9 minute read
Hospitality column
The cocktail club
Jakobsen Odette Swan Glass 75ml
Optic Champagne Saucer 21cl Timeless Double Old Fashioned 12.5oz
About G & G
Founded by Paul and Valda Goodfellow, G & G Goodfellows is a highly creative design & Distribution Company with an amazing showroom in Little Portland Street. Offering a truly hands-on service, Goodfellows passion is to bring new and exciting, bespoke food presentation concepts to the UK’s culinary scene. As well as offering a wide variety of the world’s best branded tableware, kitchen equipment, clothing and machines, Goodfellows also collaborates closely with UK craft producers for totally unique products. It works with all sizes of restaurant and catering projects, happy to supply anything from an individual plate to a full restaurant concept.
Other than controversially laying claim to the cocktail being of English origin, Valda Goodfellow is also celebrating how cocktail culture is bringing some change to hospitality settings…
The term ‘cocktail’ is reported to have been first used in 1798 and although the popularity and widespread development of cocktails evolved in America, the origins are actually British and derive from punches made by mixing spirits with fruit juices, spices and other ingredients.
Since the first acknowledged cocktail – the Sazerac, which was said to be created by a Creole apothecary in New Orleans and served in an egg cup also known as a coquetier – the origin of the word cocktail has been claimed by the Americans, the French, the Mexicans and others. I firmly believe it is British through-andthrough and derives its meaning from the term ‘cocked-tail’, referring to a horse of mixed heritage, rather than a thoroughbred.
This seems apt, as that is what a cocktail is – a concoction mixed together to surprise and delight. The unstoppable trend for cocktails and cocktail bars confirms that we more in love with them than ever before. And they are certainly big business, particularly now when we all need a little bit of pleasure, whatever our budget.
Like the evolution of cooking, the development of cocktails has almost become a science, with mixology elevating its status.
This epic rise in popularity over the last five or so years in particular has changed the hospitality landscape in the UK and beyond. Meeting for cocktails has, in some circles, overtaken meeting for dinner, as an occasion to socialise with friends and loved ones. Venues are mostly easier to access than restaurants. There is no set procedure, so you don’t have to have two or three courses. You can stay for as long as you like, drink what you like and now, increasingly, eat what you like while you are having cocktails.
This ever so subtle shift in emphasis is significant as food menus are geared to smaller servings and sharing plates. Some serve full-scale dining but it is the smaller dishes that are claiming more attention. This means that the food offered needs to be geared to this style of serving.
Did you know?
Wood flat amuse walnut board from GoodfWood
Silver Footed Caviar Bowl
What we are seeing now is a style of service developing that is aimed specifically to this area of the hospitality industry, which combines the ethos of the venue design concept, with serviceware concepts. This is where it gets really interesting for me – concept is paramount because if the concept is executed properly, it creates an expressive ambience and experience to draw people in. It is like a performance.
From private members clubs that aim to attract a particular group of like-minded individuals, to high street chains that offer a very highly recognisable and relatable lifestyle image, the concept is built around a strong theme. From décor, through to menus and tableware, everything needs to flow with the concept theme. Amazonico is a prime example. It knows who it is aiming at and delivers a very clear concept. The latest iteration of the cocktail bar is the speakeasy, which is even more focused on secrecy, intimacy and surprise design ideas such as bookcase or phone box entrance doors.
When we get involved with operators, F&B managers, consultants and restaurant designers, we start by understanding what the concept is, who it is aiming to attract and what it needs to deliver. Our job is to marry the glassware, cutlery and crockery with the concept design and food and drink service. Unlike most restaurants, the emphasis will most likely be on small plates or ‘bites’ (there still is no term that we have come up with that replaces tapas!) and service devices that offer some theatre, like caviar service and sushi platters.
The cocktail service trends have moved from the whacky vessels like watering cans and plant pots, to sexy and sophisticated styles. More Mad Men than just mad. This suits a younger generation, who are well-travelled and looking for more interesting options like mezcal and sushi. This means our product offerings need to follow suit.
