in Gresham Street to create its 13th site. While management insist cocktails will remain the focus, it is partnering with restaurateur Ossie Gray, formerly of the River Café, to produce light plates and tapas-style dishes with a European flavour.

Be At One director Steve Locke said: “Over the past 14 years, Be At One has grown by staying focused on delivering great cocktails, service and atmosphere when it comes to hosting our guests. We are looking forward to partnering with Ossie Gray and his team as his simple, highquality cuisine will be the ideal accompaniment to what we do.” n More at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

Cocktail bars have opened as part of London’s new Sushisamba, the restaurant brand that combines Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisines. With six locations overseas, Sushisamba has launched on the 38th and 39th floors of the Heron Tower in Bishopsgate in the City. The bars, managed by Richard Woods, are on both floors including an outdoor bar terrace.

Bar and restaurant group Drake & Morgan has revealed plans to launch two new sites in 2013, bringing its portfolio to seven. Both new venues will be in the City of London in new developments from property company AXA Real Estate: The Happenstance will be at One St Paul’s and The Haberdashery will be at Sixty London, Holborn. They are being designed by Fusion Design & Architecture, taking inspiration from bars and restaurants in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo.

The May Fair Hotel in London has unveiled its Cigar Room (pictured), offering over 40 varieties of cigar alongside fine cognacs, whiskies, rums and tequilas. On the first floor of the Mayfair hotel, it features swing chairs, day beds, chain-mail mesh walls and fireplaces. A range of Martinis includes the exclusive Rococo Chocolate Martini, made with single-estate chocolate.

Nightlife entrepreneurs Guy Pelly and Marc Burton (pictured) have unveiled plans for their latest London venture – Mexican bar and diner Tonteria in Sloane Square in Chelsea. Open from 5.30pm till late, it will offer a light menu of Mexican dishes, an “eclectic” selection of cocktails and “the finest varieties” of tequila. www.barmagazine.co.uk |5

news

Eclectic takes on Living Room and Ultimate bars Some of Manchester’s leading bars have been shortlisted for this year’s Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards. The Liars Club (pictured), which opened last year, is up against Common, Corridor, Epernay, Socio Rehab and Australasia for the title of bar of the year. The shortlist for newcomer of the year includes Trof group’s new Gorilla and Spinningfields’ new Oast House.

Vote at www.foodanddrinkfestival. com.

The Barracuda Pub Group has appointed Rob Pitcher to the new role of operations and HR director.

He has joined the company after holding senior marketing, operational and strategic roles within Scottish & Newcastle Retail, Spirit Group and most recently Town and City Pub Company where he was a key member of the senior team before its merger with Stonegate Pub Company last year. His appointment follows the announcement of the departure of Barracuda’s operations director Richard Stringer.

Fluid Group is to open a new venue on Tyneside that aims to emulate the exclusive “private drinking clubs” of London and New York. Set to open in September, Hood Street Club in Newcastle upon Tyne is said to be inspired by the “secret drinking dens which are massively popular in capital cities around the world, renowned for their elegant surroundings and superb service”. More at www. barmagazine.co.uk.

A cocktail bar open to 2am will feature as part of D&D London’s South Place Hotel opening near Moorgate in the City of London in September. Called 3 South Place Bar, it is next to the ground-floor “British diner” 3 South Place, which have both been designed

by Conran & Partners. At the top of the hotel, Angler restaurant includes an outdoor terrace for dining and drinking.

6| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Pub company Orchid Group has brought in another leading operator, Eclectic Clubs & Bars, to run 33 of its venues including The Living Room chain.

Eclectic has entered into a management contract with Orchid’s PBR Leisure (PBRL) business to run the bars, nightclubs and restaurants.

It comprises 14 sites operating as The Living Room and another 19 under the Ultimate Leisure umbrella including Coyote Wild in Derby, City Vaults and Bambu in Newcastle, Beach and Irene & Nan’s in Belfast, Halo and Quilted Llama in Leeds and The Cotton Factory in Huddersfield.

Eclectic, which will now run nearly 50 sites,

owns 16 late-night bars and clubs across the UK under brands such as Sakura, Lola Lo, Fez Club and Po Na Na. Reuben Harley, chief executive of Eclectic, added: “We see great opportunities in bringing our brand development expertise and service culture to the PBRL group and look forward to working alongside many excellent people within the current PBRL team.”

PBRL chairman David Myers added: “Whilst it is generally recognised that the last few years have been very difficult for the UK hospitality sector, now is the right time to bring in the Eclectic team which has the specific expertise to drive both The Living Room and the Ultimate Leisure businesses forward.”

UK triumphs in global bar awards

Team GB triumphed at the international Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, with bars and bartenders from the UK taking six of the trophies.

The London winners were the Artesian Bar at London’s Langham Hotel and its head bartender Alex Kratena, the Zetter Townhouse (pictured), Callooh Callay and the Connaught Bar. British mixologist Angus Winchester, now Tanqueray’s global brand ambassador, also won an award. n Details at www.barmagazine.co.uk.

Restaurateurs Dan and Laura Stevens are at the helm of a new bar and restaurant in Skipton, North Yorkshire, called No 1 Bar & Grill. The Devonshire Place venue, formerly Nosh, has a cocktail and champagne bar for drinks and light bites in the basement and a more formal restaurant on the ground floor.

Corney & Barrow invests in bar concepts Bar operator Corney & Barrow has launched the first site for its Cabin travel bar concept as part of a new brand identity for the businesss.

The first Cabin at London’s Waterloo station aims to “put the romance back into travel” and is the third brand for the company which also operates C&B Bars and the Terrace restaurant in the City.

Last month, it reopened the first of its new-look C&B Bars, Mason’s Avenue, under a new identity. It is described as “less corporate” with more emphasis on food, open kitchens, provenance and cask ale.

C&B also plans to expand its Terrace offering after the success of its flagship restaurant, Devonshire Terrace, which was revamped last year.

Casio EPoS Solutions

Giving customers something to “shout” about

“I feel extremely comfortable using an EPoS terminal from Casio, a brand that we can all trust” “We have decreased staff time spent on the till by 70% in our pub” “By eradicating miscalculations, we are saving up to £500 a month” “SMS marketing through the Casio EPoS has achieved impressive conversion rates of up to 30%”

To find out more about Casio EPoS, the trusted pub and bar solution, please contact us.

Casio Electronics Co. Ltd, Unit 6, 1000 North Circular Road, London NW2 7JD epos@casio.co.uk | twitter@casiob2b | 020 8450 9131

BarMag_6600_Advert.indd 1

21/6/12 15:32:25

venue profile Picture: Richard Southall/Emphasis Photography

Après Town & Country Inns has created a new look for its 10-year-old Après brand at its latest bar in the West Midlands

N

ow celebrating its 10th year, the Scandinavian-inspired Après chain continues to thrive by evolving and refreshing its design and offering. Operated by Town & Country Inns, it has expanded this year with a new venue in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands followed by the refurbishment of an existing Après in Solihull, also in the West Midlands. Both have been designed by Matt Rawlinson of Raw Design, a specialist in bars, clubs and restaurants, who has taken the brand forward with a more modern twist.

For the site in the Mere Green area of Sutton Coldfield, Town & Country Inns completely transformed the dilapidated site of a former Mitchells & Butlers pub, Flints. The dark, heavy Victorian-style frontage was removed and a new lighter aluminium sliding system was installed, bringing in more natural light and making full use of the outside space which has been given a dramatic facelift with decking and lightweight glass balustrading.

The interior was stripped back to the bare walls, becoming a canvas for Après bars’ new look, described as a contemporary version of classic northern European modernism. A key feature is a ply latticework ceiling that conceals a myriad of RGB LED strips that change colour from pale golds and aquas in the daytime to the concept’s signature reds during the evening.

The ply lattice runs down one wall, forming a backdrop to the simple bench seating, and ends on the booths on the other side of the room where flat-screen TVs have been installed behind two-way mirror glass.

8| www.barmagazine.co.uk

The tactile flooring is made up of strip wood-effect tiles and printed carpets from Danish design company Ege. LED downlights and pendant Foscarini ribbon light fittings complete the geometric-inspired interior.

Furniture from previous Après sites has been recycled and refurbished, re-staining tables and reupholstering seating which, Matt explains, was about trying “to retain some elements of the existing rhetoric yet giving it a new aesthetic”.

Matt’s new concept has now been rolled out to Après in Solihull, which reopened in August after a refurbishment. This project saw the addition of a new exterior bar with built-in barbecue, TVs and white sofas. Matt adds: “The brand has historically always been uncompromisingly design led and it is important to keep this progression and design quality. Après Mere Green achieves this: it still has the essence of Après as a brand but is now a totally modern version taking Après forward for the next generation.”

Also new for the company is table service which has been introduced at Mere Green.

Customers can also buy spirits by the bottle for the first time, from Russian Standard and Grey Goose vodkas to Patrón XO Café tequila and Jägermeister, priced from £90 to £130 plus a magnum of Belvedere for £250. The food menu is also slightly different from the other five Après bars, described as “providing a twist to the original offerings”, such as serving food in wooden boxes.

Alongside wraps, ribs and salads, there is an extensive choice of pizzas, burgers and sausage batons.

Where to find it 1-5 Highgate Centre, Belwell Lane Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B74 4AB Tel: 0121 323 2565 www.apresbars.com

Who did it Design: Raw Design Lighting: Tyson Lighting Contractor: Jephsons Shopfitters Carpets: Ege Carpets Alongside the beers and wines, cocktails are available in pitchers, with plenty of party favourites such as a Woo Woo, a Tequila Sunrise and a Long Island Iced Tea as well as a Midori Melon Spritz or a Co Co Cooler, made with Malibu, cranberry juice and pineapple juice. “Pitchers are extremely popular at all Après venues, both for beer and cocktails, as they are consumer-friendly and affordable,” says Fiona Williams, creative director at Town & Country Inns.

Fiona adds that changes seen at Mere Green will be carried through to other sites which are in Birmingham, Lichfield in Staffordshire and Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. The Sutton Coldfield opening was a return to the Midlands town for the brand after Town & Country Inns sold a nearby Après site to JD Wetherspoon last year. “Mere Green has always been an excellent area for us and has a very loyal following,” Fiona says.

She adds that, after the Solihull refurbishment, Town & Country Inns’ will be focusing investment on rolling out its new concept, Fleet Street Kitchen, which debuts in Birmingham later this year. But, with its new design and modern twists, Après bars are in good shape for the future.

Raw

Design

Contact Matt Rawlinson +44 (0)124 222 7342 www.raw-design.com design@matthewrawlinson.co.uk Apres Mere Green designed by Matt Rawlinson

venue profile

Chaophraya A restored building in Glasgow is home to the latest Chaophraya restaurant and Palm Sugar bar

D

ating back over a century, the grand red sandstone Townhouse building on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street has been brought back to life as the latest site for Thai fine dining restaurant Chaophraya and its Palm Sugar bar lounge. Built in 1909 as the Liberal Club of Glasgow, and later home to the College of Dramatic Art and the Royal Academy of Music, the Grade A-listed Townhouse had lost some of its lustre in the hands of modern retailers but it has been beautifully restored by its new occupants after a £2.1million project.

This is the eighth site for the Chaophraya group, which started out in Leeds in 2004 and takes its name from Thailand’s main river. The company now has Chaophraya restaurants in Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool plus two ChaoBaby restaurants in Sheffield’s Meadowhall Centre and Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Yee-Rah in Liverpool.

With three floors of trading space at The Townhouse, the group was able to open a second Palm Sugar bar alongside the restaurant, building on the success of Palm Sugar next to Chaophraya in the Liverpool One development.

To design the new site, restaurateurs Martin Stead and Kim Atcharaporn Keawkraikhot turned to interior design consultants JMDA, headed by Jonathon Morgan, which has worked on its other venues. The result is a luxurious and ornate

interior, inspired by the culture of Thailand and its grand hotels and restaurants, sparkling with glass, chrome and brass throughout.

The grand marble-floored entrance features authentic Thai furniture and artefacts, contrasting with a contemporary central chandelier. To the right is the bar, with an illuminated onyx backfitting and Carrera marble-topped servery, which has a separate entrance onto Buchanan Street through a floor-to-ceiling glazed architectural “lozenge” with its own imported Thai Buddha statues. To the left of the lobby is the luxurious bar lounge, decorated with large antique mirrors incorporating fuchsia-inspired light fittings.

The drinks list is made up of a selection of wines, bottled beers, premium spirits and liqueurs, with a particularly strong range of Scotch whiskies. The cocktails are a mix of classics and “authentic Thai” recipes, such as the Sangplungpra-a-tid (meaning “sunshine”), made with Tanqueray gin shaken with crème de fraise, triple sec and pineapple juice, and the Yok Lor, a combination of Absolut Raspberri vodka, Chambord and cranberry juice shaken with muddled blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.

Up an ornate staircase to the first floor is the 140-cover restaurant, which has been broken up with a raised area of leather booth seating flanked either side by 3.5m-high glass, chrome and timber wine walls. Brass chandeliers have been retained

and restored, now incorporating dimmable LED lighting, while the existing ornate ceiling plasterwork has been enhanced with subtle gold leaf plus discrete dimmable LED spotlighting. Existing fireplaces have been brought back into use to create focal points alongside full-height glass doors that allow diners to see into the busy kitchen.

On the second floor are three screenedoff VIP spaces, created within a single room, featuring a padded TV wall and “authentic Thai” artefacts such as 8ft-high carved thrones, all beneath an ornate coffered ceiling enhanced by gold paper and bespoke chandeliers. Also on the second floor is a “dark and moody” champagne bar, which again has a bar counter of back-lit onyx plus illuminated champagne tables. The chrome and mirrored backfitting is filled with bottles including the collection of single malts.

Off the arched hallway there is another VIP room which, in line with the rest of the property, has moulded panelling, a fireplace and large casement windows. A bold design statement sees this room decorated with heritage dark blue and grey but with pure white timber for the windows plus floating lanterns, contemporary chandeliers and gold-papered ceiling. Through the use of brass inlaid sliding folding screens, the room can be divided into two.

With the high-quality materials, authentic Thai elements and the LED lighting, the result is “a truly stunning ambience”, says Jonathon Morgan. “It is an extremely interesting building architecturally and historically, and it is fantastic to see what we have managed to achieve in only a year from brief to handover, which is something of a miracle for a listed building of this size and complexity.”

Where to find it Nelson Mandela Place Glasgow G1 2LL Tel: 0141 332 0041 www.chaophraya.co.uk

Who did it Design: JMDA Carpet: Brintons Carpets Bespoke light fittings: Northern Lights Furniture: Dawnvale

10| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Hospitality Interior Solutions

Specialist Bar, Kitchen & Furniture Manufacturers to Bars, Clubs, Restaurants & Hotels.

Bars I Fit-Out I Commercial Kitchens I Furniture I Air Conditioning I Bespoke Fabrication I Design & Build +44 (0)161 684 7879 sales@dawnvale.com www.dawnvale.com www.barmagazine.co.uk |11

venue profile

Gorilla

The team behind Manchester’s Trof bars have opened a new venue in the city majoring on gin

I

t was a sad day when Manchester’s Green Room theatre closed last year after nearly three decades serving up comedy, cabaret, music and dance alongside a rather cool bar. But the venue, inside two converted Victorian railway arches, has been brought back to life as Gorilla thanks to the company behind the city’s Trof bars and other venues such as The Deaf Institute.

The Trof group has opened Gorilla in two phases, starting with a bar and kitchen featuring reclaimed timber, vintage brickwork and 1950s-style booths. The interiors were designed in-house by owners Joel Wilkinson and Adelaide Winter, sourcing reclaimed furniture and fittings from local suppliers such as In Situ Manchester. It is a welcome addition to West Whitworth Street, just up from Oxford Street and the universities – in an area that was once home to the legendary Haçienda nightclub.

Open from 9am to 3am weekdays and 10am to 4am at weekends, Gorilla is serving up food from breakfast through till late, from chargrilled burgers and gourmet sandwiches to steak on the rib, chicken kebabs, and spatchcocked chicken with lemon and fresh herbs. Like Trof’s other venues, Gorilla is served by its own in-house bakery which means a ready supply of fresh sourdough, brioches and maple and pecan muffins.

Upstairs is the Gin Parlour, offering over 30 different gins, including some not stocked at other Manchester bars. Alongside the bigger brands, you will find small-batch gins such as No 209, Aviation, Jensens Old Tom Gin and Sacred as well as Wees genever and the bar’s own house-produced buttered gin. The menu includes twists on a standard gin and tonic, made with Fentimans Tonic but adding ingredients such as pineapple, coconut, elderflower, rosemary and sage.

The Gin Parlour is strong on classic cocktails, from The Last Word, Corpse Reviver No 2, Martinez and Martini to relatively more modern drinks such as a Bramble, Ramos Gin Fizz and a Ginger Gin Sling. A broader selection of classics – many with a twist – feature on the main bar’s menu such as a Sazerac made with both Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey and H by Hine

12| www.barmagazine.co.uk

cognac, and a Mary Pickford combining Bacardi Carta Blanca rum with maraschino liqueur, grenadine and pineapple. Several are made with homemade ingredients such as tonic syrups.

The drinks list, presided over by general manager Dan Morris, also offers a good selection of interesting wines, ciders and bottled beers such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Odell 90 Shilling Ale, Augustiner Helles and Thornbridge Brewery’s Indian pale ale Jaipur. A short list of canned beers ranges from Red Stripe and Asahi to Brooklyn, BrewDog Punk IPA and Maui Big Swell IPA. Being open all day, it puts as much focus on choosing good-quality coffee which is supplied by Has Bean and ethically sourced from a family-run single-estate farm in Bolivia.

In line with the site’s Green Room past, the owners have now embarked on the

Where to find it 54-56 Whitworth Street West Manchester M1 5WW Tel: 0161 407 0301 www.thisisgorilla.co.uk second phase of the development, reopening the back part of the space as a performance venue and club in September.

Gorilla plans to remain involved with the local arts and theatre community by supporting a diverse range of performance and music, with October already boasting American band Dirty Projectors, San Francisco drag artiste Trixxie Carr and an audio-visual show celebrating the north’s shipbuilding heritage. The stage and club part of Gorilla will host bands, DJs and club nights so that it joins the group’s other venue, The Deaf Institute, as one of Manchester’s leading night-time venues.

INSITU The Home of Architectural Salvage and Architectural Antiques.

For kitting out old houses, modern warehouse style apartments, clubs, bars, restaurants or shops who want to create interiors with soul and personality, In Situ Manchester is an absolute Godsend. From flooring and doors to stoves, fires and fireplaces, tiles, bathrooms and banisters, the list is endless. Browse through our online Catalogue to see our current range of stock.

