A little bit about me

I am 28 years old, I’m from Chile and I’ve always been interested in everything around food and beverages.  

I wanted to study gastronomy, but my family didn’t let me, so I ended up studying psychology. Years later, when I was in university, I started in a bartending school in the mornings and after I finished a masters in clinical psychology, I focused only on bartending. I have studied by myself with books and online, as well as with other bartenders who have kindly helped me. 

My favourite thing about my job is that I am always learning. I find it fascinating, all the things that can be done with different ingredients, temperatures, colours, textures, etc. I also like the fact that I’m active and always interacting with people and other bartenders. 

“Wanting to be great and better in things that I love to do is something that I really seek out.”

I’ve always wanted to be very good at everything that I do. I think that learning and the need to be better is something that has been part of me since I was little. I’ve always been an athlete and wanting to be great and better in things that I love to do is something that I really seek out and put a big effort into accomplishing. I really love to learn and try to find people who can teach me to grow. 

How I approach my work

I love to make delicious and creative cocktails for people who want to have a nice time. I think that we are a part of making people happier. That is also something that makes me happy in my daily life: I enjoy helping others, laughing and doing activities where you need to think. 

The best advice I’ve ever been given is that it is very important to be willing to learn from everybody: to listen, to watch and to learn. We can learn from anybody and that’s something that I have found to be very true. You don’t have to have diplomas and degrees to be very good at something.  

“You don’t have to have diplomas and degrees to be very good at something.”

Education is fundamental for me – from books, from fellow bartenders, from brand ambassadors, from the internet, etc. I hope one day I could be the apprentice in some amazing bar or with a mentor that teaches me, that would be awesome. Travelling is something that I think is very nice too: to see what else is happening in the world, which other ingredients exist, and how else you can prepare them. I am actually doing that now – I left my country two months ago to work in Europe… wish me luck! 

I think that paying a fair wage is the basis for employers motivating me to work. I love my job, but I also have to live and want to have a life besides my job. They need to acknowledge that their workers are also people with necessities and personal lives. I also think that giving space and materials to experiment, and to be supportive of the growth and education of the workers is something that I would be grateful for. 

My thoughts on mentorship

I really appreciate queer and female bartenders, because I think they represent me and have been through many other things to get to where they are: people like Margarita Sades, Monica Berg, Gina Barbachano, Maura Milia and Amanda Colom. There are also cooks, athletes, and activists who constantly remind me to be creative to master my craft, and to speak my mind. 

For me, a role model is someone who, even though they are very good at what they do, is willing to keep learning, and humble and caring in teaching what they do. I think that everyone can have a different role model depending on what they are looking for. 

In my country, leaders are improving little-by-little to help the next generation of bartenders and that is great. I have the feeling that the knowledge is being shared and there are more opportunities for everyone to learn more. I hope leaders focus on the people who are not in huge restaurants or big brands but also want to learn and maybe don’t have the opportunities.  

My hopes for the future

If I could change one thing about our industry it would be the fact that the likes and followers you have on social media are sometimes the focus more than our work. I like social media, don’t get me wrong, but I think sometimes it is too much.  

Being a bartender is still considered a hobby sometimes in my country, not a ‘real job’. It feels wrong and the pay for our job is also as if it were just a hobby. That is something that is changing slowly but steadily.  

“I want to empower others to have fun, to be constantly surprised and to be looking for new things to learn constantly.”

Globalisation is making us aware of bartenders throughout the world, which is giving us the opportunity to talk to each other more. Having platforms and articles for bartenders to read what is happening in the industry is something I think that facilitates the growth for new generations, like me.  

Someday, I want to be the one teaching. I don’t have the knowledge now but I will, and I want to help other bartenders. I also don’t know how to describe it, but I want to empower others to have fun, to be constantly surprised and to be looking for new things to learn constantly. I’d like to make that my trademark. 

A little bit about me

I was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, and while food and drinks have always been a central part in my life, I never really wanted to work in the industry. I started working in the industry as a means to pay my rent. At first it was just a way to earn money, but it quickly became something so much more. 

Challenges make me happy. Be it a competition challenge or figuring out the perfect lighting in a venue, I’m one of those ADHD-kids who just has to pick things apart to understand them and then reassemble them into something better. 

“I have this weird infatuation with repeating things over, and over, and over, until I get it right.”

I’m restless and kind of impatient which are terrible traits in a relationship, but excellent ones when you are working in the industry. I’m also insanely curious and I really love the process of going from not knowing anything about something, to knowing everything about it. I have this weird infatuation with repeating things over, and over, and over, until I get it right. 

How I approach my work

The best piece of advice I’ve been given is: ‘There is joy in repetition’. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been really bad at being patient and trusting the process – I want things to happen now and it took a really long time to realise that the people who are at the top of their industries became so after years, and years, of honing their skills. My dear friend and mentor Johan Evers kind of opened my eyes to that. 