We have worked on a few key themes which are on trend now – here are a few examples:
Americana – combining classic cocktails like The Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Cosmopolitan; with dishes such as caviar, oysters and
100% Chef Lactarius mushroom glass 150ml
fried chicken. Small bites and luxury servings; theatrical, decadent and luxurious. We look for Art Deco to mid-century style glassware and classical silver for caviar. We also use elements of wood to add a sense of depth.
Latino – Combines Latin American influenced cocktails such as daiquiris, mojitos and margaritas with food such as mini tacos, sushi, ceviche and empanadas.
We choose glassware that is drink-specific and glasses which allow flamboyant and imaginative creations to be served. The food is served in a mix of ceramics and we use metals or wood to create mini taco stands.
Asia – Cocktails can be made with tea infusions and a twist on old classics like negroni and sours served with food such as bao buns, gyoza, sushi and shellfish. Cocktail glasses like this Swan suit the delicacy of the concept and add an immediate visual impact. We use ceramics that suit this style food, with simple shapes and strong, clean lines.
These three trends – and iterations of them – cover themes used by some of the most popular venues in London and the UK.
Each venue has its own particular style and we can adapt our collection to provide a sense of uniqueness to each concept. We often create unique pieces to ensure a concept is totally unique.
Cocktail trends will continue to grow and develop along with the exciting dishes that are being adapted from every popular cuisine in the world. Like a lot of good things, the art of cocktails
originated here in the UK, and I for one, am glad it has returned home to create this style of hospitality for a new age.
Studio Mattes Box Basic Small 9x7.5x4cm(h) - Crystal
Light up the room
On Bolsius Professional’s global supply… At Bolsius, we’ve been making candles for more than 150 years, and over that time, we’ve developed a global sales network, supplying over 65 countries worldwide. Bolsius Professional is our dedicated brand for the hospitality sector. Developed over time, it now has a strong following in Europe and developing at a fast pace in the UK market.
On sustainability… Sustainability and care for people and planet are at the heart of our business and we are working across our supply chain to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible. We’ve already eliminated unsustainable ingredients like palm oil from our candles, we use recycled plastics in all of our products, and all the plastics in our product range are recyclable. We’re also strong believers in sourcing raw materials locally and have eliminated animal fats, enabling us to be one of the few candle manufacturers that offer
sustainable vegan friendly candles with odour-free burning.
Bolsius Professional has earned itself a reputation as a go-to provider for hospitality settings and the candle experts fully appreciate the importance of lighting to a tablescape. We spoke with Paul Christodoulou, national account manager out of home UK & Ireland, to find out more about industry reach, sustainability and trends…
basic candles, we have continued to evolve our market offering, providing more ambience options that range from tapered to pillar candles, to tealights. As well as offering greater choice in candle formats, we’ve introduced hospitality solutions like our Twilight, Starlight and Relight ranges. Perfect for adapting to different styles and decors in bars, pubs and hotels, these have a wide choice of on-trend colour
variations. This enables operators to use candles as a design feature, changing colours to reflect different themes or seasons.
On what is trending… There’s been a shift away from basic traditional candles, and although soft ivory colours remain popular, we’re seeing more restaurants and bars looking to candles to add pops of colour to their décor. Our Relight range caters to these, giving operators the option to switch out candle colours to add drama and atmosphere for a particular season or theme.
On supply and demand… Due to our size and geographic spread, we’re able to purchase raw materials in large volumes. This means we can cover our order book and have no issues regarding stock for the foreseeable future.
On post-Covid industry recovery… The ‘Eat out’ campaign in the UK did a great job, getting people back out dining – this shows that the appetite is there. But although we’ve seen a recovery from Covid, the industry now faces a new set of challenges. The energy crisis and cost of raw materials is causing a ripple effect, leading to massive price increases across the industry. And undoubtedly, we face challenges ahead due to the decrease in disposable income over the coming years.
With consumers still keen to go out, there’s never been a more important time to focus on customer experience, creating a welcoming calming environment using décor, lighting and soft furnishing.
On what Bolsius provides… Rather than simply providing
Did you know?
Bolsius Professional has worked with operators to create an Autumn/Winter Look Book, which is designed to help venues attract customers and extend dwell-time in this traditionally busy period over the winter months