252 Chester Road, Hulme, Manchester M15 4EX Tel: 0161 839 5525 Mobile: 07780 993 773 Email: info@insitumanchester.com Web: www.insitumanchester.com

diningchairsuk Contract Furniture Solutions In addition to the below, we also offer a wide range of: n Tables

Chelsea from £39

Michigan from £46

Memphis from £44 VAR

n Outdoor furniture

n Fixed Seating

n Sofas & Armchairs

Omega from £59

Dallas from £39

Nuton Wheels

Lisa from £39

Tudor from £49

Marais from £44

Kansas from £68

Louis from £64

Reuben from £44

School from £49

Zebra from £42

Marais from £44

STOOL

Dining Chairs UK Unit 7c, Pintail House, Pintail Close, Netherfield, Nottingham NG4 2SG t: 0115 965 9030 f: 0115 965 9039 e: info@diningchairsuk.com w: www.diningchairsuk.com

award winning interior designers +44 (0)1227 771 166 info@lifeforms-design.com w w w. l i f e f o r m s - d e s i g n . c o m

An award winning interior design consultancy s p e c i a l i s i n g i n t h e h o s p i t a l i t y s e c t o r. W h e t h e r a new concept or refresh of existing, call us for an initial free consultation

www.barmagazine.co.uk |13

venue profile Where to find it Hippodrome Casino Cranbourn Street Leicester Square London WC2H 7JH Tel: 020 7769 8844 www.hippodromecasino.com

Who did it Design: Cadmium Architects & Designers F&B: The One Group Bespoke furniture: JMS Carpets: Newhey Carpets Accent lighting/furniture: HB Group, Boss, Tom Dixon, Innermost Main contractor: Beck Services contractor: Briggs and Forrester

Heliot Bar

Heliot at the Hippodrome O

Heliot Lounge

Mark Ludmon explores the bars at the new-look London Hippodrome ver a hundred years ago, one of the world’s biggest circus stars was Claire Heliot and her lions who were so tame that she would tumble with them on stage. She is celebrated in the name of the bar and restaurant within London’s new Hippodrome Casino, which has been created in the 112-year-old entertainment venue where she and her cats famously performed.

Working with casino and restaurant specialist Cadmium Architects & Designers, the Leicester Square landmark has been renovated in a 30-month £40million project that has created not just a casino but a destination for cabaret and cocktails.

Heliot Restaurant, Lounge & Bar is on the first floor, accessible through its own street entrance as well as from the main gaming room in the building’s former performance space. Overlooking the casino floor, it also leads through to the 180-capacity Matcham Room for cabaret and live music.

The building was originally designed by prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham, and much of the original structure has been retained. The restaurant, which serves contemporary British brasseriestyle food, cascades down on three levels, following the original tiers of seating in the auditorium’s upper level. From a dispense bar on the bottom tier, steps lead up to more intimate dining areas, furnished with luxurious leather and jewel-studded seating.

14| www.barmagazine.co.uk

LED bulb-like lights, called Crystal Rain, line the exposed metal girders above alongside pulleys salvaged from the original building.

The main circular bar is bright and welcoming, with mirrors creating a greater sense of space and a kaleidoscopic effect.

The floor is made up of thousands of pennies under glass, while a display of stacked shot glasses shimmers and glows from back-illuminated red panels. To the side is a lounge that has the look of a classic gentleman’s club. “The Lounge is a sexy and cool palette of soft greys,” points out Cadmium managing director Paula Reason.

“Rippled metal wallpaper, silky curtains and beautiful carpets are a backdrop to a series of seductive panels of artwork, gorgeous statement-piece lights and relaxing seating.”

The food and beverage operations cover five bars throughout the venue, from the main gaming floor to the smoking terrace and gaming suites, run by The One Group.

Headed by British entrepreneur Jonathan Segal, the group is expanding into Europe after making its name running luxury bars, clubs and restaurants in the US such as Gansevoort Hotel Group’s. The general manager is Geoff Todd, previously at Ronnie Scott’s and Boisdale of Canary Wharf.

The drinks list has been put together by assistant general manager Philippe Zaigue, also formerly at Ronnie Scott’s and Boisdale, with the bar team, supported by Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands. As well as

the classics, Philippe says they have devised drinks inspired by past performers from the Hippodrome, which was cabaret and jazz club Talk of the Town from 1958 to 1982.

These include the Rat Pack Manhattan, made with Maker’s Mark and Woodford Reserve bourbons as well as Grand Marnier.

However, Philippe says the list is being revamped in September alongside the introduction of cocktails created by Tony Conigliaro of London’s Zetter Townhouse and 69 Colebrooke Row bars.

The bar pays homage to the gin and tonic with a list suggesting eight different gins for mixing with Fever-Tree tonic, from Sipsmith, Bloom and Martin Miller’s Westbourne to Hendrick’s, Fifty Pounds and No 209. But the spirits list features many other gins and premium spirits, with a strong showing of tequilas and whiskies. There is also a good choice of wines and beers, including Blue Moon and London Pride on tap and bottled options such as Brooklyn, Goose Island IPA, Anchor Steam and Saint.

The Heliot bar is open to 3am but the casino as a whole operates 24 hours a day. Many parts of the historic building are open to the public for the first time, with a maze of staircases and corridors leading to private rooms and more gaming areas.

There may no longer be dwarves diving into a pool from the minstrels gallery or Frank Sinatra singing in the auditorium but the spirit of the building lives on.

NOT JUST ANOTHER EPOS PROVIDER?

Visit www.gs-systems.co.uk At GS Systems we’re proud of the fact we’re not just another EPOS provider. Our clients are too because they take full advantage of our EPOS solutions to control, manage and grow their businesses whilst giving their own customers the best possible guest experience. But don’t take our word for it. Visit our new website. Listen to what our clients say, including Marcello Distanfeno (San Carlo), Andy Aldrich (Viva Brazil), Jeremy Roberts (Living Ventures), Andrew Blackburn (Baa Bar) and Vicki Almond (Almond Pubs).

Call 0800 655 6264 Taking the risk out of cash and stock management

www.barmagazine.co.uk |15

trade profile Beach Bar at Maluko

Let me Intertain

Intertain chief executive John Leslie talks to Mark Ludmon about the revival of Walkabout and the new Maluko bar

I

t is 18 years since the first Walkabout burst onto our high streets. At one point, there were over 50 of the Australasian bars scattered across the UK but, three years ago, the chain’s operator Regent Inns went into administration, putting the future of the bars in doubt. Some closed but a core group of 31 live on in the hands of Intertain, the company set up in 2009 to run Regent Inns’ best-performing sites.

Sorting out Regent Inns’ estate and disposing of non-core assets such as the Old Orleans restaurant chain took about 18 months, but work is now well under way on refurbishing Walkabout and developing other parts of the estate such as the Highlight comedy nights – the brand invented after Regent Inns’ Jongleurs partnership ended. “The business was in desperate need of investment,” says Intertain’s chief executive John Leslie, the former Scottish & Newcastle Retail finance director who joined the troubled Regent Inns in 2004.

Over the past 18 months, sums of up to £750,000 per site have been invested in Walkabout bars in Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Leeds, Temple in London, Hanley in Staffordshire, Watford and Liverpool.

Working with a variety of designers such as Monteith Scott and Spatialized, the company has added a new contemporary “wave design” bar, Beach Club areas, new dance floors, new DJ booths, better sound sytems

16| www.barmagazine.co.uk

and more bookable spaces.

Sport continues to be important at Walkabout, with the new-look Liverpool bar having two 50-inch screens, while the drinks offering now includes back-bar cocktail fountains and sharing cocktails served in vessels shaped like wellington boots and suitcases. More emphasis has been put on promoting food to build business during the daytime and early evening, while each venue has a sales and marketing co-ordinator to drive group bookings. The next project will be the refurbishment of Walkabout in Cardiff in September.

Intertain has also been reviewing its Bar Risa concept, set up by Regent Inns in the 1990s as a companion to the Jongleurs Walkabout in Liverpool

comedy clubs. In 2010, this saw Bar Risa in Reading replaced by Rewind, a bar celebrating the 70s, 80s and 90s, alongside a Highlight comedy club. Other Highlight comedy clubs continue to operate as part of other sites, treating them as parts of the bars’ business rather than a separate entity.

With Rewinds within two other venues, it reflects how Intertain’s 38-strong estate is evolving into more of a multi-room approach.

The latest move has been the transformation of Bar Risa and Highlight in Albion Street, Leeds, into Maluko – made up of four rooms including a Polynesian-style Tiki Lounge and a Hawaiian-themed Beach Bar. Its new Club Room will continue to host two Highlight comedy nights a week but will also be used for other events. Designed by Spatialized, it features lighting and sound by Tyson Lighting and Sound Power (see page 53). “So far, our refurbishment programme has shown great returns on investment and we’re confident that Maluko will further this success,” John says.

Alongside him, the rest of the original management team remain on board including chief operating officer Simon Kaye and chief financial officer Mike Foster plus David Myers, formerly chief executive of Avebury Taverns and non-executive chairman of Town & City Pub Company, who joined as chairman last November.

Their current strategy will have seen between £7million and £9million invested in the estate over four years.

John says that they plan to start on another three-year phase of investment in 2013, with Maluko a potential concept for roll-out. “The main event for our business will always be Walkabout but we have bars in the same locations and need to do something different,” he explains. Intertain also has about 20 places where it is looking out for the right sites for new Walkabouts, John adds. “People understand Walkabout – it has great recognition. The brand has great legs in it but needed us to do what we are doing with it now to make it more contemporary.”

21 Thornhill Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 1NL Tel: 01924 364 700 Email: studio@spatialized.com Web: www.spatialized.com

Sound Power is a professional Sound, Lighting and Video Company specialising in licensed retail and leisure industries.

Sound Power creates feelgood solutions, which means that we provide atmosphere, entertainment and communication solutions to help you make your customers feelgood and to give that feelgood factor to your profits.

We do not manufacture equipment we select and use high quality professional sound, video and lighting equipment chosen from a range of worldwide manufacturers as a complete turnkey system.

Sound Power operates mainly in the leisure industry working with bars, pubs and clubs, restaurants and hotels.

T: 0191 217 0014 E: enquiries@soundpower.co.uk W: www.soundpower.co.uk www.barmagazine.co.uk |17

venue profile Where to find it 10 Commonhall Street Chester CH1 2BJ Tel: 01244 313258 www.theweighingroom.co.uk

Who did it Design: Style Contracts Furniture: Stylematters Outside bar: Pedrali

Top-floor bar

The Weighing Room W A bar specialising in cocktails and champagne has been launched by the team behind Chester Racecourse

ith its proximity to Chester Racecourse,The Pelican bistro and bar was a popular destination for race-goers looking to celebrate their winnings or drown their sorrows.The venue has now been taken over by the company that runs the racecourse, Chester Race Company, and turned into The Weighing Room, a restaurant and bar specialising in champagne and cocktails.

The venue, which was formerly a mill, has been completely revamped, working with Style Contracts, a specialist in design and fit-out of bars, restaurants and hotels. The ground floor remains a restaurant, serving up modern European-inspired small plates, but the biggest change is upstairs on the top floor where an underused overflow dining space has been transformed into a stylish cocktail bar.

The drinks list has been put together by general manager Max Baker, formerly of the five-star Chester Grosvenor hotel, and bar manager Sean Dougherty, also from the Chester Grosvenor and, before that, at The Living Room. The cocktails are mainly classics from Mojitos and Bellinis through to a Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri, but original drinks include Sean’s creation, a Grizzly Adams, made with Maker’s Mark bourbon, raspberries, framboise, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice. Alongside a good selection of wines, there is an extensive champagne list from Laurent-Perrier and Bollinger to vintage and prestige cuvées

18| www.barmagazine.co.uk

such as Dom Pérignon and Krug. The range of premium spirits behind the bar includes a good choice of rums, vodkas and whiskies while the bottled beers include the likes of Cusqueña from Peru and Monteith’s from New Zealand.

The sophisticated new interior was designed by David Oulsnam of Style Contracts working with furniture design company Stylematters. Inspiration has come from the links with the racecourse, which can be seen not just in the venue’s name but also in the multi-coloured framed jockey shirts on the walls. New furniture in the ground-floor restaurant and its adjoining bar includes high stools around the counter that have been upholstered in a bright orange fabric to match the jockey shirts.

A spiral staircase to the top floor has been padded in velvet fabric in alternate stripes to add a touch of luxury and softness to Outside terrace

the interior. This use of velvet continues on into the top-floor cocktail bar where the oak bar front is also padded with velvet. A new back-bar fitting of back-lit Perspex adds sparkle through the use of colour-changing LED lights, while original structural details have been retained to great effect including exposed beams and an original crane wheel.

Original oak floors and exposed brickwork have also been kept.

The room is furnished with Seville two-seater sofas with brass studding, Jester chairs with gold door knockers and round upholstered Snap pouffes with low half-curve backs making them look like an upside-down jockey’s cap. Known as The Enclosure, the top-floor bar is promoted as a private members lounge.

The redesign extended to the rear outside terrace, now dubbed The Parade Ring. It has been enclosed with oak posts and glass screens and furnished with benches and chairs covered in green waterproof fabrics.

A striking new outside bar, glowing from internal illumination, has been sourced from Italian company Pedrali after the design team spotted it at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile fair in Milan in April.

While this is the first off-site venue for the Chester Race Company, they have won awards for catering at the racecourse, including the 1539 Restaurant & Bar and its terrace lounge The Roof. Richard Thomas, chief executive of Chester Race Company, says: “With our expertise in delivering great dining experiences, we believe The Weighing Room is a great opportunity for us to expand our business and to provide Chester with a unique bar concept.”

drink

September 2012

www.barmagazine.co.uk

A Bar magazine supplement

Putting the heat into bombs Fireball’s assault on the UK is heating up

120822-Fireball-DrinkMagA4-4.indd 1

24/08/2012 15:03

news

Countdown to shows and cocktail celebration Visitors will be able to taste some of the world’s finest whiskies, rarest single malts and once-in-a-lifetime drams alongside masterclasses from producers and whisky experts. Register at www.whisky-show.com/ trade.

On October 13 and 14, the sixth annual RumFest brings together more than 400 rums and cachaças, moving to the bigger venue of ExCel in London’s Docklands. It features entertainment and masterclasses, talks and seminars involving blenders, distillers and mixologists.

Over the same two days at ExCel, the Boutique RumFest is aimed at the trade, featuring new and smaller independent producers of rums and cachaças.Visit www. rumfest.co.uk and www.boutiquerumfest.co.uk.

Plans are under way for October’s London Cocktail Week, with drinks brands large and small set to run events around the Seven Dials area of Covent Garden.

Partners already lined up include Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, Diageo, Pernod Ricard UK and First Drinks as well as many boutique brands. The events aimed at the trade and consumers will include seminars, pop-up bars, tastings, parties and masterclasses.

Details of events, running from October 8 to 14, will be at www.londoncocktailweek.com.

The weekend before London Cocktail Week will see the return of The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show at Vinopolis near London Bridge.

The show will be open on October 6 and 7 for consumers and during the daytime on October 8 for the trade.

Cherry-infused bourbon Red Stag

by Jim Beam has become official spirits partner and best album award sponsor at the Q Awards, the latest in the brand’s £500,000 Fresh Tracks campaign. Part of a partnership with Q magazine publisher Bauer, the brand will have a Red Stag bar and exclusive pouring rights at the music awards ceremony in October. A scratchcard promotion in the ontrade offers prizes of tickets to the ceremony and subscriptions to Q.

First fruit cider for Magners Stolichnaya celebrates The first fruit-flavoured cider has been added to the Magners range with Magners Berry – a mix of natural orchard fruits including strawberries, blackcurrants and raspberries, blended with pear cider. It comes in 568ml bottles.

Magners head of marketing Kirsty Hunter said: “With the strength of the Magners brand behind it, we see Magners Berry as a must-stock for retailers, who are encouraged to create additional space for Magners Berry within their cider displays to take full advantage of this growing segment.”

with more flavours Two new flavour variants have been launched for Stolichnaya vodka, Stoli Hot and Stoli Sticki, to mark the 50th anniversary of the brand’s first flavours.

Based on Stoli’s original Pepper and Honey & Herb flavours introduced in 1962, the company has remixed the recipes to achieve the perfect original taste.

Stoli Hot offers the warm, fiery sensation of jalapeño peppers, ideal for Bloody Marys, while Stoli Sticki is inspired by the candied taste of honey and incorporates complex floral notes to complement its subtle sweetness, suitable for a twist on a Moscow Mule.

The Bitter Truth adds tonic with Love Drinks New bitters have been released in the UK by The Bitter Truth, the specialist in premium bitters and liqueurs, to provide a simple way to upgrade a gin and tonic.

The Thomas Henry Bitters – named after the Manchester apothecary who first produced carbonated water – contain Sicilian lemon, orange and grapefruit, combining zesty flavours against a background of juniper, coriander and maize.

These fresh grassy tones work beautifully with the classic gin and tonic mix but are also good for cocktails and long drinks

based on clear spirits such as gin, vodka, tequila, light rum or blanco tequila.

With an ABV of 43 per cent, the 200ml bottles are available through Speciality Drinks.

The Bitter Truth is distributed in the UK by Love Drinks which marked its fifth birthday last month by launching a new website at www.lovedrinks. com. It includes a searchable database of cocktail recipes using its brands, including videos of bartenders showing how to make them.

Cobra is launching a sleek and sophisticated new font to complete its brand redesign and support its growth in bars. The striking design will roll out across 2012 and into 2013, giving Cobra greater standout on the bar. The font follows new glassware introduced in pubs, bars and restaurants this year.

A new bar has opened at Hebden Bridge railway station in West Yorkshire specialising in cider. The Parcel Office Bar features a range of artisan ciders on draught and in bottles such as Burnard’s Oaky Dokey from Norfolk, Janet’s Jungle Juice from West Croft Cider in Somerset and Yorkshire’s own Moorlands Farm and Ampleforth Abbey. It also sells real ales, Belgian beers and wines.

International Beverage Holdings has unveiled the first release of the 2002 vintage of Balblair Highland single malt Scotch. It replaces the 2001 as the most accessible vintage in the core range. As with every current release of Balblair, it is nonchill-filtered, naturally coloured and bottled at 46 per cent ABV. www.barmagazine.co.uk |21

news Westons Cider has restyled the image of its Old Rosie traditional cloudy cider with a new look that will give it better shelf stand-out. It features a stronger image with a sophisticated look while reinforcing the brand’s heritage, demonstrating the connection between Old Rosie and Westons Cider’s 1921 steamroller that gave the cider its name. Head of marketing Ian Lewis said: “What we now have is a range of Old Rosie bottles and pump clips bursting with personality that will appeal to both Old Rosie loyalists as well as real ale drinkers who will also drink cider.”

A new promotion for Courvoisier offers consumers a chance to win one of four trips for two to Paris and Jarnac, the home of cognac.

Running in the on-trade and offtrade, it is part of Courvoisier’s Cocktails on a Grand Scale campaign developed by drinks company Maxxium UK to promote cognac cocktails. In the on-trade, point-of-sale kits including branded glasses, Optics, bar runners, posters and tent cards promotes the competition as well as the Courvoisier signature serves.

Scotch whisky producer Isle of Arran Distillers has switched UK distribution from Blavod to Indie Brands, the luxury spirits company headed by drinks industry specialists Chris Bowen and Douglas Cunningham.

They have been tasked with developing the brand in both the on-trade and off-trade.

Coniston Brewery’s No 9 Barley Wine has been crowned the “Best Beer” in Britain after a year of local tasting panels and regional heats organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The beer, which has an ABV of 8.5 per cent, was announced as Gold winner at the Great British Beer Festival in London last month. Silver went to Green Jack brewery’s Trawlerboys Best Bitter, while Bronze went to Dark Star’s American Pale Ale. Full winners’ list at www.gbbf.org.uk.

22| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Heritage key to premium move for Zubrówka First Drinks has unveiled a new premium positioning for Zubrówka bison-grass vodka with new premium merchandise – and an end to the Frisky Bison helmets used in student promotions.

New activity focuses more on the heritage and provenance of the rye vodka which is made with an essence of bison grass that is grown only in the Białowieża forest in northeast Poland and can be harvested only by 21 specific families.

Premium accounts will be offered packs of blades of bison grass for garnishes alongside other promotional merchandise such as fruit vases and apple corers. “We want to celebrate the blade,” said senior brand manager Hayley Aldous. “If people get that in their glass, it’s a new way of talking about the story and sharing

Entries open for Bacardi Legacy The latest UK round of the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition has opened for entries, challenging bartenders around the country to create a cocktail that could rank alongside the likes of the Mojito and Daiquiri.

The deadline to register at www.bacardilegacy.com is October 1. The first 200 entries will be put into a prize draw to win a Bacardi trunk filled with rare Bacardi rums worth £500.

There will be four regional heats in London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol in October, leading to a UK final in London in February.

what it is about.”

The campaign also features imagery of mysterious forests based on illustrations by artist Kristjana S Williams.

Brand ambassador Pawel Rolka, bar manager at Coq d’Argent in London, has developed new simple serves such as the Zu-elder, mixing the vodka with elderflower cordial and soda. These and other traditional recipes are being promoted to the on-trade such as the Tatanka, mixing it with cloudy apple juice.

Marblehead Brand Development, which distributed Zubrówka for 13 years, targeted a broader market, including students with its Frisky Bison helmets and events. Hayley said the focus for First Drinks, which took the brand over in July, was people aged 25 to 40 who are looking for authenticity.

New bison-grass vodka A new bison-grass vodka has been added to the Davna range of Polish vodkas by its owner and distributor Marblehead Brand Development.

Davna Bizon is made according to a traditional Polish recipe, with an extract of bison grass – a flavour that has been used for vodka in Poland for hundreds of years, bringing notes of almonds, jasmine and herbs. It has ABV of 40 per cent.

The launch follows the success of Davna Czeri vodka, flavoured naturally with Polish cherries.

Marblehead previously distributed leading bison-grass vodka Żubrówka for 13 years until it transferred to First Drinks in July.

Marblehead business development director Dave Steward, who developed Davna with Marblehead owner Ricky Agnew, said: “We look forward to unearthing more Polish vodka treasures in the coming months and being able to introduce trade and consumers to different styles of Polish vodka and a range of flavours at the heart of their vodka renaissance.”

New team to drive Bloodshot Bloodshot, a spirit for making a Bloody Mary, has been added to the portfolio of drinks distributor Hi-Spirits after it formed a partnership with brand owner Little Devil Spices.

Bloodshot Bloody Vodka Spirit is a premium, artisanal blend of grain spirit produced from British wheat, combined with botanicals including chipotle, tabasco and cayenne peppers, coriander

and celery seed, horseradish and lemon peel. Other ingredients include Worcestershire sauce, oak-aged ruby port, mild chilli juice, lime bitters, and lemon extract.

With an ABV of 29.9 per cent, it can be mixed with tomato juice and lemon juice to make a Bloody Mary, as well as in a range of other cocktails, or served straight up as a fiery shooter.

Absinthe Blanche_Bar Mag 24/05/2012 13:26 Page 1

Absinthe?

Clearly “ La Fée Absinthe Blanche is a fine example of this classic clear absinthe, commonly distilled pre ban in both Switzerland and France – often referred to as “La Bleue ” Marie-Claude Delahaye World-renowned absinthe expert and historian The French Absinthe Museum (Auvers~sur~Oise)

ABSINTHE’S PERFECT PAIR:

Part of the full range imported by Cellar Trends UK Ltd, sales enquires: lafee@cellartrends.co.uk & general enquires: contact@LaFee.com All our absinthes are distilled with Grand Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

‘La Fée’, ‘La Fée Absinthe Blanche’, ‘La Fée Absinthe Parisienne’ and the ‘La Fée Eye’ device are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Green Utopia Ltd and/or La Fée LLP ©

news Disused spaces around London are being transformed into underground one-off consumer events for Monkey Shoulder whisky. Each week, different whisky cocktails such as a Rob Roy and a Sazerac will set the theme for the One Night Only events which will be part art installation, part bar, and part adventure playground for adults.

It will run throughout September, October and November. Details at www.monkeyshoulder.com/ foronenightonly.

Coe Vintners has helped London champagne bar Amuse Bouche in Parsons Green to revamp its backyard into a premium outdoor space branded with Champagne Henri Giraud. It is part of a programme to build the champagne marque after it was added to Coe Vintners’ portfolio at the start of this year. Its ranges include the nonvintage Code Noir and the Esprit de Giraud.

The team behind London club Bungalow 8 and daytime brunch party Love Brunch have launched Ping – a restaurant and bar with ping pong rooms.

Mixologist Cris Cwiek, who tended bar at the now-closed Bungalow 8, has created cocktails such as the signature The Chandler Ping – a watermelon Martini embedded with frozen fruit and a rhubarb Aperol Spritz. The interiors of the 420-capacity venue, which has two bars, were designed by Play-ID and I Love Dust.

New listings have been secured for Pitú cachaça across London’s restaurant and bars, including Indian restaurant Cinnamon Kitchen and its Anise bar and Shoreditch bar Floripa. Distributed in the UK

by Halewood International, the Brazilian spirit has also secured new listings within the Brazilian restaurant trade including Made in Brazil in Camden and Rodizio Brazil Steak House in Clapham.

24| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Pernod Ricard mixes wine and spirits for Christmas Festive wine cocktails feature in a range of activity planned by Pernod Ricard UK across its portfolio in the run-up to Christmas.

Working with consultancy Create Cocktails, it has come up with more recipes using Jacob’s Creek wines after they proved popular in bars, including drinks inspired by the brand’s partnership with Wimbledon tennis.

New serves for Christmas include the Ginger Warmer (pictured) made by mixing Jacob’s Creek Shiraz or Shiraz Cabernet with ginger cordial, cloudy apple juice and ice plus an apple-fan garnish.

It has also devised all-year-round cocktails for Jacob’s Creek Moscato wines, including a

Brazilian Brahma launches on draught Brazilian lager Brahma has been launched on draught in the UK by brewer AB InBev, aimed at bars and restaurants focused on world beers as well as Latin America.

With an ABV of 4.3 per cent, it is light and refreshing with a premium taste and fruity aroma. A new branded glass (pictured) plus a new font badge and handle have been designed for the launch.

Tim Clay, on-trade sales director at AB InBev UK, said: “Brahma launched in bottle in the UK in 2005 and, with demand for world beers from consumers growing, launching Brahma on draught now taps into this consumer trend for authenticity and provenance.”

sparkling rosé, as well as recipes that use its spirits brands combined with wine. These include the Moscato Coco Zest made with Malibu, Jacob’s Creek Moscato White, lemon wedges and lemonade.

A raft of Christmas cocktails have been created for the rest of its portfolio such as Jameson, Chivas Regal, Absolut, Beefeater and Malibu. New ad campaigns will also be launched for Christmas, including major investment in Havana Club, Chivas Regal and Jameson.

On-trade activity for Chivas Regal includes the Chivas and Green Tea serve, presented in a bespoke black metal teapot.

On-trade support for Mr Jack’s Birthday

Jack Daniel’s promotional kits are being offered to bars and pubs to help them celebrate Mr Jack’s Birthday in September.

Helping to drive footfall, Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands will be activating over 10,000 promotions across independent outlets and multiple operators. It will include a variety of instant-win promotions offering prizes such as tickets to Mr Jack’s Birthday gig that takes place in The Devil’s Arse Cave in Castleton in the Peak District on October 6.

Other prizes will include limited-edition cowboy hats and T-shirts. The brand will also be running a free prize draw across selected outlets giving consumers a chance to win a Jack Daniel’s electric guitar with a Jack Daniel’s drinks purchase.

New activity is also building consumer awareness for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, including advertising, PR and digital activity and a new cinema advert. A new Facebook app, called Barfinder, allows consumers to find bars that stock Tennessee Honey by entering their postcode. Licensees can register via Facebook at www.facebook.com/jackdanielshoneyuk.

‘Cult’ Italian drink comes to UK A “cult” drink from Italy, made by blending wine with herbs, is being introduced into the UK through importer Laško Beer UK. Originale De Martin Sprizzerò, which is popular in mainland Europe, is made according to a 1934 recipe developed

by Edoardo De Martin, blending topquality Italian wine, aromatic herbs and natural flavourings.

Originally called Sprizzerol, the light sparkling aperitif was relaunched last year as Sprizzerò, packaged in a gold and orange can. It is promoted for mixing with a herb liqueur, or with white wine or prosecco and a shot of soda. It can also be drunk as an aperitif in a large glass with ice, a slice of orange and a sprig of mint, or drunk straight from the chilled can by straw.

Catering Equipment

We specialise in Commercial Catering Equipment and are currently looking to buy any quantity of equipment you may have from a single item to whole premises.

We can also provide a full site clearance service and hand back buildings to you empty.

If we can be of assistance please call our office on 01684 290368 or David McLean on 07587 136910 www.barmagazine.co.uk |25

MEXICO’S NUMBER 1 SELLING TEQUILA NOW AVAILABLE FROM

W W W. A M AT H U S D R I N K S . C O M

liqueurs

Call in a flavour Mark Ludmon explores how the rise of the cocktail is helping to drive sales of liqueurs across the on-trade

L

iqueurs are steeped in heritage, from the brands created by monks centuries ago to the role of liqueurs in the history of cocktails.This means that many of them are being seized upon by bartenders, says Ian McLaren, head of product training and mixology at Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands (BBFB). “These versatile liqueurs are coming back into style in many ways and enjoying a bit of a resurgence for recreating classic-style cocktails,” he explains. “People are not seeing liqueurs in the same traditional way as they have and are more prepared to see them as interesting drinks to have on different occasions.”

As part of BBFB’s Cocktail Culture training sessions, bartenders are encouraged to put aside preconceptions about different liqueurs such as Drambuie and understand them through blind tastings. “We try to get them to understand the liquid in the glass and understand better how to use it in the future,” Ian explains. The trainers also explore the little-known heritage of liqueurs such as Tuaca which dates back to 15thcentury Renaissance Italy. “The traditional function of liqueurs in cocktails was to give them flavour and to modify them but there are so many options for doing that now that a liqueur has to be distinctive and give something different if it is to stand out,” Ian adds.

Heritage is part of the appeal of Giffard’s range of liqueurs which date back to 1885.

Today, it is run by a fourth-generation

member of the family. “The history and heritage of this family-owned business is important,” says Nick Gillett, director of UK distributor Mangrove. “We are very keen to educate the sector in the history of the Giffard products and the methods used to produce them.” To support this, there are regular trade trips to the factory in France, masterclasses and opportunities for UK bartenders to compete in the Giffard World Cup. The provenance of the liqueurs is also important, Nick adds. “The purity of flavours and the use of real fruit deliver those aromas that bartenders are looking to impart in their cocktails.” Mangrove has also added the unique Bigallet range of French liqueurs to its portfolio, including Bigallet Thym Liqueur,Viriana China China produced from orange peel, and Génépi Grand Tétras which is produced by infusing and distilling the Artemisia Mutellina variety of the Génépi plant.

Natural flavours and production are key messages for the French liqueur range from Gabriel Boudier. Its Bartender Range of liqueurs was developed after research into the needs of professional bartenders which identified that they wanted liqueurs that had no

Midori Garden Until last year, little was known about the production of Midori, famous for its bright green colour and its iconic place on the 1970s New York club scene. Its global brand ambassador Manuel Terron now promotes it as a more versatile cocktail ingredient alongside discussion of its Japanese provenance and complex production process using yubari and musk melons. As part of Midori’s ongoing Create a Stir cocktail campaign, the brand was brought to life in the pop-up Midori Chi Cocktail Garden at The Phene pub in Chelsea, London, last month.Visitors could enjoy the signature serve of a Midori Sour plus drinks such as a Midori Iced Chi, created by bar manager Karolis Siklauskas, made by mixing the liqueur with gin infused with green tea, elderflower cordial, fresh lime juice and cloudy apple juice.

artificial flavours, were highly concentrated to make them economical to use and dense enough to allow for layering. www.barmagazine.co.uk |27

liqueurs

Bols brand ambassador John Clay

Another unique range of high-quality liqueurs has been introduced to the UK through drinks company Sip Or Mix, produced at the Loire Valley’s Combier distillery which dates back to 1834. They comprise l’Original Combier triple sec, herb and plant liqueur Élixir Combier, the complex Royal Combier liqueur and Doppelt Combier Kummel Extra.

Provenance is also key to Esprit de June, a French liqueur made from flowers of grape vines including Ugni Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which can only be harvested in June. With floral and fruity notes, it is used to create sophisticated cocktails at London bars and restaurants such as Kensington Place, Coq d’Argent, C’est ici, Tartine and The Arts Theatre Club.

Older-style liqueurs have been revived

by German drinks brand The Bitter Truth, distributed in the UK by Love Drinks, ranging from elderflower, apricot and violet liqueurs to the spicy Pimento Dram and Golden Falernum. “We look at gaps in the market or at specific products that usually don`t come in a proper quality and either revive or improve them,” says The Bitter Truth co-founder Stephan Berg. “When looking back into history, many oncepopular products are or were defunct or only available in poor quality.”

Brands with interesting stories and ingredients continue to tick boxes for

28| www.barmagazine.co.uk

bartenders with a passion for drinks.

Bénédictine non-cream liqueur was introduced in the 19th century, produced through a complex distillation process using 27 herbs and spices, based on a recipe created by 16th-century monks. Spanish non-cream liqueur Licor 43 is even older, infused with a secret blend of 43 natural Mediterranean herbs and spices. Said to date back to 209BC, it is a leading brand in Spain but now growing volumes in the UK. The latest activity sees bars and clubs across the UK host parties celebrating the authentic “Puro Español” sound, taste and vision. They feature a mix of traditional and modern Spanish art forms, such as DJs, bands, graffiti artists, cuisine and flamenco artists, with attendees able to win a cocktail master class with Licor 43 brand ambassador Robert Wood.Venues include Bedroom, El Paso and Distrikt in London, Goldbrick House in Bristol and Aruba in Bournemouth.

Non-cream liqueurs such as Disaronno, Jägermeister and Tia Maria are seeing the most significant growth, says Fiona Corfield, spirits category buyer at wholesaler WaverleyTBS. “This is partially due to the continued growth and popularity of cocktails in the on-trade, which often contain two or more non-cream liqueur products,” she says. “In the case of Disaronno and Tia Maria, this has been down to two main factors: the ability of these brands to deseasonalise their offering, and secondly, the new promotions put in place to advertise long serves such as Disaronno with orange or cranberry juice. These brands have also been able to capitalise on the growing trend for sweeter products, which is bringing new consumers into the category.”

New serves for The King’s Ginger have cemented its place as an all-year-round liqueur, from the Summer Cup mixing it with cranberry juice and Fever-Tree lemonade to a warming cinnamon-flavoured drink for winter and an autumn cocktail combining it with pear cider.

Promotion of classic serves such as a Sour and a Godfather have helped Disaronno to increase sales by 28 per cent year on year in the UK on-trade. Engagement with bartenders has included the Disaronno Mixing Star competition which this year saw Luca Missaglia from London’s Quo Vadis and Elsa Holmberg from Nottingham’s Brass Monkey represent the UK in the global final in Berlin. “The message is that it’s incredibly versatile and, by introducing new serves,

Bodean’s American-style restaurant chain Bodean’s has been working with Fireball Cinnamon Liqueur with Whisky since the brand was launched in the UK by Hi-Spirits two years ago. Group bar manager Dave Thompson (pictured) says its provenance fits in well with the “Americana” concept across its four outlets in London. “Our spirits offering has a focus on American whiskeys, and since Fireball is a North American flavoured whiskey in essence, it suits our range and also offers a more accessible option for guests who find bourbon or rye too powerful,” he adds.

Big sellers include the Great Balls O’Fire cocktail, made with Fireball, ginger liqueur, grenadine, cranberry juice and apple juice, but it is also served as a straight single or double with or without a mixer, and as part of Bodean’s Shot Stick range of four, eight or 12 shots served on a wooden stick. Fireball is now outselling Jägermeister across all Bodean’s units. we are showing its different uses,” explains Disaronno brand manager Will Thompson from First Drinks. Popular new serves include the Diva, mixing the amaretto with pineapple juice, lemon juice and Kummel, topped with champagne.

New and classic serves are also a focus for First Drinks’ Tia Maria, which this year relaunched with a new bottle design. Simple drinks include a Tia Espresso, a Tia Ginger with ginger beer, and a Tia Love, combining the coffee liqueur with golden rum, lemon juice and mint leaves. Tia Maria and Disaronno have both been supported by three leading bartenders acting as brand ambassadors: Simone

ellar rends and Luxardo Sambuca encourages all consumers to drink alcohol responsibly.

UK Medical Officers recommend that consumption of alcohol should not exceed the following: Men: 4 units per day and 28 units per week - Women: 3 units per day and 21 units per week. A unit is the abv x ml divided by 1000.

A measure (25ml) of Luxardo Sambuca is 1 unit of alcohol. Alcohol should be avoided if pregnant or trying to conceive.

*Source: Nielsen / CGA combined data to 8/1/2012

RW-780.indd 1

22/08/2012 10:47

liqueurs Brands such as South African Caporale of the Langham cream liqueur Amarula have Hotel’s Artesian bar, Francesco played a part in this too, again Turrini of Milk & Honey and promoted for its mixability Jon Spiteri of Quo Vadis. in cocktails. Amarula brand “People like brands that have manager Katie Jones from been around for some time distributor Cellar Trends and have stories to tell,” adds says: “Being compatible with Sarah Harding, senior brand many fruit flavours but also manager for Tia Maria. chocolate, caramel, ice cream, However, the UK’s numberThe King’s Ginger syrups, other liqueurs and one liqueur after Sourz spirits, as well as coffees and remains Jägermeister – despite Summer Cup spices, is a definite brand no efforts to promote it asset.” for mixed drinks. According The rise of the Espresso Martini is proving to research group CGA, it a sales driver for a number of liqueurs, not has grown by 19.8 per cent in value year least Patrón XO Café – the tequila-based on year in the UK, worth £101.4million coffee liqueur. Backed by consumer events in value sales. “The preferred serve for and bartender incentives, it is promoted for Jägermeister is as an ice-cold shot which other simple serves such as a Raging Bull represents the biggest growth opportunity mixing it with cola and fresh lime. “Primarily in the on-trade,” says UK group marketing we encourage bars to serve Patrón XO manager Nicole Goodwin from distributor Café as a chilled shot option and showcase Cellar Trends. Bars are encouraged either it as an opportunity for consumers to trade to use the branded Tap Machines or keep up,” adds brand manager Craig Chapman. the herbal liqueur in a freezer or very cold “Patrón XO Café is a ‘multi-purpose’ drink: fridge. “To add additional theatre it can be enjoyed mixed into cocktails, as to the serve, licensees can serve a cold shot option or served over ice as the Jägermeister in a chilled shot a digestif. This versatility means that it is a glass for enhanced taste and product that has the ability to appeal to a additional theatre at the point of wide audience.” purchase.”

