18 minute read
SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES
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Brunch in the Bay
Sugar & Spice Events celebrated 20 years in the capital by hosting “Brunch in the Bay” at Lo Lounge, set against the idyllic panoramic views of Cardiff Bay. The event coincided with the Welsh Freedom Day on August 7th, 2021, and saw many dress up, reunite, and celebrate the good times! The guests also received luxury goody bags, organised by Style of the city Magazine. The content included items from The Parkgate Hotel, Woo Woo, Links Recruitment, Spectrum Collections and many more Welsh brands.
SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES
LINKS RECRUITMENT
LINKS RECRUITMENT has moved into their stateof-the-art office, which is headquartered in Cardiff.
he recruitment agency has
Tflourished throughout the last few months, employing an additional 10 new members of staff.
The pandemic has had a major social and economic impact on many businesses, however despite the challenging situation, LINKS Recruitment have continued to develop and thrive. LINKS turnover grew by 48% in 2020, it also has an increased revenue target of more than 60% in 2021.
The company, which specialises in six distinct sectors; Industrial, Driving, IT & Finance, FMCG, Construction & Engineering and Commercial, has evolved since 2017 and following increased demand for their recruitment services, the team have taken on additional members of staff to keep up with the increasing success of the agency.
At the forefront of this continually expanding team, is the need for a bigger and better LINKS HQ. The new office is a beautifully designed space that provides a unique environment for the team.
The HQ is equipped with green forest features and monkey lighting, original brick walls, neon lighting in each room and glass interior throughout. The new design benefits also include intercom systems for communication between offices, state of the art security and a fully sterilised environment with the most advanced bacteria and virus control technology providing 24/7 protection to all people within the building.
Before LINKS had given the office an ultra-modern make over, the building was tiresome and lacked a luxe feel. Now, it’s a cut above the rest.
Daniel Puttick, Director of LINKS, said: “This move is a significant milestone for the business which, despite many challenges, saw a record-breaking 2020. It has been an exciting few years, and the location marks a new chapter for the business.”
“Since launching the agency in 2017 we’ve learnt a lot and have grown and evolved far more than we could have hoped”.
“We are extremely pleased with the look of our new office; it’s a proud moment for us as it shows how far we’ve come as a business.”
As the business expands and the team grows, the new HQ will accommodate for over 25 employees. LINKS have come a long way since Daniel and Tiffany founded the
LINKS RECRUITMENT
business in 2017, starting with only 3 staff members in a one room office.
LINKS isn’t just about the physical building, it’s also about the people. LINKS pride themselves on investing in their team and people, focusing on an incredible culture and environment. Employee satisfaction and appreciation is a core value of the business.
Looking back at how far they have come, directors Tiffany Briggs said “over the past 12 months, we’ve seen LINKS do incredibly well”.
The office is a new chapter for our business and representative of the accomplishment we have achieved over the past few years”.
“We love our new office design, we wanted to create something different and creative for LINKS”.
The brand-new stylish office is like nothing we have ever seen in the industry. Directors Daniel and Tiffany, came up with the concept of creating a workspace like no other for this fantastic ever-growing team. They both feel extremely lucky to be able to launch an office space which represents the business’s innovative and unique qualities, as well as a symbolism of how far it’s come.
Working with IMIUM, a UK leading commercial interiors refurbishment specialist based in Cardiff, they designed some incredible 3D sketches of the office and brought all their ideas to life.
LINKS Recruitment are also making huge investments into their online presence to increase brand awareness and contribute to the growth of the business. Marketing Manager, Emily Matthews said: “this is such an exciting opportunity for us as a business. It’s given us the ability to be even more creative and produce high quality content to represent LINKS for who we are and allow us to portray our uniqueness.”
The pandemic has changed the world we inhabit profoundly, and one of these changes has been the workspace. From a period when people’s homes were predominately their office space, having a spectacular HQ for employees to come back to is very important. The purpose of LINKS’ office space was to create a safe, productive and enjoyable environment for the team, clients and candidates. They have excelled all of that and more.
For further enquiries please contact: Emily Matthews, Marketing Manager: emily@linksrecruitment.co.uk Or Megan Mortimer, Marketing Executive: megan@linksrecruitment.co.uk
CARDIFF’S ENTREPRENEUR
SHAZ HARIS, shares his journey
Shaz Haris is a widely known entrepreneur in Cardiff and has worked his way up from the music circuit to venturing within the hospitality industry. He is now known for being the man behind Sugar & Spice Events, Corporation Yard, and Wing Stack. He shares his journey of creating successful businesses with us.