I think we’re generally pretty bad at setting goals, however small or big, in our bars or for our personal progression. If I don’t have something to work towards, I get super bored. I’m in the process of opening my own bar. But that’s the easy one. Like my end goal is to do something with IKEA and to change the world. 

“I think we’re generally pretty bad at setting goals… in our bars or for our personal progression.”

To motivate me at work, employers can give me a working environment that is safe and sustainable, because I’ve come to the point where I’m too old to not feel great at work, I guess. But also, give me some responsibility that is mine – like being in charge of a tea program, or figuring out how to solve a problem pertaining to systems, service or business. I believe that if you give your employees some autonomy, the results that they are going to come back are going to be amazing.  

Brands are important supporters, but while do tonnes for us, I think they could do more when it comes to addressing the more problematic parts of our industry. But I think that us bartenders need to be smarter about working with brands as well. A lot of bartenders like to refer to bigger brands as ‘evil’, but these are the only brands that can help you make lasting change or have actual impact. If you want to change the world, you’d better figure out a way to utilise these brands and have them open some doors for you. 

My thoughts on mentorship

I used to be more into cool bartenders who did cool stuff, but I’m starting to lean into the people who have progressed from being award-winning bartenders to successful business owners. Sure, it’s super impressive to run a 50-best bar, but its way more impressive to build a sustainable business. I have huge respect for Dave Mulligan of 1661 because how he’s built that bar and that business is super impressive. Johan Evers of A Bar Called Gemma here in Stockholm is another person I look up to who I’m also super lucky to have as a mentor. Will Guidara, most definitely.  

Outside of the industry I would say my biggest inspiration is probably Maya Angelou and I dream that I could do just 5% of what she did and stood for as a POC in American culture. 

“I’m starting to lean into the people who have progressed from being award-winning bartenders to successful business owners.”

Role models to me are the people who lead the way in how to be a hospitality professional. Not necessarily the ones who have access to the coolest machines or endless amounts of money. I’d rather say that to me a role model is someone who helps others to be brave, someone who shows you that the things you want to do or dream of are not impossible. Emilio di Salvo of Satan’s Whiskers is probably a person that fits into that category for me, with his everlasting quest of, ‘There must be a better way to do this’.  

I think that the leaders in the industry have the responsibility of mentoring, sharing their work and curating the coming generation so that they get not as good as, but better than them. I would love to see some kind of summit or initiative where instead of workshops where we talk about our bars, we talk about our systems of service and hospitality and create a platform with resources that can be used and implemented in any bar. 

My hopes for the future

If I could change one thing about our industry it would be the destructive side of it, because it is literally killing us. 

I think bartenders hold so much more power than we can imagine – we could change the world, to be honest. 

For the bar community to grow together and make sure our voices are heard, we need to take better care of each other, we need to look out more for each other – we need to get healthier and less toxic. 

I want to know that I in some way, inspired someone to try harder and be better. And I want to, in some way, change the world to the better. It’s unlikely that I’ll save the planet, but I want to know that I at least did something to make the world my kids grow up in a better place. 

A little bit about me

I’ve had many odd jobs as a young adult, but when I started hosting at a neighbourhood restaurant, there was an energy that was different and exciting. A few jobs later, I was bartending in college and found myself with managerial responsibilities. Now, I co-own a bar with great business partners and have created the kind of space I want to go to. 

I enjoy seeing human connections. When people gather to celebrate or to just hang out, I want to be a part of a time that’s important to them. 

I like to focus on how to become more efficient. I continue to seek out education and practice developing creativity and leadership skills.  

“When people gather to celebrate or to just hang out, I want to be a part of a time that’s important to them.”

I want to create safe spaces for people to relax and mingle. I love the energy when guests are having a great time and enjoying their company. I want to open more bars and restaurants for anyone to feel comfortable in.  

How I approach my work

The most helpful advice I’ve been given is, ‘Be adaptable’ and ‘It’s okay to change direction’. This industry is so fast paced that it’s necessary to stay on your toes. Things don’t go according to plan often. 

I like knowing how things work so education is a big part of my professional goals. I completely believe that knowledge leads to confidence, so I seek out any education that sparks my interests. 

Bartenders meet so many people. This leads to awesome stories and unique relationships. Some of our regulars have surprising experiences and we are there to listen or advise. I like that we can be supportive of people that want to share their lives with us. 

Employers can be present. Employees mirror their supervisors in energy and actions. If leaders are more present and engaging, employees follow and participate. 

Brands are great leaders and educators for the service industry. After a training or event, I’ve often felt more confident in my general knowledge. People are eager to teach about their passions and brands harbour people who are passionate. 

“Employees mirror their supervisors in energy and actions. If leaders are more present and engaging, employees follow and participate.”

Speedrack has been the biggest influence of my career, in part because of their continued brand support. That makes it my favourite event of the year. 

My thoughts on mentorship

To me, a role model is someone who has talents I’d like to learn. I think anyone can learn something from any position in the service industry. 

