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Thoughts

Thoughts

Kate Nicholls on the financial forecast for 2025

UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls outlines the hard truths about the financial difficulties the Budget has delivered to the industry.

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on cold weather, hot drinks

Jake O'Brien Murphy delivers his verdict on the steaming seasonal favourites.

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The unexpected joy of Martini and fries

John Ennis has found his perfect combination - have you tried a Martini and fries?

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How drinks balance changes market by market

There’s probably no one better than Nico de Soto to explain how cocktail tastes change market by market. When bartending abroad, you have to tailor your drinks to your audience, he says.

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My Martini - Jake O'Brien Murphy on the enduring classic

There’s one cocktail that Jake O'Brien Murphy is deeply passionate about – and it’s personal.

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Anna Sebastian: community groups need to join forces

Anna Sebastian says cause-led communities and action groups should find new and creative ways to work together.

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Sophie Bratt on why hospitality is the greatest show

Sophie Bratt, the Class Bar Awards Bar Manager of the Year and bar manager at Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, loves show-stopping drinks, but says we need to be focused on the whole performance.

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Iain McPherson: Why we should all think globally

Iain McPherson presses home the importance of growing a bartending community and explains how to build your network.

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Europe's back door - how to recruit from the EU

Although neither speedy nor cheap, there are still ways to recruit talented staff from the EU. Edmund Weil offers some pointers and outlines the positives of doing so.

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Monica Berg: Re-thinking our relationship with ingredients

A recent study shows an alarming number of plants have become extinct – and humans have had a big hand in this. Monica Berg says we need to have better connections with our precious ingredients.

Thoughts

World Mental Health Day: Learning from a tragedy

When mental health issues threaten to overwhelm, there are people and places who can help - and the death of Craig Scott has highlighted that the community needs to work together to support each other.  Blythe Robertson reports ahead of World Mental Heath Day on Thursday 10th October. 

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World Mental Health Day: How bartenders can manage stress

Not all stress is bad for us, but when it is negative, there are ways to combat its effects, says Merly Kammerling, writing ahead of World Mental Heath Day on Thursday 10th October. 

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Kate Nicholls: How tipping legislation is changing

UK Hospitality chief Kate Nicholls updates us with news on tipping legislation and work undertaken on international recruitment.

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Giulia Cuccurullo: how to make drinks that tell stories

Giulia Cuccurullo, head bartender at Artesian, says making memorable drinks is about telling stories.

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Monica Berg: the power of admiration

Admiring the achievements of others can help you to learn and grow. Monica Berg certainly subscribes to that theory.

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Page turners - Jake O'Brien Murphy's must-read drinks books

Of the plethora of drinks related books available, Jake O'Brien Murphy finds a handful indispensable.

Thoughts

Innovation nation: Iain McPherson on the creative imperative

It’s time for the UK bar scene to up its game and get back into the creative groove it has always been known for, says Iain McPherson.

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Why your bar should adapt to a changing locale

Edmund Weil has seen Shoreditch morph in front of his eyes. What should an operator do when their bar’s surroundings change he asks?

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Why we need to de-industrialise the guest shift

Hamish Smith can’t seem to escape guest shifts. We must de-escalate this trend, he says.

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The Kate Nicholls column: Building the next generation of bartenders

If anyone knows what’s coming down the road for hospitality, it’s Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality. In a new column for CLASS, she enlightens us about the spots on the horizon that could soon become the bigger picture

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Pre-batching? Wait a (la) minute, says Kevin Armstrong

Batched cocktails are here to stay, but what’s good for the bar is not necessarily good for the guest, writes Satan’s Whiskers’ Kevin Armstrong.

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BBAs: Which product reigned supreme?

We finish our review of the BBAs 2024 where the competition ends. Once all the scores had been tallied these were the best-performing products. So which brand was best of the best? 

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Are your products being nerfed?

Brands exist as a signifier of quality. But what happens when products are quietly diluted or diminished? Beware the intervention that is nerfing, says Satan’s Whiskers’ Kevin Armstrong

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How to use data to run your bar better

Edmund Weil outlines some of the many ways in which data can provide invaluable insights into guest trends without being intrusive to their experience

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Are you a generalist or specialist? Jake O'Brien Murphy on drinks knowledge

Jake O'Brien Murphy worries that he doesn't know enough stuff about enough stuff – but he’s met plenty of those who do and generously share their expertise.

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How to do brand trips better

Anna Sebastian says brand trips are about creating lasting memories and, whether you work for a brand or a bar, make sure they’re the right ones.

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The hospitable takeover - how to do guest shifts better

There are guest shifts and good guest shifts. Pajtim Tani Hasa from Lab 22 is our guide to takeovers done well.

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Matt Arnold on cocktail comps: It's the taking part that counts (no, really)

After his World Class GB win and narrowly missing out on the global crown in São Paulo, Passing Fancies’ Matt Arnold explains why comps are about more than glory.

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Jake O'Brien Murphy reviews online bar reviews

A surprisingly high majority of online product reviews are positive. Jake O'Brien Murphy carries out his own study to see if the same is true of hospitality scrutiny.

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Monica Berg's bar diary: 'Citrus is for flavour, not just acidity'

Winter means citrus, but don’t think of these fruits as just providers of acidity – use them for their flavour, says Monica Berg