Luxurious serves such as a Chocolatini However, cream liqueurs add to the appeal of the premium are also outperforming the Thorntons Chocolate Liqueur, which has total spirits category, points grown on-trade sales by 560 per cent year out Fiona at WaverleyTBS. on year compared to 6.8 per cent growth “New products to the market in cream liqueurs generally in the such as Bols Yoghurt and UK on-trade. The brand has been chocolate liqueurs are also supported by Global Brands with proving popular in the a bespoke range of menu inserts on-trade as components and tent cards. Global Brands has of innovative cocktail also been working with bartenders recipes,” she says.

to develop its Teichenné range of Spanish schnapps liqueurs, with an online menu creator including a database of cocktail recipes. “Our online cocktail toolkit allows customers to hand pick which serves they know would work for their outlet, so each menu is tailored to a specific target market,” says marketing director Simon Green.

Christmas continues to be key for liqueurs, with many distributors and suppliers investing in brand support for bars for this busy time. “Stocking the right range of liqueurs can offer the on-trade an accessible way of providing customers with a greater choice of drinks,” says Neil Ward of CWF, whose liqueurs include Lixx flavoured vodka shots. “The approaching months to the Christmas trading season provide the perfect opportunity for pub and bar owners to assess their current offering and consider how they can refresh their range of liqueurs to meet everchanging consumer trends and tastes.”

Rhuby launches UK all-female cocktail competition Rhuby, the all-natural Swedish rhubarb liqueur, has created the UK’s first-ever female-only cocktail competition called “Pink Your Drink” to help raise awareness for breast cancer. This unique event will be held during London Cocktail Week in October at a London Cocktail Club bar.

Rhuby, launched in the UK this summer, is handmade from juiced Swedish rhubarb, bourbon vanilla beans and Swedish wheat vodka. It is pale pink in hue, tart and smooth in taste and, at 20 per cent ABV, it is light and refreshing – the perfect drink for the female consumer. Founder and drinks industry guru Ylva Binder has fashioned this distinctive, fun and exciting event to bring together talented females in the name of breast cancer awareness.

The Rhuby “Pink your Drink” Cocktail Competition is inspired by the hugely successful Speed Rack USA concept which has taken the US female bartender scene

30| www.barmagazine.co.uk

by storm. The Rhuby Cocktail Competition invites top UK female bartenders to shake in front of an esteemed panel of judges, including Ylva and the two founders and co-ordinators of Speed Rack: Ivy Mix, a member of Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) New York, and Lynnette Marrero, president of LUPEC New York. The other judges will include Rhuby master distiller Solveig Sommarström.

“Pink your drink” will encourage guests and contestants to make donations throughout the event. The winner will be crowned Miss Rhuby 2012 and receive a £500 cash prize. She will also win a trip to Sweden to visit the Rhuby distillery, along with the opportunity to become The

Rhuby Brand Ambassador.

To enter and for more information, go to www.barmagazine.co.uk and click on the Rhuby “Pink Your Drink” banner. Entries close at midnight on September 28. All entrants must be female, UK based and of legal drinking age.

RW-781.indd 1

22/08/2012 11:50

ready to drink

Ready to mix Mark Ludmon explores how ready-to-drink products are growing through product launches and new ideas for mixing

T

ake three growth trends in the on-trade, mix them together and what do you get? A Cheeky Kylie.With increasing numbers of pubs and bars offering cocktails, and more outlets serving them in pitchers, it is no surprise that the revived ready-to-drink (RTD) category has tapped into these growth areas. At Walkabout bars, operator Intertain has partnered with leading RTD brand WKD to offer sharing drinks such as a Cheeky Kylie, their version of a Cheeky Vimto – the consumer-created serve combining port and

WKD Blue. Other pitcher serves include a Kookaburra Cooler, made by mixing Courvoisier cognac with WKD Blue, and a Flamin’ Gallah, combining WKD Iron Brew with cherry-infused bourbon Red Stag by Jim Beam and lemonade.

“We are seeing an increased use of cocktails involving RTDs,” says Debs Carter, marketing director for WKD at SHS Drinks.

“WKD and a spirit served in a jug with lots of ice in a sharing format is doing well in the on-trade and a lot of the big multiple operators are excited by it and doing a lot

more with that opportunity.” SHS offers menu cards for bars with recipes such as a WKD Dark Horse, mixing WKD Blue with Guinness and Southern Comfort, and a WKD Space Invader, combining WKD Blue with Disaronno and lemonade.

WKD continues to be aimed at people aged 18 to 25, with much of the marketing focused on events through the year such as Halloween and Christmas. It has also achieved success with its WKD Club Edition, released exclusively this year to just 200 late-night bars and clubs, featuring ultraviolet-activated graphics on the neck and front labels. With the university term about to start, SHS is launching WKD’s latest promotion aimed at students, using technology that allows for “augmented reality” (AR). Consumers use a free app called Blippar on their smartphone to view “hidden” AR content on a new WKD promotional T-shirt. If they look through the “lens” of Blippar at the T-shirt’s logo, they will see a tidal wave of water surge towards them with a cascade of flotsam. “It allows us to engage with consumers in a fantastically new and different way,” Debs says.

With over half of pubs now having a cocktail menu, Global Brands has created an extensive menu of long drinks, cocktails and sharing pitcher recipes for its RTD brand Reef as part of its £400,000 relaunch this summer. Supported in the on-trade by branded pitchers and visibility point-of-sale materials, it recommends Reef Orange & www.barmagazine.co.uk |33

ready to drink

Passionfruit for mixing with coconut liqueur, cranberry juice and ice to make a Reef Cooler or with Corky’s Sour Cherry, lemonade and ice to make a Summer Sour.

This summer, it has been working with bars in Newquay in Cornwall for the Newquay Blitz promotion to drive Reef’s “share serve” credentials. “Reef is already a widely recognised brand, but we’re confident that our expertise in developing leading RTD brands, the on-trend marketing campaign and significant customer support re-launch package will successfully re-engage former Reef fans and win new ones,” says marketing director Simon Green.

Global Brands is also tapping into nostalgia with another iconic RTD brand, Hooch, which it has relaunched with a new format and positioning. After a break of nearly 10 years, Hooch Alcoholic Lemon Brew has been introduced into the on-trade in a 500ml bottle, promoted for pouring over ice like a cider. With the new tagline, “Refreshment with Bite”, it is targeted primarily at men aged 18 to 35. “For retro brands to be relaunched successfully, they must draw on positive associations of past times by retaining the brand’s authenticity, whilst also connecting with today’s consumers who are seeing the brand for the first time,” Simon points out. “Hooch delivers on all points as it has a loyal following, and the new ‘over ice’ serve is popular with the current generation of drinkers.”

The relaunch follows Global Brands’ development of the RTD category with its brand VK, which is currently running an on-pack promotion

34| www.barmagazine.co.uk

with a competition to “Win the Ultimate VKend”, offering prizes such as festival tickets, holidays and fashion vouchers.

The RTD category in the UK has grown to over £600million, partly driven by the success of alcoholic ginger beers such as Halewood’s Crabbie’s range. According to CGA, just over £400million of this pre-mixed sector is in the on-trade, with new entrants continuing to bring new flavours. This year saw drinks company Maxxium UK launch RTD range Sourz Fusionz, starting with Apple Bite and Purple Twist – a spin-off from its booming Sourz liqueur range. “The RTD category is significant in terms of its scale in the on-trade – as large as sparkling wine and champagne combined, and almost as large as blended Scotch,” points out Maxxium UK marketing controller Eileen Livingston. “Our consumer research has shown that there is opportunity to reinvigorate the category as 51 per cent of Sourz drinkers drink RTDs. We therefore knew the time was right for Sourz to introduce an RTD that stands out from the competition and, importantly, gives our consumers an exciting new opportunity to engage with the brand as they seek new flavour experiences.

Great-tasting, fruit-flavoured drinks appeal to young adult drinkers and, with continued innovation in this sector, there is huge potential for future growth.”

Eileen adds that there are simple steps that bars can take to make the most of this opportunity. “Keeping fridges well-stocked and displaying new and top sellers on the top shelf is key, as is displaying products effectively in the fridges to take advantage of customers’ line of sight when they are at the bar,” she says. “RTDs are also best served chilled and should never be sold otherwise. Operators therefore need to ensure they are served at the correct temperature. They can also make the most of ice bins for visual impact and ice-cold servings.” Bars should also tap into the promotional kits available for brands such as Sourz Fusionz, Eileen says, and make sure their RTD offering suits their market, whether a student-led club or a food-led pub. “Using RTDs as part of simple cocktails or in pitcher serves are a great way to create refreshing, fruity long serves to share in a more relaxed environment, and this can also deliver high margins.”

Sparkling new idea In supermarkets, ready-to-serve (RTS) growth has been coming from canned mixes such as Malibu & Cranberry, Jack Daniel’s & Ginger and Greenalls Gin & Tonic. The pre-mix drink category is worth £59million in the off-trade and saw 37 per cent growth last year, according to research group Nielsen, but these pre-mixed drinks in a can have traditionally not been targeted at Britain’s bars and pubs. However, Accolade Wines believes the market is ready for wine-based RTS drinks based on its WineNation research that showed that, in the on-trade, 2.7 per cent of drinks are wine cocktails and spritzers.

Drawing on its leading wine brands, it has introduced the RTS Sparkling Collection range of pre-mixed drinks in 250ml cans in the on-trade, aimed at female consumers aged 25 to 35.

With Hardys wines, Accolade has developed two RTS cocktails based on the classic Bellini: the Sparkling White Peach Bellini and the Sparkling Strawberry Bellini, at 5.5 per cent ABV. From Banrock Station, there is Banrock Infusions, a blend of sparkling wine with fresh and natural flavours of summer berries, also at 5.5 per cent ABV. It has also created a variant for its Stone’s ginger wine, a limited-edition Ginger Punch, mixing the ginger wine with lime and lemonade, packaged in a union flag-themed can, at 5.4 per cent ABV. Their launch follows last year’s Echo Falls Spritz in a can, a blend of wine and sparkling water. Available with White Zinfandel Rosé or Pinot Grigio, these have an ABV of four per cent and contain only 120 calories.

“Up to this point there has been a gap in the market for this kind of wine-based cocktail so we’re looking to capitalise on this opportunity with the launch of the Sparkling Collection,” explains Clare Griffiths, European marketing director for Accolade Wines. “The Sparkling Collection range is great for the on-trade as it provides a convenient, added-value alcoholic drink offering that primarily targets female consumers between 25 and 35 years old, but also crosses several consumer segments. The range has great appeal and taste profile, and is suitable to a range of on-trade occasions.”

The original RTD that defined the Brit Pop generation is back. Hooch has been revived for the 21st Century drinker, re-launched in a 500ml bottle to be served over ice.

Supported with a multimillion pound media investment campaign.

Stock up now and join the retro revolution Global Brands Ltd. 01246 216 000 www.globalbrands.co.uk

mixology

Gastronomy-led mixology is growing, says Paul Walker, a food and beverage manager at County Durham’s five-star Rockliffe Hall

Drinks service becomes a ‘cocktail experience’ In recent years, there has been a growing trend of mixologists working closely with chefs to create new flavour profiles and concoctions to match guests’ more sophisticated palates. In the past, a cocktail bar might have been seen as a subsidiary of a restaurant – an added extra maybe. But these days they have become an integral part of an evening, thus the importance of cocktail flavours and combinations has also become vital.

We work closely with our chefs to learn techniques to improve taste and texture, both of which play a major role in the enjoyment of the drink. This also allows us to blend ingredients that in the past would not have mixed easily, through emulsification and other gastronomic methods used by chefs.

We have seen a real increase in the number of people who want high-end cocktails and a change in the type of people they appeal to. These days, more people than ever are interested in gastronomy and a growing number want to learn more about mixology. The techniques carried out by a modern bartender can provide theatre as well as liquid satisfaction – the preparation can be a real spectacle to

watch. It’s all part of enhancing the enjoyment.

In the last year, we’ve extended our signature cocktails to include more unusual pairings. For example, our range of Mojitos uses a common cocktail foundation with the addition of flavour pairings similar to the types found in kitchens around the world, such as beetroot and basil, peach and sage and pineapple and tarragon. And our Smoked Sazerac takes the classic Sazerac recipe and uses equipment borrowed from Michelin-level kitchens to smoke the liquor on the bar top in front of the guest.

I think cocktails are moving from just a drink in a glass to an overall experience. Cocktail bars are providing the equivalent of a dining experience with service, entertainment and finely produced drinks with rare and often unique ingredients. In the next few years expect a lot more “new” ingredients from around the world to appear in drinks and also from gastronomic influences, including herbs, spices, even vegetables. The production of chemical essences and ingredients for kitchens will also increasingly come through to mixologists – it’s a major growth area and proving popular with guests.

The UK leg of the annual Global Cocktail Challenge for Angostura Bitters has been launched, offering the ultimate prize of $10,000 – more than £6,000 – and a job as global brand ambassador for the brand.

With a deadline of September 14, bartenders are challenged to upload an original cocktail recipe using the bitters plus a video demonstrating their skills.The UK final will be during London Cocktail Week in October, while the global final is in Trinidad during the carnival in February 2013.Visit www.facebook.com/ AngosturaUK. Alison Gibb, international brand manager for Angostura, said: “We’re expecting an extremely high calibre of entrants to this year’s UK contest, making it one of the highlights of London Cocktail Week. It will definitely be a fierce competition where the versatility and excellence of the brand will be shown to its fullest extent.”

Mixologists’ corner Mon Petit Salut Leading bartenders have been working with La Fée absinthes to create new serves, such as this from Ash Bovey at Sahara, Reading (which she barrel-ages).

Caramel Manhattan As reported on page 24, Create Cocktails has created new Christmas recipes for Pernod Ricard UK brands including this one for Jameson.

40ml La Fée Absinth Bohemian 20ml Fresh lemon juice 20ml Vanilla syrup 15ml Luxardo Maraschino 4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

35ml Jameson 10ml Caramel liqueur 15ml Sweet red vermouth 25ml Fresh pineapple juice/puree 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Shake all the ingredients hard with ice until your shaker is frosty. Strain into a chilled coupette, with a twist of fresh lemon zest to finish

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled Martini glass.

ML

36| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Facundo Gallego (pictured) of The Bar at the Dorchester Hotel in London was this year’s winner of the UK Bartenders’ Guild National Cocktail Competition, competing against 38 other bartenders to be named Champion Bartender.They had to create an unusual twist on a classic Martini, using Russian Standard vodka, any vermouth and up to two other ingredients of their choice.

Facundo, who created a twist on a Negroni, will represent the UK in the world finals in Beijing in October. Full report at www.ukbg.co.uk. Picture by Tom Elms: www.tomelms.com.

advertisement feature

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride In the fifth instalment of mixxit maintenance, guest columnist and Lucas Bols brand ambassador John Clay champions the unsung heroes of cocktails

W

hen thinking of classic cocktails, people always think of them by spirit type. It’s rare that they would classify a drink by the other ingredients that make up its flavour profile. The spirit is always the star of the show and understandably so. Consumers often prefer one spirit over another so choosing a cocktail is done by a process of elimination. If I like rum, then I’m likely in my cocktail selection to eliminate all other spirit categories…. Right?

Not necessarily. The flavour profiles of cocktails are not merely dependent on the category of spirit. A drink made with rum X is going to taste completely different from rum Y. Brand substitution happens a lot in the cocktail world, sometimes without much thought for the effect on the overall flavour. What people also fail to consider is that the same goes for every other ingredient too.

Take a very simple drink like the White Lady, a classic from the 1920s and a staple of the classic cocktail culture which has regained its hold on the world of good drinking. At first glance, very simple: gin, triple sec, lemon juice and sugar. Most bars will consider the significant difference in taste profiles between gins. Similarly the

lemon juice. However just as relevant and almost more significant will be the choice of orange liqueur. Do you choose a triple sec or a curaçao? Which is more historically accurate? Which tastes better? Do the drier notes of a dry orange curaçao work better or not?

It always amazes me that when selecting products we will compare, say, one whisk(e)y to another. But when it comes to liqueurs, we seem happy to take whichever liqueur range is delivered by our supplier.

It’s crazy when you think about it. What determines the flavour of any given cocktail is the composition of all the ingredients combined. Liqueurs vary massively from one producer to the next. For a strawberry liqueur, not only is it where the strawberries come from but how they’re processed, then in combination with alcohol, how much sugar is involved. The perfume of one triple sec and its flavours of sweet and dry orange vary considerably to the dry and bitter flavours of an orange curaçao.

Selection of the right liqueurs is paramount to the success of a cocktail.

When a guest decides they want to drink rum, the way that you pair it with another flavour will affect whether or not they like

it. For someone who likes a light, aromatic rum, a cocktail with a very dark, molasses deep rum paired with crème de cacao may make them balk in shock. Though rum might be something they enjoyed before, it could well be that gin paired with an apricot brandy gives the flavour profile they were expecting. Similarly, some people may prefer a cocktail not because of the base spirit but because of the liqueur and style of cocktail.

Take the ingredients of classics like The Sidecar, White Lady and Margarita. The common theme is a combination of fresh citrus with orange liqueur with cognac, gin and tequila respectively. I would hedge my bets a customer who likes the taste of one is quite likely to be inclined to drink the others.

Take advantage of complimentary category training from mixxit to discover how spirits pair with different flavours and how to showcase them in a drink. Other than that, my best advice is: taste, taste, taste… and experiment!

Your guest mechanic: Lucas Bols brand ambassador John Clay.

For information about mixxit, log onto www.mixxit.co.uk or email mixxit.uk@maxxium.com.

The Flavour Enhancer Ingredients: 30ml No.3 Gin, 15ml Bols Apricot Brandy, 5ml orgeat syrup, 15ml fresh lime juice, top with soda water Glass: Highball Method: Pour all ingredients over crushed ice and mix gently with a bar spoon Garnish: Lime wedge and mint sprig Units: 2

The Crowd Pleaser Ingredients: 40ml Brugal Blanco, 15ml Bols Cacao White, 10ml fresh lime, 5ml grenadine Glass: Martini Method: Add all ingredients to a Boston shaker and shake hard with cubed ice. Double strain into a chilled martini glass Garnish: Orange zest Units: 2

www.drinkaware.co.uk

www.barmagazine.co.uk |37

mixology

Newcastle bar owner wins whisky challenge A bar devoted to Babycham and cocktails made with the sparkling perry has opened within 1980s-inspired boutique club Maggie’s in Chelsea, London.

The Babycham Bar serves mixed drinks such as Wham Bam Thank You M’aam, a mix of Goldschläger, tequila, lemon juice, sugar, lychee and Babycham, and the Lady in Red (pictured), made with Chambord, cloudy apple juice, Babycham and a dash of soda.

A range of cocktails has been developed for classic wine brand Blue Nun using its Gold Edition Sparkling which contains floating fine flecks of 22-carat gold leaf. The recipes, created by drinks consultancy Maker, include Vanilla and Raspberry Blush (pictured), made with 12.5ml of vanilla vodka and two dashes of Chambord, topped up with Blue Nun Gold Sparkling and garnished with a raspberry.