Good morals and experience are what I look for in a mentor or leader. Key mentors in my career made me feel like my interests were important. They gave me the structure and confidence to be creative and learn. 

Leaders can be more honest. Everyone can be more honest. Smaller issues would be transparent, and leaders could focus on larger solutions.  

My hopes for the future

If I could change one this about our industry, I think I’d like the industry to have a bigger focus on work balance and mental health. 

Bartenders hold the power to define the future of the industry. They make up such a huge part of our industry. During the pandemic, communities of bartenders were getting creative and supporting each other. This is a large and amazing support system we have access to. 

“If we support each other, we are a stronger community for larger society to listen to.”

In order to grow and make sure our voices are heard, our community should continue to share information, stay connected, and be honest with each other instead of looking at others as competition. If we support each other, we are a stronger community for larger society to listen to. 

I want to be remembered as someone with intention and integrity. I like to give attention, problem-solve if needed, and be a great supporter. 

A little bit about me

I hail from ‘the brass city of India’, Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. I love what I do, and I do what I love. 

I actually wanted to become a fashion designer, because I love to create art and give soul to something. 

I still remember the incident that changed my life. I had decided to take up a course in my college which had just two to choose from – Fashion Design and Hotel Management. When I joined college, my destiny took me to the Hotel Management course, where in my first year I chose food and beverage, simply because I love to serve people with art, and what’s better than a job which brings smiles to others’ faces?

I started to fall in love with the stories behind classic cocktails. This filled me with a fire and curiosity to learn and do more in the field. I went on to do my training and eagerly wanted to work behind the bar. But that required some patience – as we know, good things take time.  

“I love to serve people with art, and what’s better than a job which brings smiles to others’ faces?”

During that period, I was reading about Don Beach, the father of Tiki culture and came across one story about him which stayed with me and changed the rest of my trajectory. In the story, he used to turn on the water tap on the roof of the bar for customers to stay longer, as they thought it was raining outside. It sounds funny, but this story gave me an idea. I took a bandage and food colouring from the bakery and tied it on my toe and requested to be assigned a position behind the bar wiping glasses to rest my ‘injured toe’. I used to watch the bartender hosting guests and saw how happy they felt when they treated them to their art. Since then, there’s been no looking back and I finally feel like I’ve found the place where I belong. 

How I approach my work

My favourite part about my job is the opportunity to give life to the ingredients and make the best use of everything I have. 

It brings me great joy when I can be a good host to our guests and make them feel happy; like the bar is their second home, where they can celebrate special occasions with us. 

For me to progress professionally I need education, because knowledge never gets wasted. Knowledge gives me the confidence to progress in life both personally and professionally. Competitions also give you recognition and confidence to believe in yourself. Travelling gives you creative ideas and you stay updated with the trends. 

“Knowledge gives me the confidence to progress in life both personally and professionally.”

I want to create an environment where my team and I work together to achieve a common goal, and is a place that helps everyone grow in all aspects. 

Employers should create and maintain a positive work environment and could provide regular trainings, not just constrained to my job profile but my role as well, which shows an understanding of the importance of employee motivation. 

My thoughts on mentorship

I look up to my mentor, Mr Mayur Marne, because of his journey. From a house bartender, he grew to become a bar artist and now, he also has his own bar. He’s lived the life that every bartender dreams of and is so inspiring. He is a great team leader and a person full of passion as he puts 100% into everything he does. He is a great host as he puts his soul into the drinks and vibe at the bar, which is an important aspect of being a successful bartender. 

I also look up to my mum who always gives me positive motivation to do what makes me proud. She is my biggest cheerleader, and I have learnt how to tackle the biggest problems in life from her. 

“I want to create an environment where my team and I work together to achieve a common goal.”

For me, a role model is someone who is worthy of imitation and has an inspiring success journey. I have found inspiration from the legends like Shatbi Basu, India’s first female mixologist; Bannie Kang, owner of Side Door in Singapore; and Matt Whiley, the inspiration behind sustainable bar culture, among others. 

Leaders can act as mentors for the next generation and help them to perform on a platform to create unforgettable, inspiring stories. They can guide them towards the right path and create modules like work-life balance, health advisory, financial growth, etc. which will also help the next generation have more planned and secure futures. 

My hopes for the future

If I could change one thing about industry it would be the categorising of ‘female bartenders’. I believe in equity and I think now the time has come and we should accept that just as a female pilot is a pilot, a female doctor is a doctor, then a bartender is a bartender, be they male or female. 

“Just as a female pilot is a pilot, a female doctor is a doctor, then a bartender is a bartender, be they male or female.”

Bartenders hold the power to define the industry because, behind the bar, it’s never just another day at the office. There are infinite possibilities of who will come through the bar doors, what kind of energy they will bring to your environment, and how busy you will be that evening. We have to continuously try to remain focused, amiable, on top of orders and out of the weeds, which aren’t easy feats to perform. 

