APERITIVO
SIX QUESTIONS for… ONE
MATT ARNOLD Flying the flag for Great Britain and Birmingham as the World Class GB 2023 winner
How do you describe yourself and your bartending style? Approachable. It’s an outdated mindset that every bartender trying to get to the top of their game has to wear a white blazer or three-piece suit. When we opened our bar Passing Fancies, we wanted to be high-end – so much thought goes into everything we do but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make the whole thing super-accessible. We have drinks that really push the boundaries in terms of innovation, fresh flavours and modern-day techniques but we showcase them without the fuss.
TWO
How does it feel to be representing Birmingham as the World Class GB winner? Yes, it’s a victory for me and I’m really
proud of that, but I’m just really happy that it was one of the three of us from Birmingham. When Jacob [Clarke], Katie [Rouse] and myself were driving up to Edinburgh together for the World Class GB finals, we said as long as one of us does it, we’ll be happy.
THREE
Who or what motivates you? Coming from the Midlands, I’m so bored with all of the attention being centred around London and Scotland. I want Birmingham to be considered one of the meccas of cocktail culture; I want people to think that if they’re visiting London, Birmingham is less than a couple of hours away and they’ve got to go to Couch, visit Fox & Chance and come to Passing Fancies. That’s what motivates me.
Four
Who or what inspires you? Mostly people – both good and bad. My inspiration doesn’t just come from the drinks development or World Class side of things, but as a bar operator, what inspires me is the fact that we have a team who are happy at work. All of our staff are salaried, have a four-day working week and don’t work more than 40 hours. As a result, I’m surrounded by this incredible team who really push me.
FIVE
Who nurtures you? Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s Eve [Green, his fiancée and joint director at Passing Fancies]. It sounds really silly for me to say on the back of winning World Class GB, but my proudest moment was when Eve was awarded Challenge Champion for her amazing work in the Chase challenge, during the Top 50. I cried my eyes out!
SIX
How, if at all, has World Class changed you? It’s given me more confidence. There’s something about going from the Top 100, to the Top 50, then the Top 10, with judges you admire telling you that your drinks were really good, that gives you a real boost. If nothing else, World Class has made me want to do even more as I’ve been validated by people I really look up to. passingfanciesbar.co.uk
17 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 45
