Stoke-on-Trent isn't known for its cocktail bars, but that didn't deter Desire founder Dereece Gardner

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We opened Desire in December 2023. From day one, I didn’t want bartenders who just mixed drinks and stood behind a bar. I wanted hospitality professionals who could orchestrate the whole night from the first greeting to the last sip, weaving in storytelling along the way. Early on, the team was eager to showcase their skills with Margaritas and flamboyant serves, I quickly realised that technical ability alone doesn’t create culture. A bartender might master every technique, but if the guest experience isn’t flawless, the impact of the cocktail is lost. Repeat business and word-of-mouth come from the entire experience, not just the drink.

In those first weeks, I’d see bartenders rushing to set up while a stray tissue remained on the floor, unaware of the key touch points the customer experiences before they get their drink: the welcome, the music, the lighting. My focus became teaching the team that knowing cocktails is vital, but it never comes before creating the right atmosphere and mastering hospitality. Every interaction, every detail, every garnish matters. Only once that foundation is solid can we explore adventurous flavours and presentation. Even our space was designed with this in mind from bespoke interiors to tailored scent diffusion to create the perfect scene.

My Caribbean heritage and upbringing in a family of chefs gave me a keen palate, which I bring to Desire’s menu. Exotic flavours are at the heart of our serves: the Soursop Colada, a tropical twist on a Piña Colada; the Mangosteen Mule, with milk-washed mangosteen cordial, vermouth, and tonic; or the Luminescent, a Last Word-inspired drink with London dry gin, Luxardo Maraschino, pink peppercorn, and a scoop of cherry ice cream. These cocktails challenge expectations while remaining approachable, proving they can be both innovative and accessible all curated with house-made products.

At Desire, we could have launched with advanced techniques in every serve, but our demographic wasn’t there yet. Many guests are cautious, so it’s about building trust. A cocktail with a touch of candy floss isn’t about gimmicks, it's about familiarity, giving guests a first taste of quality in a way that feels approachable to gain trust. Even simple drinks can educate the palate and highlight balance, presentation and flavour.

That trust is now showing. Guests now walk in saying: “I trust you to make me something different.” That gives us freedom to experiment with flavours, techniques, and presentations without overwhelming the customer. It’s a balance pushing boundaries while keeping drinks enjoyable allowing us to educate and surprise guests while slowly cultivating a cocktail culture that didn’t exist before. Our social platform now allows us to showcase new innovative services but that would not be possible without the correct focus on the quality interaction itself.

A pivotal part of this growth has been our location. With two landmark theatre's nearby, we saw an opportunity to support local culture while shaping our own. We design post-theatre serves that match the drama and storytelling of the stage drinks that extend the night rather than end it. Guests now come straight from the Regent to Desire, treating cocktails as a natural continuation of their evening. This has created a unique “pre and post-theatre cocktail culture” in Stoke-on-Trent, blending performance, flavour, and hospitality into a shared city experience.

Another driver is the Desire Collective, our private members’ club for loyal guests. Each week, I look around and see familiar faces, regulars bringing friends or returning for their usual round. The Collective is a celebration of that, yes perks are a part of this but it’s about community. It pushes us to keep standards high, because we’re not just serving cocktails, we're looking after people who’ve chosen to become part of our story.

I take inspiration from bars that have stood the test of time, built on hospitality long before social media or flashy techniques. That’s the foundation of Desire. Yes, we play with exotic flavours and contemporary methods, but the soul of our bar is creating a hospitality culture that lasts decades, not months.

So, how do you create a cocktail culture in a city that hasn’t had one? Create a memorable experience. The drink is the icing on the cake, not the whole recipe. That’s what we strive to deliver at Desire. We treat our customers like family, like they’re part of something bigger. You start small, you build trust and you make every visit feel like it matters. That’s how we’re building something lasting at Desire one drink, one story, one night at a time.