In the last year, she has truly shown her mettle supporting her beloved staff and the wider community through COVID. She continues this today with daily food drives during Sydney’s current lockdown.
People
People
“This resistance to the normality of a cocktail bar and the ultimate strive for perfection is the reason I had to work with him. Another reason, for me at least, is that he has owned and operated an award-winning bar for five years now.”
“I would love to have a drink and chat with any badass woman, full of stories to tell. Not bad if it was a Rickstasy (a mix of vodka, Southern Comfort, banana liqueur and Baileys) with Amy Winehouse or a Pomegranate Martini with Madonna.”
“The Piccolo Bar, is the oldest café in Kings Cross, dating all the way back to 1952. In 2020, I heard that it was about to be lost forever and so I felt compelled to take the plunge and try to save this iconic hospitality venue.”
“We can’t stress to people enough that were not picking stuff out of a bin – we’re going to the market and this is stuff people don’t want to buy.”
“I live quite far from the city and the transport network doesn’t support late night workers… all the trains end before we finish work at around midnight. An Uber all the way home for me is around $190.”
Right now, the Australian hospitality industry is suffering from a huge staff shortage, but times of crisis are also times of great opportunity. If there is a place or a business you’ve always wanted to work in, chances are this is the right time to knock on that door and offer your services.
Taking over multiple cocktail lists, bartender training and relaunching a venue is no easy task. For reigning Australian Bartender of the Year, Alex ‘Gondz’ Gondzioulis, the new challenge has arrived, stepping into the Group Bar Manager role at Liquid & Larder.
The drinks program at the venue is spear-headed by bar power duo Mikey Braun and Max Hart. According to Mikey the venue is all about being part of the local community. “We are Abbotsford born and bred, the name itself comes from the original stone mason façade,” he says. “To us, it reflects unique Aussie lingo and represents the area perfectly.”
“Having spent more than four decades working, collaborating, travelling, drinking, learning, having fun, getting into trouble, fighting, losing friends, gaining new ones and most of all sharing the Agave Love around the world with this amazing human, I am heartbroken.” – Phil Bayly
“I’m humbled to join the ranks of industry legends who even held the position in the past; Mike Enright, Paul Mant and of course Sam Egerton. As Group Bars Manager, I’ll continue to deliver Merivale’s leading standards across our 80+ venues.” – Ollie Stuart
From South West Rocks to rock ‘n’ roll dive bar; we meet this man who would have a drink with The Rock over anyone else, living or dead.