Story by Cara Devine. Cara is our Melbourne-based drinks writer. She is the manager of Bomba in Melbourne and the face and talent behind the cocktailing youtube channel Behind the Bar. You can email her at behindthebarchannel@gmail.com
“My start in hospitality wasn’t unlike most others in the industry – it all began in fast food,” says Rachael Hand. “But what drew me to bartending was the culture. I was sold on the sea change by a friend’s tales of devoted work family, endless creativity and all the late-night parties.”
Since being lured in, Hand has moved through different facets of the hospitality industry to find the right fit. She is massively hardworking and a perfectionist, and is now the Food & Beverage Training and Experience Manager at Funlab, the group that first brought us Strike Bowling and now Holey Moley, HiJinx Hotel and many other fun-filled, experience-led venues. And, interestingly, this is a 9-5 role.
Being a bartender through and through, how has she found this transition? “For a 9-5 I definitely lucked out! Working in Funlab gives me the ability to work on the things that I love doing, initiatives that impact thousands of people. It’s also pretty amazing that I have the ability to make plans in advance knowing for certain that you won’t be called into work on that day. Lol.” We all know that ‘lol’.
“Working in Funlab gives me the ability to work on the things that I love doing, initiatives that impact thousands of people. It’s also pretty amazing that I have the ability to make plans in advance knowing for certain that you won’t be called into work on that day. Lol.”
Hand learnt her craft at great venues; Blackbird, 1806, Mjolner and Lûmé. “[They] made me a detail-oriented perfectionist and gave me a great understanding of flavour,” she says, “And Goldilocks, Bomba and Dr Morse kept me grounded and reminded me what’s actually important: the guest. I think the highlights for me are all the amazing events I’ve been able to be a part of, and often run. The relationships I formed in these have allowed me to take the step away from the bar and into my 9-5 role.” From drinking at Hand’s bars and working alongside her, it was always clear to see that she is a talented and driven bartending professional who is passionate about drinks and the hospitality industry.
So what does her role actually entail? “My role is super varied. The title basically means that I manage the Food & Beverage department’s in-house promotions and events, and I create kitchen and bar training documentation. Any day can see me organising group-wide promotions with our suppliers (our current promo is with Brown-Forman and we are sending 3 people to Mexico). I create training documentation for our bar and kitchen; I’m currently working on our level 4 kitchen trainer guide, and I’m about to start our intermediate bar training guide. I manage our in-house events all over Australia, we host an annual food competition in May and a cocktail competition in September. I’m currently readying myself for our AMCO (Annual Motherfunner Cook Off). I will fly all over Australia and New Zealand hosting a Masterchef style competition, with influence from Cutthroat kitchen…where teams compete in five wacky challenges and the winning team will be sent to Italy.”
In an industry struggling with staff morale and incentivising keeping people on board, it’s easy to see why roles like Hand’s are massive. Having a consummate professional who you can look up to, learn from, and who can give rad prizes is certainly motivating. For Hand herself, it has been rewarding too. “It’s a pretty amazing job. I get to work in a lovely plant-filled office in Abbotsford with amazing humans, dogs, endless cake-filled morning tea catch-ups… and the office slide doesn’t go astray either.” She has learnt some new skills too. “Time management and long-term planning are massive,” she says – something a lot of bartenders could learn from *wink wink*. “Instead of managing a shift I’m planning for my year, which was a big change.”
So, does she have any advice for younger bartenders looking at a career in hospitality? Definitely. “The most memorable moments are not always the most prestigious. Bartending has brought me to Melbourne and taken me on trips all around Australia where I’ve met the most amazing life-long friends. It’s a lifestyle and it’s worth the long slog of 12-hour shifts making hundreds of espresso martinis knowing your bestie is right there next to you sharing your well.
Just remember to look after yourself.” With people of this calibre training the next generation, I think we’ll be OK.