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Thoughts

Thoughts

Celebrity bartenders - a force for good or bad?
With a seemingly constant stream of ‘celebrity’ job-holders hitting TV screens, Jake O'Brien Murphy wonders if the bartender’s time will come. And what it might look like.
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16 December, 2022

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on 'elevated' bar snacks
In the latest episode of his quest for bar snack nirvana, Jake O'Brien Murphy finds himself at Kol, eating elevated Mexican nibbles. 
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04 November, 2022

Thoughts

So, you're thinking of opening a bar - it's not what you think
Mike Baxter owns bars. The job’s not what you think, he says.
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19 October, 2022

Thoughts

Why bartending isn't an art form
Jake O'Brien Murphy takes issue with the notion that bartenders are artists - it’s way more complicated  than that, he says.
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19 October, 2022

Thoughts

Chewing the Fat - the Awards Edition
Jake O'Brien Murphy emerges from awards season with his own list of best bar snacks.
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18 October, 2022

Thoughts

Brain drain - why do so many bartenders leave for brands?
Are bar operations losing too much talent to brands and does that disproportionately impact female representation in leadership positions, asks Anna Sebastian
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22 September, 2022

Thoughts

Why we should train bartenders - and managers

A fairer approach to promotion and better structure around training would help more people climb the ladder – and be more open – to higher-paid jobs, says Hannah Lanfear
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22 September, 2022

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy tackles the sausage roll
The sausage roll is the drinker's best friend, says Jake O'Brien Murphy, in his latest bar snack musing. 
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22 September, 2022

Thoughts

Swimming at low tide - how bars survive recession

Hospitality is facing a sink or swim situation thanks to the dangerous economic situation. Edmund Weil predicts profits will have to be sacrificed but the storm will pass and better times will come. 
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15 September, 2022

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on what hospitality really means
You wouldn't think a column about something so trivial as bar snacks could get political. Amid the spiraling cost of living, it has to, says Jake O'Brien Murphy. 
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15 September, 2022

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on bar snacks: toasties
Jake O'Brien Murphy's quest to find the perfect bar snack continues - and he might have found a contender.
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09 August, 2022

Thoughts

How to harness palate progression
Martyn 'Simo' Simpson from Silverleaf and Milroy's has studied the way people's palates develop through the bar experience - and has some advice as to what that means for the drinks you recommend. 
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20 July, 2022

Thoughts

A hungry Brit abroad: Jake O'Brien Murphy on Spanish bar snacks
Put on the factor fifty, start drinking in the early afternoon and mentally check out from any professional responsibility because this is the first international one of these! Wahey!
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11 July, 2022
cocktail menu evolution

Thoughts

From concept menu to minimalist list: how menus chart evolution
Jake O'Brien Murphy is feeling nostalgic for the creative listing trickery of years gone by.
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04 July, 2022
Jake O'Brien Murphy

Thoughts

The quest continues: Jake O'Brien Murphy heads north of the border
Jake O'Brien Murphy and his unending appetite for bar snacks arrives in Glasgow this week, where he finds the perfect elbow-to-elbow sustenance.  
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30 June, 2022
Bartender's Handshake

Thoughts

So what is the modern day bartender's handshake?
Intrigued by the reputation of Fernet as the “bartender’s handshake”, Mike Baxter set out to find what liquids bartenders around the UK actually favour today.
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27 June, 2022
Equality in hospitality

Thoughts

Anna Sebastian: The next step for women in bars is down to men
It’s men who must now play a role in women’s progression in the hospitality industry, says Anna Sebastian.
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27 June, 2022

Thoughts

Edmund Weil on how to realise your vision and open a bar
Having recently opened his fifth bar, Edmund Weil offers fellow existing and aspiring bar operators some advice learned from his experiences
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23 June, 2022

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on pub snacks
Jake O'Brien Murphy turns his attention - and appetite - to the Great British pub snack.
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22 June, 2022
inflation bar industry

Thoughts

How to tackle inflation

With everyone being financially crunched, Danny Murphy suggests some ways to help keep bar costs low and customers coming in.
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16 June, 2022
Oil in drinks

Thoughts

Fat equals flavour: Monica Berg on oils in drinks

Monica Berg outlines why fat washing is a favourite method of adding indulgence, richness and softness to a drink.
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16 June, 2022

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on bar snacks: oysters
Jake O'Brien Murphy continues his quest to find the perfect bar snack - this time he ruminates on oysters.
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07 June, 2022

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on bar snacks: bread & butter
Jake O'Brien Murphy has begun his mission to find the best bar snacks around. His opening gambit is a staple - bread and butter.
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26 May, 2022

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on his quest to find the perfect bar snack

Introducing a new series of articles, Jake O'Brien Murphy sets out his mission to find the best bar snacks around - but he needs your help too. 
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20 May, 2022
Language of flavour

Thoughts

Jake O'Brien Murphy on the language of flavour
Jake O’Brien Murphy gets the troubling issue of how to best describe flavour off his chest.
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08 April, 2022
cashless bars,

Thoughts

Cash is dead, card is king
If your bar is still taking cash, you're definitely haemorrhaging money. Mike Baxter explains why. 
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08 April, 2022
Cocktail book

Thoughts

Bartending by the book - what is the industry's required reading?
There is endless information online, but the bartender's best friend remains the book, says Danny Murphy.
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04 April, 2022
Private media

Thoughts

Private media: Should your employer have influence over your social media?
There are often blurred lines between the personal and the professional when it comes to social media. Anna Sebastian investigates whether the two can work together.
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30 March, 2022

Thoughts

Don't forget the positives - Ryan Chetiyawardana on the benefits of bartending

Ryan Chetiyawardana asks if it’s now time to refocus and talk up the benefits of bartending as a career.
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30 March, 2022

Thoughts

What St Patrick's Day means to me
With St Patrick's Day nearing - Thursday 17th March - Aaron Wall from Homeboy tells us what the celebration means to him.
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14 March, 2022