Bitters, 10ml of The Snow John Collingwood, who runs bar John Collingwood Grouse whisky, 10ml of Aperol No 28 in Newcastle upon Tyne, and a syrup reduction made has won a nationwide cocktail from Wylam brewery beer. It challenge to create the perfect was garnished with a twist of Old Fashioned whisky cocktail. pink grapefruit.

His creation, The Bitter He earned his place in the final Sweet Grouse, came top in the – held as part of a luxurious competition run by Maxxium “back to basics” two-day UK for blended whisky The cocktail boot camp in Crieff, Naked Grouse.

Scotland – by winning the northern heat. He Bartenders were challenged to create the was joined at the final by fellow regional heat perfect Old Fashioned following an authentic champions Ed Belshaw of World Service Bar recipe from 1806 using only four ingredients: and Restaurant in Birmingham, Mark Scott of spirit, sugar, bitters and water.

Hyde & Co in Bristol, Jamie Jones of The Yacht John’s winning cocktail contained a double Club in Manchester and Sam Sidgwick of Audio measure of The Naked Grouse, two dashes in Brighton. of grapefruit bitters, two dashes of Angostura

UK bartenders head Tequila only at new bar An exclusive tequilafor 42Below final only cocktail list using Bartenders from London and Scotland are heading off to New Zealand to compete in the global final of the 42Below Cocktail World Cup after winning at the UK final.

The overall UK winner was Team East London, made up of Terry Cashman from The Hoxton Pony, Alex Clark of 64th & Social in Clapham and Simon Toohey of Callooh Callay in Shoreditch.

They will be joined by the “wild card” winners Team Scotland, which comprises Jamie MacDonald of The Raconteur in Edinburgh, Danil Nevsky of Society in Aberdeen and Megan DeMeulenaere of Bramble in Edinburgh. n Full report and recipes at www. barmagazine.co.uk.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional has been developed by leading bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana (pictured) for new Mexican grill and bar Death by Burrito.

The venue in Shoreditch, east London, is being launched in September

by Shay Ola of dining concept The Rebel Dining Society. He said: “The complex flavour of Jose Cuervo Tradicional has given us infinite flavour-pairing combinations to play with.”

Ryan was previously at bars The Worship Street Whistling Shop, Purl and 69 Colebrooke Row in London and Bramble in Edinburgh. His cocktails at Death by Burrito include the Pink Paloma with Jose Cuervo Tradicional, raspberries and Aperol charged with homemade vanilla salted grapefruit soda.

Bar Wars grip Edinburgh Herb-infused cocktails have been introduced at Barts, the “speakeasy” bar in Chelsea, London.

All of the drinks on the “Totally Herbaceous, Dude!” menu contain herbs grown in Barts’ own garden such as basil, thyme and sage.

Cocktails include Wild Thymes, Sage Against The Machine and The Basil Fawlty (pictured) which is a straight-up mix of Iceberg vodka, pineapple, lemon, gomme and basil leaves in a Martini glass.

38| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Edinburgh bar Opal Lounge has launched a new cocktail competition called Bar Wars, challenging bartenders from across the Scottish city to compete for the title of top bar.

Running at Opal Lounge on the second last Monday of each month, it sees four bars battle it out over three rounds.

The first event, which attracted over 300 people, was won by the bar team from Treacle (pictured) : Josh Ramsay, Meg Smith and Ben McLellan. They were closely followed by 56 North, Candy Bar and Hudson’s Bar. August’s Bar Wars was won by Tonic, against Grand Cru,

Amicus Apple and Opal Lounge. September involves Sygn, Tigerlily and TGI Friday’s.

Details at www.facebook.com/BarWarsOpal.

perfection without fail

quality or consistency, why choose?

Until now, you’ve had to choose between barista-quality beverages and easy preparation. With Viaggi, you can have both. Only the Viaggi technologically advanced system can ensure premium hot or cold artisan-style beverages with perfect taste, texture, appearance and aroma every time.

All at the touch of a button.

the viaggi experience Discover the Viaggi beverage programme for yourself and arrange a visit to our London showroom. Contact us...

T 0208 667 6677 E viaggi@uk.nestle.com W www.viaggi-programme.com

A world of flavours, at your fingertips.

Brought to you by ® Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits NESTLÉ S.A.

show preview

Boutique Bar Show Industry experts, new products and cocktail competitions are lined up for this month’s London trade event

R

are and new drinks products, world-renowned drinks experts and top-level cocktail competitions all feature at this year’s Boutique Bar Show in London.Taking place at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster on September 18 and 19, the exhibition offers a chance for people in the bar trade to find new and interesting products and to gain inspiration for their businesses and drinks lists. Now in its sixth year, Boutique Bar Show is unique in limiting all exhibitors to stands of the same size, keeping it an intimate and business-like atmosphere.

New features this year will include the Boutique Business Lounge, offering guidance for anyone looking to open their own venue (see panel), while Paul Tvaroh, the owner of Lounge Bohemia in Shoreditch, is putting together “an immersive and innovative cocktail experience” at the show.

Seminar speakers include Dan Priseman, blogger at BittersandTwisted.com, who will explore the original classic Martinez from the first written recipe through to how the recipe has evolved to what we recognise today. It will offer a chance to try five different styles of the cocktail, all with historical provenance, which will be tasted blind to provide insights into what a Martinez is.

Drinks historians Jared Brown and

Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller

40| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Open your own bar

Anistatia Miller will talk about “30 cocktails that changed the world”, exploring the history of mixed drinks and cocktails as they developed over five major periods from the 1500s through to the 2000s.

Christian Vergier, master blender for La Mauny and Trois Rivières rhums agricoles, will join former bartender Declan McGurk of Speciality Brands to talk about the history and flavours of this style of rum from Martinique, including barrel-ageing techniques.

As well as organising the programme of interactive seminars, BarlifeUK is also working with Brugal Rum to run an inter-city bartender competition.

Five-strong teams from different towns and cities across the south of England will compete against each other to come up with the best-tasting and most innovative rum punch inspired by their town or city.

The show will also host a heat of the 2012 Masters of Maraschino competition, organised by BarlifeUK with Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur.

With the prize of a trip to the home of Luxardo in Italy and a vintage bottle of the brand, bartenders have been challenged to come up with new cocktails.

A second heat will be held at Boutique Bar Show on October 23 at The Old Fruit Markets, Candleriggs in Glasgow. The closing date for the London heat was September 1 but for the Scotland heat it is October 1, entered via www.barlifeuk.com.

Visitors to the London show will be able

Experts will be on hand at Boutique Bar Show for anyone looking to open their own venue. On the first day of the show, a session from 9am to midday features experts from bar and restaurant fit-out and project management company WFC, looking at controlling costs and working with contractors, and property specialists Davis Coffer Lyons, with tips on finding the right site. There will also be guidance on funding from business investment specialist Downing.

The experts will also be on hand in the Boutique Business Lounge on the mezzanine level on both days to provide free advice and discuss business plans to people registered in advance. to have an exclusive tasting of Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum, of which only 30 bottles are available in the UK. Barrels were set aside in 1962, just before Jamaica achieved independence, so they could be used to create a special blend of 50-year-old rum to celebrate the 50th anniversary. The tasting will be led by Jamie MacDonald, owner of The Raconteur in Edinburgh and Appleton Estate’s UK brand ambassador.

The show will feature products new to the UK, such as Mezan rums from Eaux de Vie, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino from Speciality Brands, Wild Geese Irish whiskeys from Emporia Brands and Monkey 47 gin from Spirit Cartel.

More launches, still under wraps, are also promised.

Other exhibitors will include Dzana rum from Distillnation, Colombian rum La Hechicera, American beer Samuel Adams from Shepherd Neame, the US’s Fordham Brewery beers from Heathwick, The London No 1 gin from González Byass and fruit purees from Pontier.

The show is open from 11am to 5.30pm on both days. More information and free registration at www.boutiquebarshow. com.

advertisement feature

Two Italian icons combine to create stylish new MARTINI serve ®

Synonymous with stylish living since its launch in Italy ® in 1863, MARTINI , Europe’s numberone spirit brand in volume*, has created a new and refreshing way to drink MARTINI: the MARTINI Royale

©2

012 MARTINI

ALE AND THE TAGL , THE BALL AN INE ‘LUCK IS AN ATTITUDE’ ARE TRADEMARKS D BAR LOGO, MARTINI ROY

A

delicious 50:50 mix of two Italian icons, MARTINI Bianco and Prosecco, the MARTINI Royale is quickly becoming this year’s drinks sensation.

Set to become a favourite among women looking for a lighter and longer serve to enjoy while catching up with friends after work, the MARTINI Royale promises a refreshing hit.

The MARTINI Royale is super easy to make: simply pour 70ml MARTINI Bianco and 70ml Prosecco in a large wine glass full of ice, squeeze and drop a wedge of fresh lime and garnish with a mint sprig. It combines the best of the vanilla and citrus notes of MARTINI Bianco and the aromatic flavours of Prosecco.

Reinforcing MARTINI’s Italian style, heritage and premium cues, the MARTINI Royale is aimed at encouraging a new generation of 20 to 30-year-old stylish consumers to seek out and drink MARTINI. The new serve is already proving popular, as the results *Source: ITWS 2010

of an extensive programme of on-trade activity have shown. Over the summer, MARTINI has been sampling in 30 ontrade accounts reaching a total of 11,000 consumers, specifically targeting stylish women during the playful time of night of 5pm to 8pm.

Demonstrating how easy a MARTINI Royale is to make, MARTINI brand ambassadors have been encouraging those enjoying an after-work get-together to try the new serve and offer one to someone else in the bar. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with consumers commenting, “I would drink this as an alternative to Pimm’s.This is much more refreshing and easier to make!” and “Beats a glass of wine for after-work satisfaction!”

Licensees have also remarked on the effect the sampling has had on their outlets.

More than 200 Central London venues have listed the drink serve with some participating venues seeing their sales of MARTINI Bianco quadruple since launching the new serve.

The MARTINI Royale is also the ideal solution for on-trade outlets looking to offer new drinking experiences while avoiding the complexity of cocktail mixing, making it a serve perfectly suited to the rise in casual drinking occasions. Not only is it easy to make, the MARTINI Royale offers a strong 80 per cent GP over cocktails and wine at an RSP of £4.50.

■ Contact Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands on 01962 762450.

Please enjoy MARTINI® responsibly

MARTINI launched the MARTINI Royale Casting in May, a global search for a woman who personifies the philosophy of “luck is an attitude”. Twentyeight of the world’s most stylish, playful and charismatic women have been battling it out to follow in the footsteps of previous MARTINI stars including Charlize Theron and Monica Bellucci.

The winner will receive €150,000, 12 pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes and a year’s worth of designer outfits from mywardrobe.com. Among those competing is Elizabeth Griffiths (pictured) from Brighton who wowed the UK judges with her 50:50 mix of style and sparkle complemented by a “why not” attitude, perfectly akin to the MARTINI way of life. The public can vote for their favourite entrants from 4th September on www.facebook.com/Martini and the winner will be announced in October.

Discover the most playful, fun and fresh cocktail from MARTINI served ice cold.

• 70ml MARTINI Bianco • 70ml Prosecco Simply pour the MARTINI Bianco and Prosecco into a large wine glass full of ice, squeeze and drop in a wedge of fresh lime and garnish with a mint sprig.

www.barmagazine.co.uk |41

whisky

Master of the house Mark Ludmon visits the home of The Balvenie to find out about its latest innovations

T

he Balvenie distillery in the heart of Scotland’s Speyside is unlike other whisky distilleries. It grows its own barley, employs its own team of coopers to tend the casks and has a coppersmith on hand to maintain the stills.

It is also one of the few Scotch distilleries to have its own in-house maltings, where the barley is germinated on the floor, turned four times a day by hand, and then malted in large kilns. “It’s hard manual labour and expensive, so most distilleries have moved away from that,” says The Balvenie’s UK brand ambassador Dr Andrew Forrester. “You don’t actually need to do it to make Scotch whisky but it’s a fundamental belief that this is the way that it should be made.”

This month, the floor maltings will be swept clean and used for a different purpose: a party to celebrate the 50 years that David Stewart has been The Balvenie’s malt master. Born in Ayr on the west coast of Scotland, he joined The Balvenie’s owner William Grant & Sons in 1962 and became malt master in 1974. Over that time, he has gained a reputation for innovation, exploring new ways of maturing the spirit to create interesting and award-winning whiskies.

To mark his 50th anniversary, he has come up with The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask, which has been matured for 14 years

42| www.barmagazine.co.uk

David Stewart

in traditional oak whisky casks but is then transferred to casks that previously held Caribbean rum for another four to five months of finishing. However, David has not used just any ex-rum casks – he worked with a supplier to create a special blend of three rums that would infuse the wood in a way that complements The Balvenie. “It adds more sweetness to The Balvenie and spicy notes, with cinnamon and nutmeg,” he adds.

Launched in the US last year and in the UK this month, the Caribbean Cask will become a permanent addition to the core Balvenie range which also includes the 12 Year Old DoubleWood, 12 Year Old Signature, 15 Year Old Single Barrel, 21 Year Old PortWood and the Thirty Year Old. Each has a very individual taste, but they are all rich and luxuriously smooth, underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie.

Limited releases this year have included The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 5, a single malt married from just five traditional whisky casks and four sherry butts in the distillery’s Warehouse 24. The casks’ contents were transferred into the large Tun 1401, a traditional oak marrying vessel, for several months to produce an exceptionally complex single malt. David is already working on more batches for specific markets, with Batch 6 using more American oak barrels and Batch 7 set to involve sherry casks.

However, more changes are on the horizon for the existing core range.

Although no details are available yet,

Andrew hints that it will position the whiskies in a way that allows people to progress up the range according to taste profile, appealing to the average consumer “while still keeping connoisseurs excited”. The Balvenie’s marketing manager Jonny Cornthwaite adds: “It’s about creating an understandable core range, and we will continue to release various other bottlings and expressions around that.”

Innovation is also coming on the marketing side, with The Balvenie’s distributor, First Drinks, preparing to work with select top-end bars on a new “ritual serve” that taps into whisky’s heritage. Working with the distillery’s coppersmith Dennis McBain, they have developed a serving vessel based on the illegal “dogs” that were used in the past to steal whisky from the warehouse. These small metal tubes would be lowered by a piece of string into a barrel to fill with liquid and then be hidden down the trousers. The new dogs will hold 100ml of The Balvenie and be carried to the table with two glasses. “It’s fun and unforgettable,” Andrew explains.

“But we will be careful where we put it. We don’t want to flood the market.”

In the same way, William Grant & Sons is committed to maintaining The Balvenie’s place as “the world’s most handcrafted single malt Scotch whisky” rather than flood the market. “We want to be better known but not to become mainstream,” Jonny explains. “The Balvenie will stay a traditional boutique whisky. We have the leading malt master in the world and will continue to do interesting and exciting expressions.”

Calm kitchen.

Thousands of meals delivered on time.

Happy customers.

What can a Stannah service lift do for you?

Our Microlift dumbwaiters are simply another pair of hands. They move loads of 50-100kg, all day, every day. Customer service is excellent and manual handling is avoided so everyone is happy. For loads of up to 300kg our Trolleylift, with its floor-level loading option, will fit the bill. All our service lifts come in their own structure so can be supplied ex-stock and installed in just a few days. We know businesses rely on our lifts so we take care of them locally, via our nationwide network of service branches.

Discover what Stannah can do for you

Call us on 01264 351922 Email: microliftsales@stannah.co.uk

www.stannahlifts.co.uk

Passenger Lifts • Platform Lifts • Goods & Service Lifts Escalators & Moving Walkways • Lift Service & Repair Lift Refurbishment & Modernisation

www.barmagazine.co.uk |43 Client

Stannah Lifts

Publication Bar Magazine

Description Microlifts Advert

Issue

April 2011

Type Area

S/O No.

20055

⁄2pg portrait – H261 x W91 mm

1

PLEASE ORDER PROOFS

show preview

James Bullen

Glassolutions’ Cracked Ice

Chop & Change with The Merchant Hotel

New look for design show Ideas for bar, pub, restaurant and club interiors will be presented as part of 100% Design

N

ow in its 18th year, the 100% Design show in London is making a fresh start, with a new team at the helm and a new layout. Many hundreds of designers, brands and companies will be showcased at the event, including ideas for bar and other hospitality interiors.

100% Design is now part of Media 10, which also runs events such as the Ideal Home Show and Grand Designs Live, and new life is being breathed into the exhibition by a team led by Will Knight, former deputy director of the London Design Festival. Running at Earls Court from September 19 to 22, it will have a new layout made up of four zones including Interiors, and Eco, Design & Build. They will all be positioned around a new central bar for business networking.

Debates, presentations and seminars will be held over the four days, put together with leading designers, trend forecasters, brand strategists, architects, journalists and organisations such as the British Institute of Interior Design. Global debates, with live broadcasts from some of the most influential design studios in the world, will be hosted in a dedicated auditorium.

On the Wednesday, a panel debate will explore how owners and operators in the hospitality sector want differentiation by design, particularly in hotels. Speakers include Fiona Thompson, managing director of Richmond International, which

44| www.barmagazine.co.uk

has worked on London hotels including the Langham, Dorchester and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.

A section called Emerging Brands will showcase the best in emerging design talent, from wallpaper designer Kirath Ghundoo to furniture and lighting designers Plant & Moss. Exhibitors include many UK and international brands, plus pavilions from specific countries such as France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Other exhibitors include Mette, appearing for the first time with its Chop & Change modular system for food and drink workspaces, which has been used for pop-up bars and restaurants such as The Merchant Hotel in Belfast. DuPont Corian will showcase the new colour palette for its high-tech surfaces, which includes the introduction of 22 new colours alongside a re-organisation of its existing chromatic range.

Glassolutions will unveil innovations in interior glass for the hospitality industry, ranging from wall cladding, mirrors, doors and furniture to balustrades, floors, signage and shelving. Products include Texglass, a laminated glass that uses bespoke fabrics and metallic meshes encapsulated inside to create stylish feature walls, interior partitions and other surfaces. Glassolutions’ Cracked Ice consists of a shattered layer of toughened glass safely inside two outer layers of glass, creating a decorative cracked

effect. Other ideas for glass in interiors will be unveiled by Objects in Glass.

The latest in leather will be on show from Andrew Muirhead & Son, while Melin Tregwynt will exhibit its collections of upholstery and fabrics that combine traditional weaving with contemporary design. Philip Watts Design will present its avant-garde take on door furniture and other ironmongery, influenced by the forest, sea and tattoo art. Designer James Bullen, who has won acclaim for his threedimensional textile collection, will launch a range of 35 canvas prints for wall art.

Amina Technologies will showcase its invisible loudspeaker solutions that have been used in top bars and restaurants around the world. The latest in lighting will be on show from the likes of Original BTC and Cox London, while new ideas for tiles and mosaics will be available from Solus Ceramics and Trend GB. 100% Design is part of the London Design Festival, made up of over 300 events across the capital from September 14 to 23. These range from shows such as Tent, Super Brands and Designjunction to events in showrooms and workshops such as bar designer Lee Broom’s transformation of his east London studio into a traditional shop to showcase his new Crystal Bulb lighting. Details of events at www. londondesignfestival.com.