ugar & Spice started 20 years ago when I was fresh out of University
Sfrom London. Coming back to my hometown of Cardiff, I felt there was a lack of urban music in the Welsh capital. This gap in the market led me to organise regular club nights; where you could dress up, socialise, and enjoy good quality music. I have worked with some of the biggest Urban UK & US DJs, from Ice Cube, Wu Tang Clan to Black Eyed Peas and Tinie Tempah. I have also presented the official after parties for 50 cent, Rihanna, Jason Derulo, and the Champions League final after-party hosted by Black Eyed Peas. My first event was at the legendary Emporium; I then began hosting weekly Saturday residences in Bar Ice, Moloko, and Creation on Thursday nights. This led to hosting nights at the Number 10, Tantra, Glam, Ladybird, 411, Crystal, Soda and Kuku. Sugar & Spice Events has collaborated with promoters and venues to bring some of the very best nights in Cardiff throughout the 2000s; a highlight was the first live Radio 1Xtra broadcast from Cardiff at Sugar & Spice club night in 2003. It has been a challenge over the years, but with innovation and perseverance, I have been able to stay on top of the game. The hospitality industry has been installed in my DNA from a young age. My dad moved to Cardiff during the mid-60s and was one of the pioneers in the Bangladeshi Indian Restaurant industry, opening his first restaurant ‘Golden Bengal’ on Albany Rd, Cardiff. This then led to him opening further restaurants in Swansea and Newport. Growing up, I continuously worked in the restaurant trade, which gave me an insight into important elements of the hospitality industry, and I have since implemented them in my own businesses. During the Covid pandemic, it was a difficult period for the hospitality industry, but it was a time to reflect on new creative ideas, which led to the partnership development of the Corporation Yard and Wing Stack. These businesses have now flourished and are growing, with Wing Stack opening a flagship site on Whitchurch Rd.
To keep up to date with the latest events and tasty treats, follow on Instagram: @sugarandspicecf @corporationyard @wingstack @indiesuperstore
COOKING ByDei
FOOD / COOKING BYDEI
Hey Guys, My name is Shelma Dei, my love for food stems from my childhood and also being rather fussy when it comes to food. I am very passionate about food and love to create dishes that spring into mind. I love to experiment with different ingredients, often things you wouldn’t expect to put together. Follow @cookingbydei
SHELMA DEI shares her ‘Creamy Italian Carbonara’ recipe
I am due to head to the south of Italy in two weeks and was dreaming of the pasta dishes I will have once I land in the beautiful land of Capri. Today I decided to try my luck by making the famous Italian pasta dish, Carbonara. A pasta dish that is quite simple as long as you make sure that the dish isn’t overpowered by salt, which the pancetta and butter can cause. Extra saltiness that can damage the dish. To be extra careful, use unsalted butter and make sure when browning the pancetta that you render the fat down as much as possible. The dish came out perfectly and tasted so good I had seconds. This dish is so simple but yet so stunning. It’s an easy meal you can make for a casual family dinner or lunch. Bon appetite!
CREAMY ITALIAN CARBONARA INGREDIENTS
• 100g pancetta • 50g pecorino cheese • 50g parmesan • 3 large eggs • 350g spaghetti • 2 plump garlic cloves, peeled and left whole • 50g unsalted butter • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Place a large pan of water on to the stove and boil.
Chop the pancetta, also grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.
1. 2.
4.
3. Beat 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little white pepper and black pepper. Set everything aside. 1 tsp of sea salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 8 minutes or until al dente. 5. Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it. 6. Whilst the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic. 7. Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out and discard. 8. Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Keep a few cups of the pasta water. 9. Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later. 10. Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat and pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn’t scramble, and everything is coated. 11. Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy, season with a little salt, if needed. 12. Serve immediately garnish with grated parmesan and garnish with parsley and a grate of pepper.
LIBERTY BOOTH
OPEN-AIR PHOTO BOOTH EXPERIENCE
There’s a big change happening in the photo booth industry and Liberty Booth is leading the way. Liberty Booth strives to create studio-quality images and unique portraits that document your event.
LIBERTY BOOTH
fter studying Photojournalism
Aat University, the Founder of Liberty Booth, Judith Ree, went on to become a family and wedding photographer, with nearly 20 years of experience under her belt. In the last couple of years, Ree spotted a big gap in the wedding and events market for a luxury photo booth experience; something that would offer a studioquality product at an event. Tired of the same old photo booths on the market and frustrated with the quality of photographs that were being churned out, Ree knew there was a need for an open-air booth that used the best equipment to produce both a high-quality product and experience. Liberty Booth does just this. By moving away from the outdated plastic booths, it delivers a stylish product to bring flair and a fabulous aesthetic to any event.
THE BOOTH
Liberty Booth was lovingly handcrafted from Oak to right here in the UK. It’s the result of a collaboration that happened between an experienced furniture maker and a veteran photographer, who got together and created this unique piece of mid-century modern furniture. This type of open-air booth is popular in the US and Australia, where the events market is blazing trails, but this is the first booth of its kind here in Wales. It’s a beautifully handcrafted modern booth with a timeless presence that fits perfectly into any type of venue from a tipi to a castle. If you are having an event, you need this booth to document it. It’s fitted with top-end photography products and gives the whole package. It provides professional beauty lighting and quality prints that are created from large format image files and can be blown up to make a poster if you would like.