Supporting each other is the best way to grow together. We must create a benchmark for everything we do to provide the best to our guests, and also inspire the future generation of bartenders and bar professionals. With a small industry like this, it is important to motivate each other and create a positive work environment that will support creativity and innovation, and help everyone to grow together. 

My generosity will be my legacy through which I will mentor others and be an example to them. My story could touch them in some way. 

Biznu Saru has his father to thank for introducing him to the world of bartending. “He used to serve in the Indian army and when he would get back from Rajasthan, he would mix rum punch and Cuba Libres. I heard he was a bartender in the mess for his senior officers and that is how I got to know about bartending.” Now, Saru teaches scores of young and hopeful bartenders-in-training through his Nepalese school Cocktail Workshop to build a solid foundation of local talent for the future of a relatively young cocktail industry in south Asia.  

When it comes to discussing the profession of bartending in the world’s largest continent, Asia, perceptions, misconceptions, and preconceptions are nuanced depending on the cultures in which they are happening. In some, a negative view of alcohol consumption is naturally associated; in others, an association with sex work can be a barrier, class systems can impact the desire to work in a service role, and the eschewing of more ‘accepted’ careers (law, medicine) a disappointment. 

However, in 2023, Asia’s bar industry is buzzing, and more and more of its bartenders are being rightly recognised on the industry’s global stage. Guest shifts are changing too, from the pre-Covid influx of teams from the West, to a more internal exchange of knowledge with bars from inside the continent – and brands are putting their money where their mouths are too by investing in education. India is reported as being one of the fastest growing alcoholic beverage markets globally, Singapore saw the arrival of BCB in 2022, Vietnam hosted its first whisky festival (and associated bartender competition), and Campari Academy itself just launched in Asia this year (2023) – to name a few of the continent’s recent big moves. 

And while this feature is not exhaustive when it comes to the many different cultures and countries that live under the catchall term ‘Asia’, the interviewees represent a cross-section of approaches to the bartending profession, to encourage a conversation around the core question: ‘How do you build a career as a bartender in Asia?’ 

In the beginning

For a lot of today’s best-known bartenders in Asia, their origin stories of working in a profession perhaps not much spoken about are, unsurprisingly, tales of the unexpected. Soran Nomura picked up his trade after leaving his studies at art school in London. “One of my friends was working for Cantaloupe Group, so I got my first job at the Big Chill bar in east London and as soon as I started, I fell in love.”  

It marked the beginning of a seven-year stint in the capital before his visa ran out and he found himself moving home to Japan where he discovered finding a community of like-minded people to be rather difficult. “At the time there were only a few young bartenders around and I was trying to meet up with them, but it was hard to find those people… I was struggling to meet people with good skills, same-thinking bartender people.” Now, Nomura runs multiple spaces in Tokyo, from his retail venture Nomura Shoten to new bar and studio Quarter Room. 

“I was struggling to meet people with good skills, same-thinking bartender people.”

Soran Nomura, Nomura Shoten

Over in Singapore and Sasha Wijidessa (who is soon to open Fura with co-founder chef Christina Rasmussen) found herself choosing between bartending and the pharmaceutical industry after taking it up to make some extra cash while she was studying. “Soon I realised I really loved and enjoyed every part of it, being in a creative space, making drinks, the creative process, being part of a team… After my graduation, I was kind of at a crossroads: either further my studies or continue bartending full-time. But I’ve never been so passionate and devoted to anything else I’ve ever done so it seemed only fair to myself to choose to do something that I love – so I chose bartending.” 

For India’s Arijit Bose, however, watching his father (a good cook) run a small lodging meant that for him, hospitality was on the cards from the start. After deciding to study hotel management, he was sure it would be in the guise of a chef – until he experienced his first bar. “When I saw my first bar, my life kind of changed. I enjoyed the history, the piano, the lady singing: it was the first time I realised I wanted to be in the bar.” Since then, he’s travelled the world as a brand ambassador, sales and marketing man, bartender and bar owner – and now he runs consultancy agency, Countertop, which has a vision of planting India more firmly on the global F&B stage. (He was also instrumental in Goa’s bartending scene having opened Bar Tesouro, which he recently left.) 

Living proof

While these now influential individuals have gone on to be recognisable names in their fields, the road hasn’t been an easy one and stigmas surrounding bartending (while changing) do exist. Over in Malaysia, renowned bar owner and tender Karl Too, who currently runs Happy Stan in Kuala Lumpur, tells me: “In Malaysia, historically, the perception of being a bartender was often viewed negatively due to the association of alcohol consumption, with negative behaviours such as drunkenness and promiscuity. There’s also a cultural stigma against alcohol consumption in some parts of Malaysian society, particularly among the Muslim population who make up the majority of the country’s population.” 

“In Malaysia, historically, the perception of being a bartender was often viewed negatively due to the association… with negative behaviours such as drunkenness and promiscuity.”