For more about 100% Design and to register, visit www.100percentdesign.co.uk.

ECo-FRiEndLy oPTionaL LEd LiGhTs

L E & NA BL IO KA CT AC UN ST TI-F L MU

ConiC LoUnGE

ThE nEw mULTi-FUnCTionaL LoUnGE ConCEPT FRom LamaTa

ExclusivE rEgistErEd dEsign The Barlands | London Road | Cheltenham Gloucestershire | GL52 6UT | United Kingdom T + 44 (0) 12 42 52 47 77 | F + 44 (0) 12 42 23 30 31 E info@lamata.co.uk | www.lamata.co.uk LAMATA_AD180x122_ok.indd 1

G

3/08/12 10:19

CRACKED ICE decorative glass.

lass innovations which give the hospitality, hotel and leisure industry the ability to create stunning interiors without compromising safety or functionality will be unveiled at 100% Design by GLASSOLUTIONS. On stand E200, the Saint-Gobain Group company will be showcasing its interior glass solutions range which has been enhanced as part of an ongoing £2 million manufacturing, operational and product development investment programme.

The interior glazing products on show provide exciting wide-ranging creative options for bar, hotel and leisure market applications such wall cladding, mirrors, doors and furniture as well as balustrades, floors, signage, shelving and feature glazing.

Products include TEXGLASS®, a laminated glass that helps to personalise spaces and bring them to life, with bespoke fabrics and metallic meshes encapsulated inside to create stylish feature walls, interior partitions and other surfaces.

VITRIO® is supremely versatile glass that is back-painted, either as a single colour, with sparkle finishes, or with customised designs. It is ideal for a range of applications from wall cladding to signage, worktops and splash-backs. It is featuring in many high end commercial interiors, including washrooms within The Shard and in 199 Bishopsgate, London.

Taking glass technology to a whole new level is PRIVA-LITE®. This thermal and sound-insulating laminated glazing solution incorporates a liquid crystal film that can manage transparency on demand, changing instantly from clear state to translucent, and vice versa.

A purely decorative product, CRACKED ICE (pictured) is a laminated glass consisting of three layers of glass. There is a shattered layer of toughened glass safely inside the two outer layers, creating the “cracked” appearance of the design. Used in conjunction with SGG DIAMANT® extra clear glass, it is ideal for furniture applications, such as glass tables.

Kathryn Dalgleish, GLASSOLUTIONS marketing manager for the commercial sector, said, “We’ve been successfully supplying the interior glass market from our specialist manufacturing operation in the south east for more than 30 years. The recent £2 million investment programme means we can now supply an even wider market with a broader range of interior glass products that provide dramatic effect and design impact to a project.

“By involving us at the earliest design or concept stage, we can ensure the most appropriate and innovative combination of products and processes are utilised in order to meet the needs of the project.”

GLASSOLUTIONS is the UK’s largest processor, distributor, installer and repairer of glass and glass systems. It has a turnover in excess of £110 million and employs around 1,200 people.

For more information on interior glazing from GLASSOLUTIONS visit www.glassolutions.co.uk.

Fire Retardant, Anti-Microbial, UV Resistant Upholstery Fabric & Faux Leather

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8205 0050 info@aguafabrics.com www.aguafabrics.com www.barmagazine.co.uk |45

Crest JMT Leather Collection 3 Winchester is part of the new Collection 3 range of upholstery leathers from CrestJMT Leather which combine careful selection of raw materials from around the world to produce six great value ranges, each with their own unique look and characteristics, to give customers a far greater choice of quality.

The new range is ideal for customers who are looking for high quality, great value, hard-wearing leathers that are perfect for many types of applications.

The Winchester, made on top selection Brazilian hides, is a heavy-weight, pigmented leather that has been lightly embossed and buffed to create a grain uniformity across the hide’s surface.

This benefit is demonstrable on finished upholstered furniture and makes it ideal for both deep-buttoned work, such as a Chesterfield-style item, as well as modern flat-panel type upholstery.

These anticipated uses are reflected in the brown hues specifically chosen for Winchester.

The Winchester leather also looks superb with twin needle upholstery detail. When combined

with the grain uniformity of Winchester leather manufacturers have a good opportunity to improve cutting yield through careful design details on cushions, arms, under-arm and out-back panels.

Ultimately these elements deliver both a luxury feel and fantastic value for money. www.crestjmtleather.co.uk T. 01706 643 121

PW FLOORING Creative flooring for leisure & hospitality

01908 583857 pw.flooring@virgin.net

46| www.barmagazine.co.uk

flooring Axminster Carpets’ Ready to Weave at the Crown Inn in Horsted Keynes, West Sussex

Take the floor The choice of flooring plays an important part in the look and ambience of a bar or club, reports Mark Ludmon

A

hardwood floor is often the first choice for modern bars.

It is durable and in line with current design trends, but it does have its drawbacks, says Alan Whittle, sales director at Wilton Carpets Commercial.

“Within bars and restaurants, continual background noise is a huge problem and with many venues turning separate rooms into open spaces the problem has become even more noticeable and prolific,” he explains.

“Carpet is a great natural sound absorber and can have a hugely positive impact on the experience of a venue. We have found that many bars and restaurants are now turning to the advantages of carpet. In fact, independent focus group research carried out by some of the major pub companies has shown that, while customers like the look of hard flooring, there is a clear preference for a carpeted ambience when dining.”

Alan admits that choosing a floor is down to aesthetics and performance as much as acoustics, but he says it is a

Interface carpet tiles

myth that hard flooring is more durable and easier to look after. “For those that argue that carpet becomes tired or dirty looking quickly and so hard flooring gives a longer-lasting appearance, it is likely that they have experienced a poorly specified or under-maintained carpet.” He says that less durable manmade fibres are becoming popular for bar interiors but they are likely to become dirty and wear quickly which is why Wilton specialises solely in wool carpet, such as hard-wearing woven axminsters.

In terms of aesthetics, Alan points out that Wilton has its own experienced design team and a large library of designs ranging from traditional bold patterns through to more subtle contemporary stripes and floral motifs, as well as retro-inspired and over-scale creations. “Carpet can be a very creative choice and it is incredibly versatile.”

As well as enhancing the appearance of a bar or restaurant, patterned carpet can help disguise the appearance of spills and dirt during working hours, points out Gary Bridge, design director at Axminster Carpets Commercial. “The way in which this task is approached can vary, but the essence of each design must adhere to these two rules.” Axminster Carpets Commercial, which supplies the hospitality industry with high-quality woven carpets, has a large back catalogue of designs ranging from very traditional designs through to contemporary stripe, soft floral and geometric patterns. Its 12-strong carbonneutral Rendezvous collection typifies modern carpet within the pub and bar environment. Manufactured from 80 per cent wool and available from stock, it is available in a three-inch width that is ideal for the complex layouts of older buildings.

The Chalet Bar Reclaimed wood helped to create the rustic feel of alpine-style chalets at The Chalet Bar in Mathew Street in Liverpool city centre. Bar owner Arran Bordi turned to reclaimed timber specialist Lawson’s which provided floorboards that were originally from the Gannex textile mill in Halifax, West Yorkshire, alongside bespoke handsanded reclaimed pine for bar tops and wall cladding and funky oak tables.

Arran describes the result as “fantastic”, adding: “The materials are so unique and individual.”

“While it is difficult to change interior features, it is a far easier proposition to alter fixtures, furniture and the floor and, with a large surface area, the carpet can have a huge impact on the feel of the interior,” Gary points out. “For those looking to add a contemporary twist to a traditional dining area, over-scale traditional patterns are a great option. Many venues opt for neutral shades in plain or pinstripe designs, but these are often a mistake. They don’t have a dramatic impact on the feel of the interior, serving more as a backdrop, and www.barmagazine.co.uk |47

flooring

Suave wine bar Karndean Designflooring

do little to disguise dirt and spills. The level of impact will depend on how bold you are with colour selection. Of course, we’d never suggest clashing and uncoordinated colours just to create impact as the effect will soon grow tiresome, but it is possible to use bold colours while still giving a timeless quality to the carpet. Indeed, strong tones can look resplendent, but never too many – when considering using bold colours, remember less is most definitely more.”

Another option for busy bars is carpet tiles which are not only sound-absorbing and durable but can be easily replaced if one area becomes damaged or worn, points out Hannah Harper, concept designer at carpet tile specialist Interface.

“To further extend the life of the flooring, tiles from particularly busy routes, such as the entrance, can be switched with those from other areas which experience lower footfall, to balance the wear on the carpet,” she adds. “Carpet tiles also offer flexibility in terms of design, as they can be changed in line with design trends, with minimal disruption to the running of bar. As well as creating an inspiring, bespoke design, tiles can be used to differentiate particular areas, such as informal bar seating or VIP sections.

Zoning spaces in this way allows for a subtle distinction between sections of the interior

Wilton Carpets at Chicago’s in Windsor, Berkshire

48| www.barmagazine.co.uk

without the need for walls or partitions, maintaining a feeling of space.”

She suggests that, if aiming for an air of luxury, an area of flooring should have rich, warm colours with a degree of depth and opulence, while lighter, cooler-toned and fresh colours could be used for a more relaxed informal atmosphere. “Coordinating colours will help generate a feeling of calm, whereas contrasting colours will create a more vibrant feel in the bar,” Hannah adds. “A clever choice of colour can also reinforce a wider brand identity, however subtly, or alternatively be used to express the individuality of the venue.”

Euro-Floor Design reports a trend in the customised cutting services that it provides, using the latest technology to produce intricate designs in virtually any material.

“Our clients in the hospitality industry seem to be sticking with traditional floorings such as linoleum, rubber and carpet,” says its marketing director Louisa Soulsby, “but the more discerning client is opting for stone, granite or marble with stainless steel or brass design inlay, not only in the floor but incorporating it into the counter tops.

There are virtually no limits to the designs and materials we can cut with our water-jet machine.” She adds that the most popular choice has always been the Coir Entrance Mat with the corporate image inlaid into it, which is also offered with stainless steel inlay and can incorporate any choice of materials.

Advances in technology have widened the choice of luxury vinyl tiles for bars and clubs, offering a range of striking finishes as well as being durable and versatile.

Karndean Designflooring has extended its offering by partnering with magnetised flooring specialist IOBAC. Its system allows for a new dancefloor to be installed, or an existing one replaced, quickly, efficiently and sustainably. “Working in the same way as a fridge magnet, the IOBAC system

The owner of the new Suave wine bar in Westbury, Wiltshire, chose resinbound paving to create a stunning visual statement, sourcing the high-quality SureSet range from specialist installers PJJ Contractors. Although resin-bound paving is normally used externally, SureSet’s new InBound range was developed specifically for interior work and in particular for areas that may be heavily used such as busy bars.

A wide range of colour options are available, but SureSet Norwegian Bronze was chosen for Suave, providing a blend of warm shades of brown and bronze.

A 3mm aggregate was installed across an area of about 59 square metres, so PJJ made sure the surface was properly screeded and trowelled to provide a level surface across the whole floor. To provide a completely waterproof surface, PJJ applied two final coats of colourless sealant. securely holds the chosen flooring in place, so no slipping or movement of tiles will occur,” explains IOBAC chief executive Derek Smyth. “As there is no glue adhesive required on the subfloor, the flooring can be uplifted and easily replaced ensuring the nightclub or bar stays refreshed and attractive. Luxury vinyl tiles from Karndean Designflooring or magnetic carpet tiles from Interface can be chosen to lie on top of the IOBAC system to ensure the dance floor is as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

Karndean allows the designer to specify intricate borders, corporate colours and bespoke laying patterns making it easy to update the design and ensure the nightclub or bar stays ahead of the rest.”

These kinds of flexible options help bars and clubs to stand out from the competition, adds Paul Barratt, commercial sales director at Karndean Designflooring.

“Proprietors want to create impact from the moment the customer walks through the door. Although sometimes not at the forefront of a design plan, flooring can play a big part in setting off interior inspiration and drawing people’s eye into a room.”

New Trend Teak Agglomerate Flooring Planks Reflecting today’s fashion for woodeffect flooring, Italian tile maker Trend has introduced new agglomerate flooring planks for beautiful, eco-sustainable finishes. Rather than mimic the appearance of wood or use face printing technology, Trend has chosen timber-like quartz, granite and recycled glass finishes for its new Trend Teak range, leaving the 120cm x 14.7cm planks to replicate the appeal of solid wood flooring when laid. Measuring only 6.6mm thick, Trend Teak planks are lightweight, flexible and easy to handle, yet technically superior to most timber, laminate, vinyl and ceramic materials, which makes them ideal for demanding flooring applications, such as bar areas, dance floors and outside terraces.

For further information contact Trend GB, Decimus Park, Kingstanding Way, Tunbridge Wells TN2 3GP, telephone 01892 509690, email info@trend-gb.com or visit http://www.trend-gb.com

V Flexible Bains marie hot cupboard carvery unit with heated curved glass gantry overshelf. l Totally mobile on four castors. l Stainless Steel construction. l Independent controls to cupboard

top and heat lamps. l k loading tted with amp cable and plug. l Can be supplied with Carvery, tiled or glass inserts to suit re uired con guration.

Victor Manufacturing Ltd. Tel email@victormanufacturing.co.uk

www.victoronline.co.uk online.co.uk www.barmagazine.co.uk |49

expert advice

Advice on keeping customers online from Richard Stevenson, head of corporate communications at 1&1 which hosts millions of websites worldwide

Could a poor website be hurting your business?

N

ew research of 1,500 consumers commissioned by 1&1 in 2012, finds that many consumers today will not forgive a slow or faulty website. In an era when many rely on round-the-clock e-commerce and online banking, more Britons than ever are frustrated by websites which are slow, faulty or taken off-line for maintenance.

Consumers have never been so aware and unforgiving of poor websites. If a website does not perform well, users will switch to an alternative. Bar owners must be aware that their choice of website package has never been so important. Those that fail to ensure high standards, risk losing revenue and reputation.

Significantly, 38 per cent of consumers have decided to avoid a company in the future as a result of finding a faulty website.

Some 44 per cent admit to being more critical towards website errors today than they were five years ago. Thirty-nine per cent believe that they have become better able to judge whether a website contains faults over the same period.

Oliver Mauss, chief executive of 1&1 Internet, warns that “unreliable websites continue to reflect badly upon businesses of all types and sizes. It is clear that when faced with a faulty or off-line website, consumers will turn elsewhere. Perhaps more surprising is the proportion that will be unwilling to return.”

The research shows that keeping a badly designed or unreliable website online can comprise a risk to your revenue and development. Consumers have ever-higher expectations, and it is essential that every company website inspires confidence.

Today there are website packages aimed specifically at helping small businesses launch a compelling and effective website in minutes. In particular, there are packages

50| www.barmagazine.co.uk

from around £10 per month that provide a choice of industry-specific templates and content, such as those for pubs, bars and clubs. The packages are designed to be used by any level of computer user and include everything that an establishment needs to launch online.

An industry-specific website package will come with a food and drink-themed template and related pre-filled trade texts and images. Within such packages, there will be tools for social media and mobile functionality, and features like feedback forms, relevant image library and location, news and weather content, as well as shop functionality.

No enterprise can afford the loss of image and sales revenue that a poorly presented or broken website can lead to. Every bar owner would be wise to ensure that their website grows and improves even modestly each and every month. Every firm needs a website that does them proud.

Top tips for a flawless website Need for speed: Slow-running websites are Britain’s number-one web gripe, with the average consumer wasting a staggering two days a year waiting for slow sites to load. Ensure your website package offers the highest possible speed – called “connectivity”.

Practical design: Home broadband and wireless speeds can still limit consumers, so do not risk bad design elements on your landing page. Use a package that makes it simple to design effectively and offers quick links directly to the main functions of your website.

Communicate often: Consumers always need help, so ensure comment boxes, email or enquiry forms are only two clicks away. Use a package that includes Facebook and Twitter integration, and a newsletter tool.

Regular advice from yourself will support your audience and help you to be found on search engines.

Stay reliable: Frustrations have led 72 per cent of web users to abandon a company website for a competitor’s.

Make sure to choose a provider that has the experience, technical infrastructure and financial stability to make sure your website performs well and can grow in line with your success.

Be mobile-friendly: 1&1 found half of small firms have not checked their own website from a mobile device.

Millions of consumers buy and research using iPads and mobile phones. Use a package that automatically ensures your website will load promptly, function correctly and look attractive on mobile devices.

club

September 2012

www.barmagazine.co.uk

A Bar magazine supplement

Walking Screens

See more at www.adscreens.com Call Jon on 07767 613997 or email jon@adbikes.com

bar-mag.ai

3

13/08/2012

15:24

Switch to

LED lighting

and start saving today

B U P ING

R E T CA TION S

C

M

Y

CM

MY

LEDHut.co.uk are the UK's Number 1 Online LED Lighting Supplier Offering a wide range of top quality LED lighting products at unbeatable prices.

From stylish spotlights to multi-coloured striplights, LEDHut.co.uk can help

CY

CMY

K

U L O S

t: 01534 764 778

e: customerservices@ledhut.co.uk

www.ledhut.co.uk

Lec c and Burco offer a wide e range r of products to suit all your pub b catering needs: Lec • Catering refrigeration • Back bar bottle coolers

Burco • Countertop pie and pizza warmers • Range of countertop cooking equipment to suit all your needs • Range cookers

Contact us today for more re information

Filter sleeves for fluorescent tubes convert standard tubes into a rainbow of colours. The cost effective way to create the ideal environment, be it for decorative or protective purposes.

Colorap filter sleeves are manufactured to fit T4, T5, T8 or T12 as well as compact and LED lamps and come in various lengths to suit.

Now stocked in 20 colours plus clear ultra violet filter.

Others to special order.

A prompt efficient service is our standard not our objective

www.gdpacatering.co.uk or call 0844 815 3742

52| www.barmagazine.co.uk

sound and light

Take the stage Sound and lighting installations are bringing theatrical experiences into clubs and bars

Hakkasan Abu Dhabi

A

ll the world’s a stage, Shakespeare once wrote, and that is certainly true of many of today’s clubs and bars.Techniques and ideas from stage design are informing the interiors of many top-end venues, such as the new lighting effects being installed at Hakkasan’s bars and restaurants.The UK-based operator has been installing special effects at its sites in Mumbai, New York, Abu Dhabi and, most recently, Dubai.Working with London-based Firefly Lighting Design, it has used Rosco X-24 projectors equipped with gobos to create a moving water effect which, in the case of the Abu Dhabi Hakkasan, runs the full 15-metre length of the bar. “Borrowing this effect from the theatrical world resulted in an environment that was kinetic, interesting and

lively,” explains RoscoLab’s project specialist Steve Ramos.

Light is “architecture” and a way to create “a luminous atmosphere”, according to Annabel Karim Kassar, Christophe Hascoet and Isabelle Rolland who founded architectural lighting specialist Caï Light.

Their designs at bars, clubs and restaurants around the world are driven by the belief that the play of shadow and light is one of the most effective means of transforming space. Caï Light worked with restaurateur Mourad Mazouz of London’s Sketch and Momo when he opened Momo at the Souks in Beirut last year. Inspired by the jewellery stores downstairs from the new bar and restaurant, Caï Light created Le Diamant Jalila, which looks like a giant diamond, measuring one metre in diameter and 30cm thick. With 400 cut faces acting as reflectors, it is a crystalline prism that traps and amplifies light reflections. In the bathrooms, Caï Light created another

Plasa 2012

Maluko Sound Power, a specialist in AV for pubs and bars, has installed the sound, lighting and vision for the whole of Intertain’s new venue, Maluko, in Leeds city centre.