Liberty Booth allows you to have high-quality images with stylish backdrops that's perfect for any event. For more information, visit www.libertybooth.co.uk @libertyboothuk
ART
Luca Malacrino is a Welsh actor, living in Los Angeles. He has worked on over 30 projects, including works such as Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, Coronation Street, Distant Vision with the Godfather’s Francis Ford Coppola, and his first self-produced movie, Elephants is now available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Follow @glucamalacrino
TO BE OR NOT TO BE:
Hello readers! In this column, Style of the City has asked me to talk a little bit about what advice I would give to anyone thinking about becoming an actor. Whether it has been something you have always wanted to try, or you are a little further along the road, I will try my best to share some of my experiences and provide some resources on what to do next.
EXPLORE
The first thing I would say is GIVE IT A GO! At first, while I was still managing nightclubs I was asked if I could try any hobby, what would it be? The night before I had watched Jerry Maguire and couldn’t get the idea of being a sports agent out of my head. I even researched sports agent programs abroad only to find out that it wasn’t the sports agent job that excited me the most. It was the idea of getting to embody a character as big and dynamic as that of Jerry Maguire, played by Tom Cruise. Long story short, I ended up booking my first ever acting class in Cardiff with The Actors Workshop. (check out the info below the image to book your first class!) I wasn’t going into it looking for a change in career but to simply explore and do something fun. Whether you want to pursue acting as a career or not, I would HIGHLY recommend taking a class. It helps your listening skills, builds confidence, pushes personal barriers, and it’s FUN!
MASTER YOUR CRAFT
If you decide that after taking a few workshops and getting your feet wet, that you would like to continue this journey and take it ‘seriously’, I would advise that you find an acting school and master your craft. Research schools with a good reputation and find out what programs they have, as well the audition requirements. Just like a doctor needs to learn how to be a doctor, an actor needs to learn how to be an actor. From breaking down scenes, building characters from scratch, using your mouth and body in the correct manner, warm ups, listening exercises, accent work, you name it - this is a competitive business
This Autumn Actors Workshop returns with ‘in person’ acting courses at Chapter Arts Centre in Canton. Starting in September there are a number of courses on offer for all levels of experience: Discover Acting Chapter Arts Centre Saturdays 2:00 - 4:00PM 18th September - 9th October £125.00 www.actorsworkshop.co.uk
LUCA MALACRINO
AN ACTOR
and you need to strive to be the best version of yourself to give yourself a true shot. I ended up auditioning for The American Musical & Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles where I had to prepare two contrasting monologues. I didn’t even know what that meant at the time…But I spoke with my coach, put the work in and gave it my all. It’s also good to note that you never stop learning in this world. The majority of the stars you see on TV are still studying and learning with their coaches. That’s one of the beautiful things about this job. You keep growing with it. I was back working with a new acting coach within weeks of graduating.
THE WHY
I need you to back up for just a moment as this is advice that I was given from day one that was so accurate that it would be a sin not to share. If you are intending to become an actor because you want to be famous and not because you truly love acting then I strongly advise you become an influencer or reality star instead. The level of competition and amount of rejection in the business is enough to crush a soul multiple times. Only the true love for the art will get you through the tough times (which are frequent). Ok, you truly love acting, you have put yourself through school and feel like a true thespian!
NOW WHAT TO DO? PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE
At this point you need to show off your new skills. Film, film, film! Everything and anything! Even if it is so bad you need to burn it in the ground four times to ensure it never sees the daylight. Find facebook groups, look for student films, and lastly, make your own films. The ways I have seen people ‘make it’ in this business are as follows:
LUCK: You fit the most specific role ever which happens to blow up and give you overnight success. (it happens but not often) DEDICATION: You build up relationships with casting directors and keep booking smaller roles that lead to bigger roles, that lead to a large part sometimes known as a breakout role. BORN INTO IT: You have a bunch of friends/family who are successful in the industry that can introduce you to Hollywood’s ‘gatekeepers'. MAKE YOUR OWN DESTINY: You make your own content and you put yourself on the map.
As an actor you should be pushing every single one of these options. Try and get yourself into the bigger films, say yes to all quality roles that will help your career (even if small), build relationships and support others, and finally - MAKE YOUR OWN PROJECTS that showcase why people should trust you in their film/ production.
THE UGLY/BEAUTIFUL TRUTH
The truth is most actors become jaded as this business is incredibly tough. The hardest part for me is giving my everything to an audition, finding out it’s down to you and one other person to then not hear anything further. That one role could change your life and it’s so close yet so far. That happens a lot and is unfortunately part of the game. Trying to turn it into a positive note, it builds layers to you as a human. It forces you to work on yourself. Self growth is such a huge part of acting and life in general. However, all the negative points mentioned above go away when you are able to do what you love. Whether it’s performing on a local stage for 40 people or on a set like Grey’s Anatomy. It is a career that can form strong bonds, show you the world and teach you more about yourself than most other careers.