Karl Too, Happy Stan

This attitude towards drinking alcohol is something Saru has experienced too, not just with his own profession but with his work to build others’. “When I say I’m a bartender, peoples’ perception of me is, ‘Oh, he knows how to drink’,” he explains. “When I started my academy in 2016, there were days when a student would come in and his or her parents would say ‘They will be a drunkard, they will start drinking alcohol’.” 

Interestingly, Nomura’s experience in Shinjuku, Toyko, is an inverted one of Saru’s and Too’s. “People of my parents’ age drink quite a lot – they used to come every Saturday to my house and on Sunday mornings people would be lying down in my living room… People my age are scared to get drunk – they’d rather drink non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks.” 

Hopes and dreams

While some may cite the attitude to alcohol as a barrier, Wijidessa isn’t sure if it’s really the focus: “I think there is less of a taboo with alcohol in most parts of Asia than we think,” she says. “Although I do think for the longest time bartending has not been viewed as a ‘respectable career’ which I believe is tied a lot to traditional views of what a career should be.” Indeed, the plan for Wijidessa originally was to do dentistry after she graduated from pharma science. “To say that my parents were disappointed is quite the understatement.  But they have since come around and are super supportive of my career.” 

One of the industry’s most recognisable women working behind the bar, Bannie Kang of Singapore’s Side Door, fell into the world of bartending after moving to the country to improve her English before finding herself behind the bar. She has experienced first-hand the underlying negative perceptions surrounding her profession of choice. “My family are very traditional Korean – my dad works in the office and my mum is a housewife –which makes them not supportive of my job due to lack of understanding,” she tells me. 

Class systems in India play a role too, Bose tells me of the perception and sometimes barriers to getting into the industry. “If you come from an educated background where your parents are scholars you would automatically target engineering, banking, investment, but you’re not moving to F&B,” he explains while also citing the taboos around talking about money and the difficulties that arise with managing a team when a nuanced and visible class system are in place. More specific to Goa, however, and with drinking not looked at as negatively – and with its Portuguese past – the ability to communicate drinks is better, he says, than a lot of the rest of the country, making it a hive for budding bartenders. 

All change?

But if Asia’s bartending scene is growing, does that mean perceptions are changing? And if not, how can they? Too believes Malaysia is definitely seeing a shift – especially in urban areas – for a number of reasons: “This shift in perception can be attributed to several factors, such as the rise of international cocktail competitions, the opening of high-end bars and restaurants that offer elaborate cocktail menus, and the increasing demand for quality cocktails and mixology services at events and parties.” 

“The key point will be how we could work more on education and the image of these jobs, as it will let others have a better understanding of our industry collectively contributing back to society.” 

Bannie Kang, Side Door

Kang sees the acceptance of the bartending community outside of the industry as having a bigger impact on Asian society more widely. “Our community is very important not only for me in my role in the bar industry but in other industries too. We have such potential to make an impact on our future. The key point will be how we could work more on education and the image of these jobs, as it will let others have a better understanding of our industry collectively contributing back to society.” 

Wijidessa echoes her sentiment: “I don’t think it’s the [change of] perception of bartending that will make our community stronger, I think it’s more the lack of understanding of what we do and more importantly why we do what we do.”  

Back to Too and it will be the right messaging and promotion of the industry that will make a difference, targeting specific groups of people, such as those who might be sceptical about career growth and financial reward. A focus on its creative and artistic aspects are important too. “Bartending can be an attractive career option for Malaysians who are passionate about hospitality and mixology. I have been coaching and mentoring a particular group of talented individuals which I believe they have potential to influence and further improve the quality of local F&B landscape. This [has been] a lonely uphill battle since 2019.” 

Local talent

This leads to a delicate aspect of the DNA of the Asian bar scene: the relationship between ex-pats and local talent. While international talent has certainly played a role in its recent history, the focus on local talent is also something that the industry is keen to see more of. “I think more and more we’re bridging the gap,” says Wijidessa of the balance between the two. “When I first started bartending nine years ago, the majority of the bars had an ex-pat running the program, but now we’re seeing a lot more locals being empowered.” 

“When I first started bartending nine years ago, the majority of the bars had an ex-pat running the program, but now we’re seeing a lot more locals being empowered.” 

Sasha Wijidessa, Fura

Bose is keen to credit ex-pats from the likes of Australia and Italy for helping him learn how to manage a team and as a way of setting a standard for the first big generation of local talent. “I learned how to manage a team not from Indian predecessors but from people outside. If you look at the right people, they will build up a generation and now the second generation is where the guys they trained are taking up those positions. If ex pats hadn’t come into our industry, it would be very different.” 

Too is keen to impress that while ex-pats in Malaysia have played an important role in its development, a diverse and inclusive bar culture should reflect the local community and its values as much as possible: “This can involve actively promoting local talent and ingredients, as well as embracing new ideas and perspectives from around the world.” 

For Saru, his work with locals from less wealthy families who may not be able to invest in a career is his way of encouraging more local talent into the industry through scholarships.  