In the Beach Bar, this included Martin Professional effects lighting and a new Pioneer CD player and mixer, while The Cabin Room features new Chauvet moving heads and batons, Martin Audio speakers and a 50-inch Samsung screen.

More Martin, Chauvet and Pioneer kit was used in the Club Room, home to Highlight comedy nights.

reflective piece, Fractale Super Round, a concave fragmented mirrored surface, while in the cubicles themselves, there are colourchanging projectors playing on a geometrical patterned board to create moving wallpaper.

A new translucent surfacing material from Italian manufacturer Okite can create a stunning luminous ambience when used as a bar front or wall and lit from behind.

Okite Pietre Preziose – Italian for “precious stones” – is a quartz and polyester resin surface material aimed at top-end bars and clubs. It allows the light to flow through, recreating the warm and sophisticated atmosphere of natural onyx without the staining, fragility and inconsistency often associated with this stone.

Roast Designs, which is best known for its chandeliers, has unveiled Table Lights which, although on a smaller scale, can also create striking lighting effects. Using beautifully coloured glass, they project the colours and patterns onto nearby surfaces and can be custom-made to any specifications such as size and colour.

Chandeliers and lamps are a speciality of Cox London, designers and makers of

Le Diamant Jalila at Momo at the Souks

The latest in audio and lighting can be found under one roof at Plasa 2012, the annual show devoted to commercial installations from nightclubs and leisure attractions to theatres and live entertainment. It takes place at Earls Court, London, from September 9 to 12, featuring and exhibitors including many of the best-known names in sound and lighting for bars and clubs such as Funktion One Research, Bose, Martin Professional, Nexo, Sennheiser, Robe, Avolites, AC Special Projects and RCF Spa.Visit www.plasashow.com. www.barmagazine.co.uk |53

sound and light

Sound advice >>

The good consultant Mike Harlington of Brat Audio Consulting, acoustic and audio consultants

Roast Designs Table Light

Sound Tree

Okite Pietre Preziose

bespoke hand-crafted lighting and furniture.

Their custom-made pieces can be seen at Caprice Holdings’ restaurant 34 in Mayfair, at Beach Blanket Babylon in Notting Hill and at Soho House clubs. At September’s Decorex International interiors show in London, they will be unveiling new pieces inspired by Egyptian antiquity, nature, alchemy and the mythical plumed serpent such as a large bronze vine and cast-glass chandelier.

The special needs of the hospitality sector have been met by professional and architectural lighting specialist HavellsSylvania in a new brochure, Lighting for Hospitality. It demonstrates the company’s range of lamps and fixtures designed for bars and restaurants, including ways to save energy and costs through LED lighting.

“Many in the hospitality sector are looking at ways to save energy and have identified improved lighting schemes as a way of doing this,” explains Jennifer Sinclair, senior marketing and communications manager at Sylvania.

The versatility of LED lighting has helped to recreate the ambience of a Suffolk apple

At the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, designers Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman from Elipson have used sound to create spectacular effects in Le Bar. Their striking Sound Tree is made up of speakers shaped like round fruits, in the hotel’s signature red, which are suspended from the ceiling, leading to guests feeling that they are surrounded by a “musical cocoon”.

orchard at the Aspall Bar at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Using the energysaving Grafik Eye QS system from Lutron, light and shade can be changed throughout the day, with adjustments made to mimic the changing seasons, to provide the perfect setting for enjoying Aspall’s ciders. It has extra energy efficiency though a time clock, daylight sensing and intuitive lighting presets.

Energy costs are key to many bar and club projects, which means LED lighting is “coming of age”, says David Eeles, managing director of LED lamp supplier Dali Lighting.

“LED technology is running streets ahead of conventional lighting sources, with increases in output but not energy consumption,” he says. “The LED replacement lamps on the market show an 80 per cent energy saving over their more conventional counterparts which can see a significant reduction in energy bills, with little or no compromise on the performance of the lighting scheme.”

A consultant can help you in many ways.

You may be making a financial investment running into tens of thousands of pounds. A consultant helps you make the best decisions based on what is best for you, your venue, your clientele and the local environmental health officers (EHOs).

A consultant will not offer to install your systems, nor will they work for, or receive a commission from an installer. A consultant’s role is to work for his client in order to achieve the best possible sound and lighting equipment installation, taking into account the desired music levels, the acoustic and psycho-acoustic characteristics of the venue and how the venue is to be used.

A consultant can advise a client with regards to the equipment and the best contractor for the job. No reputable contractor minds working alongside a consultant if they care about doing a good job. Avoid a consultant who does not have practical experience: it takes time to learn to be a consultant. It’s not something you can learn from a college or university course.

A consultant costs you money, but he should save you as much money as he costs you, especially if you ever become embroiled in an argument with the local EHO. A good consultant will help you stay the right side of the law, will ensure your sound and lighting equipment is installed correctly and safely, and ensure the equipment you have will require nothing more than routine maintenance for many years.

Bronze Expressionist Chandelier by Cox London

Havells-Sylvania lighting at Rendezvous casino, Brighton

54| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Aspall Bar

Translucent Creations

“The difference between a good project and a great project is plain to see” Lighting plays a vital role in the success of a project no matter how big or how small and here at Translucent Creations our experience in lighting materials has helped our clients to exceed their expectations. We have a range of lighting solutions to compliment any material bringing your project to life.

Dalton House 60 Windsor Avenue, London SW19 2RR, Tel: 0203 292 0616 E: info@translucentcreations.com W: www.translucentcreations.com

Perfomance not compromise DALI lighting has a team of experienced design engineers in thermal management of electronics, lighting and electronic design. All materials are sourced in the UK where ever possible and built in our UK manufacturing facility.

Add the ‘Wow Factor’ to your venue and create a lasting impression with a bespoke lighting style to suit your requirements.

We pride ourselves in the design and build of high quality products and complete customer satisfaction.

DALI products are retrofittable for existing lighting systems or for new builds. DALI lighting has demonstrated energy savings of up to 80% plus huge savings in maintenance and many other benefits.

We offer free site surveys to calculate savings and integrate our products.

Call us now to find out more on

01908 324 054 or visit www.dalilite.com DALI Lighting 15 Walker Avenue, Wolverton Mill Industrial Estate, Milton Keynes, MK12 5TW. www.barmagazine.co.uk |55

Go to www.qsrautomations.co.uk for more information

Regardless of whether you own a bar or a superclub, your venue earns you your living.

All venues are at risk of complaints, from members of the public, local businesses, competitors even. Your local EHO team has a duty to investigate these complaints and where necessary... act.

The law says that your venue must not cause sound or light pollution, and there are no defined limits, it is up to the individual EHO to decide what is and what isn’t a problem.

6 facts about music venues you probably never knew...

1. Music venues on average buy or substantially change a new sound system 3.4 times because they failed to get advice from an independent expert.

2. Most music venues lose clientele because their sound system induce temporary deafness caused by distortion and incorrect amplification.

3. Almost all music venues suffer the attention of environmental health officers because of complaints from residents.

Brat Audio have years of experience working with EHO’s and councils, we have all the means at our disposal to ensure any complaint and follow up action can be dealt with.

From ensuring your sound and lighting systems are designed and run correctly, to legal defence team.

56| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Email: office@brat-audio.co.uk Tel: 0845 475 1580 Web: www.brat-audio.co.uk

technology

Screen time Mobile and compact technology is providing bars with new options at point of sale

Bleep’s eMenu

E

pos systems are on the move.

No longer are they restricted to taking up valuable space at the bar counter, with new technology allowing screens to be located more conveniently or even taken out onto the floor.

A new touchscreen menu application from epos specialist Bleep UK, called eMenu, means that basic paper menus can be complemented or replaced by interactive ordering on a mobile tablet such as an iPad or networked LCD touch-screen located tableside.The menu can be presented at the table, with pictures of drinks and dishes, and orders sent straight to the till through integration with Bleep’s epos systems.The technology has come out of a partnership between Bleep UK and Conceptic Touch UK, whose founder Ron Golan said it will “boost takings and improve customer satisfaction”.

Casio Electronics has announced a new range of Android tablets for retail environments such as bars, designed to integrate with its Android-powered epos terminals. Using apps from its new cloud-based Cloud Business Portal, the new V-series tablets can withstand a drop of up to one metre, are splash resistant and have a battery life of up to 12 hours.

Casio Android Tablet

Mobile point-of-sale specialist mPowa is continuing to expand its service that allows any mobile phone or tablet to be turned into a mobile point-of-sale device for credit and debit card payments. It uses a free app downloadable from app stores which combines with a reader that connects to the device either by plugging into its headphone socket or via Bluetooth. When connected, mPowa’s reader can either swipe a card’s magnetic strip or use chip-and-pin technology, accepting all major credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard and American Express. After being launched for iPhones and iPads, it has been extended to Android smartphones and tablets.

The new ConnectSmart system from CallSystems Technology (CST) helps bars and restaurants to run their table management and food service more efficiently through a point-of-sale screen front of house linked directly to the kitchen. As well as helping with managing reservations and waiting customers, it tells serving staff how long before an order will be ready and tells chefs which meals need to be prepared next. “It means fewer people can do more work with less effort, which saves money,” points out CST’s group

Hix Restaurant Group Chef Mark Hix has turned to two specialists in hospitality epos for a new system for his restaurants and bars including Hix and Mark’s Bar (pictured) in Soho, London, and the new Hix Tramshed restaurant and bar in Shoreditch, London. Software solutions provider Tevalis chose the J2 680 terminals from its touchscreen hardware partner J2 Retail Systems.

Hix co-founder and finance director Ratnesh Bagdai says: “The Tevalis system is incredibly easy to use both at point of sale and in the back-office. It’s extremely quick and very well thought out. The reporting is web-based, which is a huge benefit as we can access the reports from any of our offices.” Hix Soho general manager Dariush Tamadon-Nejad adds: “We have an epos system we’re very happy with: simple, fast and efficient, with good support.”

commercial director Ashley Sheppard. “It also speeds up service and improves food quality, which creates happy customers.

And it optimises table turnover, which adds directly to the bottom line.” The system is also robust enough for restaurants and bars, with touch-screen technology customised to withstand the grease, heat and humidity of a busy commercial kitchen.

Robustness and compactness are two key factors for epos systems in bar environments, points out Richard Heitmann, UK sales director for J2 Retail Systems, a specialist manufacturer of PC-based touchscreens and point-of-sale hardware for the hospitality industry. He points out that J2’s screens are “true flat resistive”, which makes them spill proof, while the option of a “projected capacitive touch” screen extends the life of the terminals. Its newest product is the J2 224 Compact terminal, described as one of the world’s smallest POS terminals. With a swing arm base to reduce the unit’s footprint, it offers a range of adjustable heights and viewing angles and can be mounted on a wall or pole as well as the counter, wired or wirelessly. “In a bar, you don’t want a big machine,” Richard adds. “The operator needs to see it but the customer doesn’t.” www.barmagazine.co.uk |57

advertisement feature

Can your business afford not to use mobile epos systems?

C

ustomer experience can make or break a restaurant or bar.

It’s not enough to have polite, attentive staff anymore.With recent advances in technology, customers expect more.Your order processing system must also be slick, efficient, and accurate. Plus, successful businesses need to easily view up-to-date sales reports, inventory levels, wastage and turnover.

Since 1992, Socket Mobile has built an extensive suite of portable computing and data collection hardware that have helped the hospitality industry eliminate manual processes and maximize efficiency. Recently, Socket partnered with Agilysys (Europe) to deploy 22 Socket Mobile SoMo® handheld computers to the Sapporo Teppanyaki restaurant chain.

With locations in Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow, Sapporo Teppanyaki features a modern Japanese style of cooking on a hotplate – part barbeque, part flaming grill.

Guests sit around the chef’s teppanyaki hotplate and, once they’ve ordered their dishes, they settle in for the show.

The Challenge

Because of the non-traditional seating, Sapporo had already opted for handheld POS so waiting staff could circulate amongst diners and take table-side orders.

“The handheld format was critical to our business,” says Jamie Doyle, Financial Controller – Sapporo, “but our technology was at the end of its life.”

Also, Sapporo was looking for a single, centrally – managed EPoS and inventory solution. “We had systems which weren’t integrated or standardised, and we weren’t accurately tracking our costs. We needed systems to manage all our

Sapporo Teppanyaki

restaurants and give us process consistency as well as a consolidated trading picture,” explains Doyle.

The Solution

Agilysys provided a cost-effective, hosted solution that could manage both frontof-house and back-office processes.

Throughout the chain, they installed 14 fixed-point PC-based touchscreens running Agilysys InfoGenesis™ POS. InfoGenesis combines powerful reporting and configuration capabilities in the back-office with an easy-to-use, touchscreen POS terminal application.

Additionally, Agilysys included the Socket SoMo mobile device. This durable, handheld computer has the power and speed to perform reliably in fast-paced service situations. Expandable and easy to customise, the SoMo includes Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi® wireless communications.

The SoMo devices run Agilysys mPOS, a mobile point-of-sale solution which, integrated with InfoGenesis, combines to form a complete EPoS solution. This means all POS transactions can be consolidated, analysed and reported to give a complete, accurate, real-time picture of trading in each restaurant and across the group.

The Results

“Our Agilysys solutions for POS, inventory, accounting and reporting give us better business visibility and control, whilst the new SoMo POS handhelds help our staff make service even more personal,” said Doyle. “Staff love the new devices. They’re light to hold and fast to use so staff can

58| www.barmagazine.co.uk

focus on engaging with diners.”

More Information on the Socket SoMo

Socket Mobile has recently released the SoMo 655. The small yet powerful device expands upon Socket Mobile’s awardwinning SoMo line of handheld devices and affirms the company’s dedication to the handheld device space by addressing the increasing demands of mobile professionals.

Vince Coli, senior handheld computer product manager, at Socket Mobile states, “Socket Mobile is committed to meeting our customers’ needs, and the SoMo 655 incorporates many new features, including improved charging and durability, 4 GB memory and enterprise-level 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi wireless technology, specifically requested by our customers.Vince adds “With more than 50,000 devices already shipped to healthcare institutions, restaurants and other end users, the SoMo has proven reliability in business deployments”.

For a small bar or restaurant looking to upgrade from pen and paper orders, moving to an automated technology solution can be daunting and a big investment. The long expected life span of the SoMo 655 means customers can be reassured that their investment is a good one.

Systems such as this allow staff time to focus on giving customers the best possible experience whilst technology takes care of the administrative processes.

Learn more about Socket Mobile and its hospitality solutions at www.socketmobile. com or call sales on +44 (0)7787 112109.

venue profile

‘Less is more’ at point-of-sale, as J2 launches its new J2 225 compact terminal “In hospitality, space equates to cost. We’ve designed the J2 225 with a very small footprint,” says Moray Boyd as J2 launches its latest integrated touchscreen EPoS. The 14” LED-backlit touchscreen displays more on-screen data, and can be True Flat Resistive or Projected Capacitive Touch for multi-touch and gesturing.

Coloured bezels and cable cases are optional. “The look of POS terminals is increasingly important to bars and clubs. Using colour to blend units into a stylish décor is a real plus.”

Adjustable heights and viewing angles plus counter top-, wall- or pole-mounting add to the J2 225’s versatility. Its fanless construction leaves it unaffected by high temperatures, grease or dust.

Latest Intel processors and chipsets deliver higher speeds using less power. User-upgradeable hard and Solid State drives contribute to a low cost of ownership.

“The J2 225 delivers great performance at a very competitive price and is ideal for hospitality.”

Contact: Moray Boyd. Tel: 01925 854 841 Email: mboyd@j2retailsystems.com Web: www.j2retailsystems.com

audio

video

lighting

Design, supply and installation of audio, video and lighting systems for bars, restaurants and clubs.

Tel: 0161 872 7001 www.avonics.co.uk email: info@avonics.co.uk

Avonics Ltd Northstage, 78 Broadway Salford, M50 2UW

www.barmagazine.co.uk |59

bar essentials

Ideas and inspiration at The Restaurant Show Professionals from across the on-trade can gain inspiration at The Restaurant Show 2012, running from October 8 to 10 at Earls Court 2 in London. It features live demonstrations and seminars from some of the most recognised names in the business alongside an exhibition of catering equipment, services, food and drinks.

“This much-anticipated event allows visitors to sample and taste, explore new avenues, learn new techniques or skills, develop knowledge, network, communicate and make new connections, discover product innovations, amass solid commercial advice from those leading the way, and simply be inspired all under one roof, and in the space of just three days,” says event director Rachel Quigley.

“This year’s event is set to be better than ever before with a whole range of live events and something to appeal to everyone. With thoughts of change and innovation at the centre of everyone’s radar during this downturn in the economy, the show is set to offer plenty of food for thought.”

For more information or to register, visit www.therestaurantshow.co.uk.

Kitchen of the future

Drink water, not profits

The sustainable kitchen of the future will be unveiled at The Restaurant Show on stand F20, where Rational shows how its SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency delivers better food using less energy and fewer resources than previous models. The company will also highlight its flexibility, not only in the vast menu of different foods it can prepare, but also in its ability to match its controls to the skills of the person operating it, from the three-star Michelin chef to the unskilled novice. Call Rational UK on 0800 389 2944 or visit www.rational-UK.com.

Classeq’s on-site Eau de Vie filtered water system offers an affordable and reliable solution for providing great-tasting, quality water while maximising profit.

Simple to use, it is ideal for hotels, bars and restaurants. It filters and chills the mains supply, taking out impurities to produce still and sparkling water that can be dispensed into stylish Eau de Vie bottles. Call 0844 998 0870 or visit www.eaudevie.com.

It’s True, it’s reliable

Extreme recycling

At The Magnum bar and restaurant in Edinburgh’s New Town, owner Chris Graham specified equipment he knew he could rely on from the outset. Behind the back bar, the Magnum has a True GDM9E glass door bottle cooler and in the kitchen a True TGU4 undercounter four-door refrigeration unit. The Magnum used Cooling Solutions of Livingston to install the True refrigeration units.

“We wanted something that we wouldn’t have to bother about,” Chris said. “With these True units we’ve found it.” Call True on 01709 888888 or visit www.truemfg.com/uk.

Although Winterhalter warewashers are built to last, one day they will need to be disposed of. Technology exists for a specialist recycling plant to recover about 98 per cent of a Winterhalter warewasher in useful materials.

About 70 per cent is stainless steel which can all be recycled, as can the copper and sheet metal packages of pumps. The plastics can be used as shredder material. Electronics can generally be recycled.

Call 01908 359000 or visit www.winterhalter.co.uk or www.winterhalter-scout.biz.

A simple solution to your glasswashing problems A constant supply of hygienically clean, sparkling glasses achieved with minimum space, minimum effort and minimum cost: that’s the promise of the Streamline rotary brush glasswasher machine.

It is a popular choice with customers who recognise it is a very good alternative to the cabinet machine, and is very competitively priced.

