At the Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards each year, one individual is recognised with the Outstanding Contribution award. This prestigious award pays tribute to someone who has made a marked difference to the bar industry through their passion and dedication.
Australian Bartender is pleased to announce the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Contribution award is WA’s Mr Andy Freeman.
Freeman is an influential figure in the Perth bar scene, having risen from the role of glassy in his early years, to working bars and becoming quite the flair bartender in the early 2000’s.
Freeman bartended at the influential Perth bar, Luxe Bar, and eventually took over ownership the bar along with business partner and fellow Luxe bartender Michelle Mok. The duo took out the Operator of the Year award at the 2011 Bar Awards.
In 2013, Freeman opened the award-winning Varnish on King, his first foray into the Perth CBD area, winning the 2014 Small Bar of the Year award and the 2014 WA Bar of the Year at that’s year’s Bar Awards.
In 2014, Freeman opened Darlings Supper Club with business partner Sam Astbury, following that up with another CBD venue, The Flour Factory, which has just reopened following renovations — find out more about it here.
Freeman will be recognised at this year’s Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards, to be held in Sydney on Tuesday 22 September. You can see the full list of finalists in this year’s awards here.