Building the future

Retaining talent is something that will be important to keeping local bartenders in Asia too and strengthening the message that bartending is a noble and sought-after profession. The methods suggested for doing so are not dissimilar to those cited across the industry globally.  

“If we want what we do to be a lifelong career, then we need to create a working environment that can give you balance and a career that can blend with all the other aspect of your life,” says Wijidessa. “Sure my body in my twenties can handle a 90-hour work week, but what about when I’m 30? Or 40? Or 50?  If I can’t say that I can do what I do now when I’m 50, then it’s a career that is not sustainable. Now a lot of my work goals are tied with creating a balance and blend of my personal and work life.” Nomura is also working hard to build a business that promotes this way of working, instilling eight-hour shifts into his numerous businesses to help with staff balance. 

“I hope it comes to that level where there is a lot more talent than places opening, and the talent running places too.” 

Arijit Bose, Countertop

Bose meanwhile is busy growing what he calls an ‘ecosystem’ in India to grow the market: “I’m not tied up with just bartenders but artistic people from other vocations like a video game developer, and architect a business research group, to see how we can take whatever learnings and use them.” What are his hopes for the future of his bar scene? “I hope people find this industry fun and that they don’t find serving other people degrading… I hope it comes to that level where there is a lot more talent than places opening, and the talent running places too.” 

For Kang, a continued willingness to learn will stand any young bartender in Asia in good stead: “Stay connected, stay humble, stay hungry for knowledge.” 

In the midst of dark times, such as the ones developing during the Great Depression at the beginning of 1930s, three cents of a dollar was enough to buy a glass of flavored soda. As a result, soda bars were, perhaps unsurprisingly, prominent hangouts – one of the very few reliefs of a tough era, which also witnessed the final years of Prohibition.  

Athenian co-founders George Tsirikos, Dimitris Dafopoulos, Vassilis Kalantzis and George Bagos took inspiration from that handful of coins to name their award-winning company, Three Cents. The Greek carbonated drink and mixer brand has steadily been in the spotlight over the past few years, ranking high in the Mixer category for Best Selling Brands and Top Trending Brands leaderboards listed by Drinks International, and recently being sold to the mammoth Coca-Cola Company, for €45m in 2022.  

Bubbling ideas

Founded in December 2014, Three Cents was conceptualised much earlier, when all four of the founders were tending bars and began looking into home-cocktail-making. It was an educational opportunity that sparked the beginning of their journey, when Tsirikos and Bagos flew to New Orleans to attend Tales of the Cocktail. After attending a seminar by Canadian research scientist, Darcy O’Neil, about the history of sodas and their popularity in the United States, O’Neil’s seminal tome Fix the Pumps became key reading for the Greek bartenders, who then dove into researching and trying to re-create the recipes that they were reading about. 

Then, necessity blended with curiosity: Bagos and Dafopoulos were bartending at Dos Agaves, a now-closed tequila bar in Athens, where Palomas were already booming. Grapefruit soda, a key ingredient in the refreshing, pink-hued cocktail, was quite hard to come by in Europe, and even more so in Greece. With the premium brands too expensive or difficult to geta hold of, Tsirikos decided to come back home from working in London to try and solve the problem.  

Since then, Three Cents’ growth has been remarkably steady: implementing local ingredients, nurturing recipes from scratch, and expanding from its five original products to the 11 varieties available today, plus four non-sugar ones. According to Tsirikos, to fight producers’ skepticism, the team accepted a challenge to produce 500 soda cases in one year – 300 were sold in the first month alone.  

Rise to the top

“When we started, we did not know what we were getting ourselves into,” Bagos admits of the foursome’s first steps. “We thought only friends would like it, but then it switched to the bigger market and it hasn’t stopped since. We began when tonic and soda were the only mixers – you pretty much couldn’t find anything else, at least not easily. Now we have a whole range of flavoured options within hands reach.”  

Competition is, inevitably, becoming fiercer by the hour, with more and more brands turning their focus to premium sodas. However Three Cents is surfing the contemporary mixology wave which Greece has embraced wholeheartedly as shown by the success of Greek bars on the global stage, as well as the importance of Athens Bar Show in the industry calendar.  

This expansion in popularity also carries some downsides though: “The soda category specifically literally boomed in last few years,” recalls Kalantzis who has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality business. “But now we are seeing too many new brands hitting the market, and that simply cannot happen. Five years ago, we only had a few premium mixers brand, now you can find dozens of them… The demand can’t be absorbed, everyone produces the same thing, the ranges are similar, and nothing innovative comes out of it.” 

While it is still quite common to read or hear about the upward trend of quality carbonated beverages in the mixology industry, says Tsirikos, it might be time to realise that it is already happening: “It kind of already has become a trend – you can see it in the classic drinks that need carbonated produce (Palomas above all have changed for the better)… It’s not just a fashion, or something destined to disappear soon. It’s driven by consumers and not brands, so it will always be consistent due to the request of easy… You can see it already in the new menus, anywhere you go, regardless of the country.”  