The Streamline machine’s mechanical brushes clean all shapes of glasses inside and out, removing all traces of grime and even lipstick. It is economical to run and will cope with large volumes of glasses (around 700 per hour) or the occasional couple of glasses as it can be instantly ready at the flick of a switch.

The Streamline machine is portable and versatile, making it ideal for temporary locations and outside events. It can be easily installed where space is limited.

Call 01252 820026, visit www.streamlinedirectuk.com or e-mail sales@streamlinedirectuk.com.

60| www.barmagazine.co.uk

Affordable, Rentable, Flexible Retail Units,

Tel: 01242 693 265 Email: nick@rapidretail.co.uk www.rapidretail.co.uk bar mag sep 2012 final v.3_Bar Magazine 20/08/2012 14:50 Page 1

s240 nara

mrfdesign.co.uk sales@mrfdesign.co.uk

Bar Fittings Ltd

t 0121 602 6942

mrf

Supplying the hospitality industry with stainless steel, chrome & Brass Fittings inc Footrails Hand Rails Balustrading

Glass Racks Optic Rails Handles

Portholes Lighting And Much More

Tel: 01702 614488 For the FREE NEW 156 page colour catalogue

www.bar-fittings.com www.barmagazine.co.uk |61

SOME LIKE IT HOTSOME ...

T. 01364 64 30T. 36

LIKE

01364

w w w. l u s c o m b e . cw o.uk w w . l u s c o

...put your contacts to work SS BarMag Ad-v1a.pdf 13/01/2011 10:39:53 Call Manjeet on 01795 509109 • manjeet@cimltd.co.uk C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Samuel Snawdon Making quality furniture since 1843 Bar and reception counters Restaurant refurbishment Design and installation across the south west Tel: 01752 880420 samuelsnawdon@tiscali.co.uk www.samuelsnawdon.co.uk

BarMag Advert09_60x35mm.qxp

26/03/2009

10:17

Page 1

Creed Design Associates creative design solutions

t : 0116 275 2592 f : 0116 275 2593 e : info@creeddesign.co.uk w : www.creeddesign.co.uk

Raw Design 118 Hewlett Road, Cheltenham, GL52 6AT T: 01242 227342 E: design@matthewrawlinson.co.uk W: www.raw-design.com

0121 747 1111 info@tibbatts.com www.tibbattsabel.com

TIBBATTS ABEL

INTERIORS ARCHITECTURE

INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANTS T 01484 660400

M 07957 762280

INTERIOR DESIGN & PROJECT MANAGEMENT BARS RESTAURANTS PUBS CLUBS HOTELS 2 DURGATES LODGE CLAPPER LANE STAPLEHURST KENT TN12 OJS TEL: 01580 890123 FAX: 01580 893626 MOBILE: 07710 855208 www.interior-solutions.co.uk design@interior-solutions.co.uk

CONTACT: ROY ROBERTS

DESIGN CLD - Interior Design - Graphic Design - Project Management TEL: 020 8426 8259

w w w. d e s i g n c l d . c o. u k

www.barmagazine.co.uk |63

Showcase

60x80mm ad for Bar showcase Aw:Layout 1

Alternato

For wine, water, beer or cocktails - you choose!

10/2/12

15:58

Page 1

TAYLOR’S

QUALITY FURNITURE SUPPLIERS

james bullen designs printed interior and fashion accessories 07808232084 www.jamesbullendesigns.co.uk jbullendesign@btinternet.com

Another unique piece from Taylor’s. This Gothic style, single or double sided solid oak bench makes a great statement and the perfect room divider.

Taylor’s is an established supplier to the pub, hotel and leisure industry, with an emphasis on high quality, robust furniture. We supply: • a new range of beautifully designed and constructed tables, chairs, benches and accessories • a huge collection of restored antiques • special pieces of retro furniture for superb styling

T: 020 8391 5544 F: 020 8391 4595 sales@artis-uk.com www.artis-uk.com

Visit our website to see constant updates to our range

TEL: 01902 751166 www.taylorspubfurniture.com

Add the ‘Wow Factor’ to your venue

We supply, Install and maintain air conditioning, cellar cooling and heating systems.

Many of our clients are busy nightclubs and bars, who require a service that is professional and of the highest standard.

We’re based in Leicester, but serve all of the UK. Some of the clients we have worked for: Ministry of Sound Hed Kandi bars The Jam House nightclubs Oceana & Liquids Fever Bars ( MooMoo bars ) Leicester City Football Club Leicestershire County Council Midlands Co-operative Society Ltd Link Mechanical & Electrical Services Ltd have been supplying the leisure industry with quality heating and ventilation services since 1983 Call us to enquire about our maintenance services on

01509 890 777

Deralam is a family run business established for over 25 years. We are nationwide distributors of High Pressure Laminates, Kitchen Worktops and Melamine Faced Products offering immediate delivery from Wigan and Dunstable.

Head Office: West Coast Park, Bradley Lane, Standish, Wigan, Lancashire WN6 0YR Tel: 01257 478540 sales@deralam.co.uk www.deralam.co.uk

Leisure Interior Solutions

Interior fit out & Bar specialists Bars . Fit-Out & Refurbishment . Furniture Commercial Kitchens . Air Conditioning Bespoke Fabrication . Design & Build +44 (0)161 684 7879 sales@dawnvale.com www.dawnvale.com

Connections ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Auline Group Cyprian Torralba, 59-62 Briindley Road Astmoor Industrial Estate, Runcorn, WA4 1NU T: 01928 563532 F: 01928580224 E: enquiry@alulinegroup.com W: www.alulinegroup.com

Nasha Beverages Ltd The Gosford Arms, 65-66 Far Gosford street, Coventry CV1 5DZ UK T: 07940573480 E: sales@nashawines.com W: www.nashawines.com

EPOS

AUDIO VISUAL ENHANCE THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WITH A BOSE SOUND SOLUTION

Comtrex Systems Ltd Contact: Clive Keywood, Sales Manager, 2 Gatwick Metro Centre, Balcombe, Road, Horley, Surrey, RH6 9GA E: sales@comtrex.co.uk Point of sale with Comtrex Everything Posible W: www.comtrex.co.uk

M&D GEE LLP Churchill House, Stiring Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 2HP T: 020 8736 0536 F: 020 8736 0537 E: enquiries@mdgee.com W: www.mdgee.com

Partner Tech UK Unit 11, Berkeley Court, Manor Park, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1TQ T: 01928 579 707 F: 01928 571 308 E: sales@partnertech-uk.com W: www.partnertech-uk.com

BALLOONS, BUNTING & FLAGS

ESPRESSO MACHINES

OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS inn-fresco Newmarket Approach, Leeds, LS9 0RJ T: 0870 80 30 199 F: 0113 249 2228 E: info@inn-fresco.co.uk W: www.inn-fresco.co.uk

SEAMLESS RESIN FLOORING Resdev Limited Pumaflor House, Ainleys Industrial Estate, Elland, HX5 9JP T: +44 1422 379131 F: +44 1422 370943 M: +44 7711 404744 E: jillc@resdev.co.uk

Heath Advertising Pub Signs T: 01299 877605 M: 07778564882 E: pubsignsuk@aol.com W: www.heathadvertising.co.uk

FLOORING Junckers T: 01376 534700 F: 01376 514401 E: sales@junckers.co.uk W: www.junckers.co.uk

BESPOKE DIGITAL WALLPAPER Digetex Contract 1, Waterside, Old Trafford, M17 1WD T: 0161 873 8891 E: sales@digetexcontract.com W: www.digetexcontract.com

SOFT DRINKS Tynant Spring Water T: 44 (0) 1974 272 111 F: 44 (0) 1974 272 123 E: info@tynant.com W: www.tynant.com

Atkinson & Kirby T: Ormskirk 01695 573234, T: London 0208 577 1100, E: sales@akirby.co.uk W: www.akirby.co.uk

SOUND TECHNOLOGY

Craftwork Premier House, Barras Street, Leeds, LS12 4JS T: 0113 290 7939 E: sales@craftworkupholstery.com W: www.craftworkupholstery.com

TECHNOLOGY

Velocity Event Tech Ltd Banks Mill, 71 Bridge Street, Derby, DE13LB T: 01332 268619 E: info@velocityeventtech.co.uk W: www.velocityeventtech.co.uk

FURNITURE

CATERING EQUIPMENT

Geometric Furniture Ltd Geometric House, Lark Hill, Townley Street, Middleton, Manchester, M24 1AT T: 0161 653 2233 F: 0161 653 2299 E: sales@geometric-furniture.co.uk W: www.geometric-furniture.co.uk

Shop-Equip Limited Park View, North Street, Langwith, Mansfield, Notts, NG20 9BN T: 01623 741500 F: 01623 741505 E: info@shop-equip.com W: www.shop-equip.com

Hill Cross Furniture Cramble Cross, North Cowton, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 0HL T: 01325 378 307 F: 01325 378858 E: info@hillcrossfurniture.co.uk W: www.hillcrossfurniture.co.uk

CCTV & SECURITY NFS Hospitality NFS House, 15 Harforde Court, John Tate Road, Foxholes Business Park, Hertford, SG13 7NW T: 01920 485725 F: 01920 485723 W: www.nfs-hospitality.com

Wish Interiors Rowlands House, King Edward Street Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 3LA T: 01472 230332 T: 07802382732 E: info@wishinteriors.com W: www.wishinteriors.com

DRINKS DISTRIBUTION Nectar Imports Ltd The Old Hatcheries, Bells Lane Zeals, Wiltshire, BA12 6LY T: 01747 840100 F: 01747 840467 E: sales@nectar.net W: www.nectar.net

Deltalight UK 94 Webber Street, Waterloo London, SE1 0QN T: 0870 757 7087 F: 0207 620 0985 E: design@deltalight.co.uk W: www.deltalight.co.uk

SIGNAGE

BAR EQUIPMENT

Feather & Jones 517 Garstang Road, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 5JA T: 0845 370 0134 E: info@featherandjones.com W: www.featherandjones.com

Dali Lighting Ltd Walker Avenue, Stratford Office Village, Wolverton Mill, Milton Keynes, MK12 5TW T: 01908 324050 E: sales@dalilite.com W: www.dalilite.com

Francino T: 0121 328 5757 E: sales@francino.com W: www.francino.com

Celebration Paper & Plastics Ltd Stanley Street, Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 1DY T: 01283 538259 F: 01283 510085 E: sales@celebration.co.uk W: www.celebration.co.uk

IMC Unit 1, Abbey Road, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL13 9RF T: 01978 661155 F: 01978 729990 E: garyb@imco.co.uk W: www.imco.co.uk

LIGHTING

Socket Mobile T: 07787112109 E: emea@socketmobile.com W: www.socketmobile.com

BAR ACCESSORIES

Including : napkins, coasters, stirrers, beer-mats

Dawnvale Units 1&2, Albert Street, Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL8 3QP T: 0161 684 7879 E: sales@dawnvale.com W: www.dawnvale.com

iControl Hospitality Ltd Amberside, Wood Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertforshire, HP2 4TP T: 0330 010 1000 / 0800 6122 868 F: 03300101001 E: info@icontrolepos.com W: www.icontrolepos.com

AWNINGS

B-Loony Ltd Sunnyside Road, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 2AR T: 01494 774376 F: 01494 791268 E: sales@b-loony.co.uk W: www.b-loony.com

INTERIOR FIT OUT & BAR SPECIALISTS

CCR Systems 142 Bebington Road New Ferry, Wirral, CH62 5BJ T: 01516448296 F: 01516458981 W: www.ccrsystems.co.uk

Bose Professional Systems Division 1 Ambley Green, Gillingham Business Park, Kent, ME8 0NJ T: 0870 741 4500 E: uk_pro@bose.com W: www.bose.co.uk/business_solutions Avonics Ltd Northstage, 78 Broadway, Salford, M50 2UW T: 0161 872 7001 F: 0161 872 7002 E: info@avonics.co.uk W: www.avonics.co.uk

County Insurance Northwest County Insurance Northwest Block N2, Chorley Business & Technology Centre, Euxton Lane, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 6TE T: 0800 781 8604 E: phillipk@countyinsurancenw.com W: www.countyinsurancenw.com

DRAINAGE

INSURANCE Supercover Ltd Sovereign House, Trinity Business Park, Wakefield, WF2 8EF T: 0845 844 5000 F: 01924 200010 E: info@supercoverltd.co.uk W: www.supercoverltd.co.uk

Retail Systems Technology Campsie Industrial Estate, Mclean Road, Eglington, Londonderry, BT47 3XX T: 02871 860069 F: 02871 860517 E: ciaran.coyle@rstepos.com W: www.rstepos.com

TOILET & DRAIN TOOLS Monument Tools No.1 in the No.2 Business T/F: 07092 894 317 E: sales-team@drain-tools.com Use Partner/ Promotion Code BARDIR for 15% Discount W: www.drain-tools.com

WASTE COOKING OIL SERVICE Arrow Oils Ltd M: 077 80 000785 T: 01706 627772 Nationwide Used Cooking Oil Collection Service – Call Now And Help Reduce Carbon Footprint

To ad ve r tise on our conne ctions page s c all 01795 50 910 9

diary

bar This summer, bartenders from across the UK descended on a farm in Herefordshire for what has grown into their own annual festival. Hosted

by Chase Distillery, Rock the Farm featured bands and DJs plus distillery tours and tastings. One of the highlights was the final of the Chase Cup cocktail competition, with the prize of 100 bottles of the bartender’s own custom-made spirit.

The finalists were Jim Turner of Raoul’s in Oxford, David Aston-Hyde of the Hinds Head in Bray, Berkshire, Mark Scott of Hyde & Co in Bristol, Matt Sloper of Little House Mayfair in London and Fraser Barnett from The London Cocktail Club. They had to create a cocktail in under five minutes using local ingredients in a “mystery box” revealed only an hour before the competition. Mark Scott (pictured) was the winner, coming up with a punchy drink made from Islay-aged Chase vodka, apple and pear juice, honey and Oliver’s Posh Scrumpy.

A competition of another kind brought bartenders out into the summer sunshine: the Bacardi Classic Softball tournament In London.

Inspired by the rum’s sponsorship of Cuban baseball in the 1920s and

66| www.barmagazine.co.uk

On location >>

1930s, the tournament attracted teams of bartenders including Geoff Robinson from Happiness Forgets, Russell Burgess of Scotch of St James, JJ Goodman from The London Cocktail Club, Andrea Montague from Callooh Callay, Zdenek Kastanek and Ondrej Pospichal from Quo Vadis, Tom Kerr from Soho House and Alex Kratena of the Langham Hotel’s Artesian bar.

But there could be only one winner: The London Cocktail Club team.

A tournament of a different kind brought bartenders together in Leeds: the nowannual King of Pins bowling competition, organised by bartender Adam Wilson from the city’s Mojo bar. Over two dozen people took part, and first place ended up being shared by Andy Halsillie, representing Kahlúa, and Chris Chadwick from Leeds bar Sela.

The Waterhouse Bar & Terrace at the Hilton Brighton Metropole has captured the spirit of summer with the launch of “Brighton Rocks”: a cocktail in the form of an alcoholic ice lolly. Priced at £7, the lolly is made of gin, Aperol, Chambord, white

wine, pineapple juice and ginger ale, served with a piece of Brighton rock.

Mark Ludmon explores Budapest’s bar scene

A

The Vista rooftop bar at Hilton’s Trafalgar Hotel in London’s Trafalgar Square continues to grow, quite literally. After extending last year, the bar has added its own Mediterranean herb garden, created by landscape designers Ambius. Elements of the open-air garden can be seen in the drinks such as Mr Harry, blending fresh basil and Gin Mare, and the Leila Lavender Martini made with olive, thyme, rosemary and basil tinctures plus a sprig of fresh lavender.

In EL James’s best-selling erotic trilogy 50 Shades, its millionaire hero Christian Grey takes the narrator Anastasia to “a suite at Brown’s Hotel near Piccadilly”. This has inspired the team at the Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel in London to create a new cocktail, A Shade of Grey, an exotic mix of Chase vodka, Akashi plum sake infused with chilli, fresh passion fruit and lemon juice, served with a Lady Grey macaroon – a perfect drink to enjoy in the bar’s so-called “naughty corner” next to risqué snaps by British photographer Terence Donovan.

t the global final of this year’s Bols Around The World cocktail competition in Amsterdam, I witnessed Hungary’s Gábor Onufer triumph in a tough competition that featured top bartenders from across the globe. So when I was in Budapest two months later, his bar was at the top of my list of places to visit.

Boutiq’bar (pictured) in Paulay Edu Street is a womb-like retreat, with plush red fabrics and soft lighting, that deserves its reputation as one of the world’s best bars. Sadly, Gábor wasn’t working when we visited, but we enjoyed some fantastic cocktails, which are listed in the menu according to which bartender created them.

Gábor’s Welcome to Tijuana is a delicious mix of tequila, Aperol, pineapple and cinnamon while another favourite was the Mile High Manhattan, invented by bartender Lilla Kocsis, combining bourbon with vanilla, orange liqueur and absinthe. Cocktails are generally priced around 1650 Hungarian forints – only about £4.60.

Another great place for cocktails is the tiny Bar Domby in nearby Anker Köz Street, with a stylish and glittering goldand-black interior. Its team serves up a good selection of well-made classics alongside an extensive range of spirits, including whiskies.

No trip to Budapest is complete without a visit to a “ruin pub” – bars created in old abandoned buildings. One of the best and oldest is Szimpla Kert in Kazinczy Street – a maze of nooks and crannies filled with mismatched furniture. It has several bars across two levels, around a central open-air space. This is a party venue for enjoying unpretentious drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. Another popular party bar is Szoda in Wesselényi Street, with 1970s-style furniture and manga cartoons on the walls.

Budapest’s bars are concentrated around Pest on the eastern side of the River Danube, across the water from the historic castle area of Buda. While the cocktail scene is small, the city offers a few gems for laid-back lounging and a great place for partying.

You’ve seen, you’ve heard, you’ve probably tried the rest………

NOW TRY THE BEST Many of our clients have done just that, yes, choosing CellarBright as the preferred choice to thourouly clean their beer lines and give the best savings around.

CellarBright was the first FULLY automatic beer line cleaning system out there, only two trips to the cellar and a one button operation and tested by a professor in brewing.

Millsys Bar Owner says ‘I spent some time looking at different systems on the market to see if I could reduce the beer waste when cleaning my beer lines, there are a few systems out the, however, when I came across CellarBright it just felt the right one for me, neat, compact, easy to use and did what it said on the tin’, I am saving at least 80% already!

CALL US FREE ON 0800 699 0268 for a FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATION

www.cellarbright.co.uk

Tel: 0800 699 0268

*referrals on request, we do not publish due to confidentiality agreements*

Red Stag by Jim Beam® is made with 4 year old Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey infused with black cherry, complementing its great taste.

Enjoy Red Stag straight up as a chilled shot or mixed with Cola.

Red Stag by Jim Beam is driving category growth through innovation.

American Whiskey is delivering strong volume growth in the On Trade +12.4% YOY (CGA June 12).

Red Stag is supported by a £2m investment campaign.

Don’t miss out, STOCK NOW and see your profits grow.

Red Stag by Jim Beam® is a registered trademark of Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Distributed by Maxxium UK Ltd, Maxxium House, The Castle Business Park, Stirling, Stirlingshire FK9 4RT.