William Grant & Sons UK is thrilled to announce the relaunch of its esteemed 1887 Collective, now entering its seventh year with a fresh new look and an exciting first-ever Industry Nomination process.
Traditionally, our brands and ambassadors have hand-picked talented bartenders from across the UK based on their ambitious and innovative contributions to the industry. This year, we are proud to introduce three bartenders who have been nominated exclusively by their industry peers.
The 1887 Collective stands as one of the UK’s leading on-trade advocacy programmes. Over the course of the 12-month programme, we aim to further elevate our members’ talents through a series of distillery visits, wellness initiatives, talks, and educational experiences designed to help members develop and refine their skills further.
In an exciting evolution for this year, the program will see the return of some of its superstar alumni for one-off events and mentorship elements throughout the year, offering invaluable guidance and support. We kicked off the calendar with a Reunion Party, uniting past, present, and future members to celebrate the collective and foster connections within our community.
Nicole Sykes, Senior Advocacy Manager at William Grant & Sons UK and 1887 Collective Alumni, said: “The 1887 Collective has been hugely successful over the last few years, and we are proud of how it has grown from strength to strength, creating an incredible community of industry characters that we (William Grant & Sons UK) consider family. As a member of the fourth year, I can personally attest to the transformative power of the 1887 Collective. It changed my life.”
Full list of 1887 Collective Year 7 Members, bars and regions:
Courtney Francis, Couch, Birmingham
Selena, Panda and Sons, Edinburgh
Melissa Wyper, Farrand's Bar, Leeds
Olivia Francis, Swift Soho, London
Finn Kokkonen, Royal Cocktail Exchange, London
Stevie Burton, XIIII Lives, London
Luke O'Toole, Lyaness, London
Cern Bladen-Day, Filthy XIII, Bristol
Yadney Fernandes, SCHOFIELDS BAR, Manchester
Fraser Harries, Absent Ear, Glasgow
Emanuel Mensah (Lele), The Connaught, London
Elyse Von Ruin, The Gate, Glasgow
Successful Industry Nominations:
Zidan Azad, Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Sam Lloyd, Lab 22, Cardiff
Gracie Goggins, Project Halcyon, Manchester
For more information on the programme and future events, please visit @1887collective.