Still in the mix

Clearly, Coca-Cola (through its subsidiary CC Beverages Holdings II B.V. which completed the purchase) sensed something in the water, closing the multi-million Euro deal towards the end of 2022. Did this impact the overall structure of the company? “I know it sounds a bit of a cliché, but it is true that nothing really changed,” explains Tsirikos. “The whole point of the sale was for our company to operate in the exact same way as before, so we did not have to compromise. We are still fully involved and committed; we are still planning innovation; we actually have deeper challenges now, especially trying to find new solutions to involve bartenders.”  

The four Greek former bartenders still actively contribute to the produce creation and are aiming to open new markets in the future (Three Cents is available in 34 countries at the moment). Speaking about what’s to come, the only known truth for Three Cents right now is “to assess whatever happens and react,” says Bagos. “But we are proud and happy about our presence in the community: bartenders are excited for the deal, because they see it as something they can achieve too.” 

Carlo Carnevale

To Natoora, education means equipping everyone – starting from schoolkids and running right up to bartender, chef, home cook and everyone in between – with the skills and knowledge they need to have a positive impact on the food system.

However, everyone learns differently: there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to knowledge sharing that can adapt seamlessly to different cultures, landscapes, languages and sensitivities. Having one would mean we’d miss out on the chance to learn ourselves.

But flavour is universal. One bite of a tree-ripened Greta peach, or sip of Moro blood orange juice that’s both sweet and bright in perfect balance, and suddenly you’re alert. You ask, ‘This doesn’t taste like anything else I’ve had before – why?’ And from that moment, there is a captive audience. That spark is what our education movement is built on – revolutionary flavour.

Origin stories

It’s why we start every conversation, be it in a kitchen with a restaurant team, leaning over the counter with a bartender, or calling for quiet in an inner-city classroom, with an invitation to taste something in season, right now.

That’s when the questions start: ‘Where did this come from? Why does it taste like this? Why is it so different from what I can get in the supermarket?’ The answer to each one comes back to one simple thing: we know who grew it.

We’ve spent nearly 20 years building our own supply chain, one that clarifies, rather than obscures, who and where our food comes from. It’s the opposite to the conventional model, which seeks to create efficiencies through the homogenisation of infrastructure, plant life and culinary habits.

Shared values

Our model relies on building direct relationships with the farmers, producers and makers within our food system, so we can fully understand their decision-making and therefore choose to put our weight behind those who share our priorities: the preservation of cultural heritage, protection of our ecosystems, and production of food with incredible flavour.

These are individuals who resist conformity, safeguarding seeds, growing methods and traditions that define diversity, in both human and environmental form. We may only get to taste their produce for three weeks out of the year (Mora Farm’s Malwina strawberries, or lychees from Sicily) but to create with these harvests is to realign with nature, and rediscover the joy in the pure, unadulterated flavour.

Some of these relationships go back to the beginning, formed when Natoora was a handful of people in London. By using flavour as a means of connecting our farmers and their work to our community, we’re now in the situation where bartenders and chefs await the start of a season as keenly as we do: green citrus from Carmelo, winter tomatoes from Italy and Spain, the first delivery of Robert Tomlinson’s forced rhubarb from Yorkshire. It’s a connection that we feel is key to repairing the devastating damage done by the mainstream intensive food system – namely the de-education of the consumer, and the devaluing of the work of the farmer.

Power in numbers

With our revolution now spreading across three continents, uniting hundreds of growers with 2,000 chefs and bartenders through reciprocal appreciation, there’s a real opportunity to use the strength and voice of our community to drive lasting change. Steadfast support for our work from the hospitality industry means we’re able to give even greater backing to our growers.

Since 2004, Natoora have laid down over £500k for small-scale, agroecological growers in the form of low- to no-interest loans or grants. Our support has allowed them to take on new land, diversify their crop planning and build long-lasting infrastructure without having to compromise on their values or growing practices. In 2021, as the IPCC report threw the climate crisis into stark relief — we took our commitment to the next level by launching our Farm Fund, raising capital for farmers in need of help to either get on or move up the ladder.

A huge amount rests on the shoulders of these individuals – food security, biodiversity, soil health, climate mitigation – and it’s vital that we show our solidarity, for the sake of both environmental and human health. What can you do to stand alongside them? Seek out flavour, and demand that others do the same.

Clementine Hain-Cole

When thinking about the journey fruits and vegetables endure, from farm to table and bar tops, you’d be hard pressed to imagine the rigorous checks they go through. Together with the mandatory health and safety standards that need to be met, fruits and vegetables are tasked with observing very strict cosmetic criteria in order to proceed and be presented to the general market.  

For example, according to EU regulations: apples are required to weigh at least 90g; strawberries must measure 18mm or 25mm in diameter, depending on their class; lemons must contain at least 20% of juice; walnuts must respect controlled humidity percentages; bell peppers must not be sunburnt; and up until 1998, cucumbers must have had a 10mm bend over 10cm length (the rule has been repealed). And these are just to name a few.  

The US market is apparently ruled by aesthetics: products must be blemish-free or not oddly shaped for them to reach the market. But even so, anywhere on the planet this could still not be enough. Once the law requirements are matched, buyers’ likes need to be satisfied, and that’s another obstacle. Wholesalers operate one more process, keeping all those products that just don’t look appealing off the shelves. So, where do all the unworthy fruits and vegetables go? Unfortunately, you might have guessed correctly. Aside from a relatively small amount of that going to landfill, the rest of it goes to waste.  

The big picture 

1.6 billion tonnes of the food produced worldwide goes to waste every year according to The Food and Agricultural Organisations of the UN (FAO); that’s roughly one third of the total supplies the planet generates, adding up to a mind-blowing $160 billion in value. ‘If this wasted food were stacked in 20-cubic metre skips, it would fill 80m million of them, enough to reach all the way to the moon, and encircle it once,’ said The Guardian in 2016.  

The economic implications of this issue are probably the most immediate that come to mind, but there are other big ones. The moral aspect, to begin with, cannot be overlooked: almost 830 million people are considered to be in danger of starving (UN data, 2021), a situation that got worse with the recent pandemic, and yet almost 33% of our food ends up rotting.  

Plus, the environment suffers a very heavy blow from food waste: as FAO was pointing out almost 10 years ago, ‘if food waste could be represented as its own country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China and the United States’, due to the land, energy, water and resoruces unnecessarily needed to produce, process and get rid of it (food dumps release methane, a far more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide). Things did not change in the past decade: if anything, they got worse, but a movement is on the rise to combat these damaging habits. 

The ugly movement  

The ugly produce movement took its first major steps around the mid-2010s, with Australia leading the way and Europe following suit. Associations, groups and actual companies were born, gathering their effort to re-distribute the food that would not make the cut to supermarket shelves or groceries baskets. Two were the main focus points of the action, right from the beginning: the nutritional values of ugly produce (which are often referred to with less direct terms, such as ‘imperfect’); and the price they are sold at, which is usually discounted up to 50%.  

Australian NQR (Not Quite Right) was launched in 1987 as an outlet for bigger brands, selling products that have been overstocked, had their packing changed, or are close to their best before dates, thus avoiding perfectly fine goods to go to waste. Danish platform Stop Wasting Food was founded in 2008, and has since established itself as leading non-profit advocate for the cause, being involved in charity work, education, communication and active intervention about food waste. It is now a member of the European Commission’s EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste, collaborates with the United Nations and contributes to initiatives such as the doggy-bag distribution. Portuguese project Fruta Freia was born in 2013 in Lisbon, expanding to different cities all over the country. Local producers sell their small, big or misshapen fruit and vegetables to the organisation, which then sets two sizes of boxes and sells them to consumers associated with the cooperative, for an annual fee worth €5 and a price range that goes from €4 to €7.5, depending on the size of the box. The Italian NaturaSì opened an internal selling system for employees to buy exceeding or non-perfect products at discounted prices, plus organising a network with socially relevant organisations for these products to be destined for disadvantaged citizens.   

Something is changing 

Governments are beginning to shine a light on the issue too: after the first steps were moved during 2016 council, the European Union has designed its Sustainable Development Goal, with a ‘target to halve per capita food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030, and reduce food losses along the food production and supply chains.’  

In 2020, Italy promoted a law which grants tax exemptions to food donors, being them businesses or private citizens (in 2016 the country established that food can be regularly donated to churches and charities), together with an educational program in schools; in France, retailers are forbidden to throw food, it instead being mandatory for them to cooperate with NGOs that work in assistance to those in need; while in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and Vermont, all have regulations that prohibit food waste. All of the above have specific mentions of ugly produce, underlining how even at the higher decisional levels, the matter is finally being taken seriously.  

What can I do?  

As a hospitality business, purchasing ugly produce does not only stand in the fight-against-waste category.  Juices, jams, pulps, all kinds of preps can be obtained from ugly produce just the same as regularly marketed fruit and vegetables, if not better (according to EU, the minimum calibre of blood oranges must be 53mm, though the smaller ones are renowned for being more concentrated and tastier). 

But the impact your buying choices can have on the whole community will be much deeper. By joining one of the many organisations that focus on ugly produce, the benefits are numerous.  

You can: 

• Support local producers, granting them extra income they would otherwise not receive 
• Save money, making for a more economically sustainable business 
• Contribute to a network of like-minded professionals that strive for a positive impact  
• Avoid your own food waste by joining projects such as the Danish Too Good to Go, allowing non-expensive purchases and reducing environmental consequences  

They may not be beautiful, but ugly fruits and vegetables are well-worth the effort. 

Carlo Carnevale