The opportunities for women to reach the pinnacle of their careers in the hospitality industry was one of the hot topics at a recent event at The Artesian bar, which shone a well-deserved light on the talent of the female bartenders working in the industry today.
The event, which gathered an all-female team of over twenty bartenders, is believed to be the first of its kind in the capital.
For one night only, leading female figures from some of the nation’s top bars came together to shake and stir up a female inspired and co-created cocktail list, not only to highlight the contributions of women already working in the industry, but to encourage more women to join.
This is still important, said Artesian bar manager, Anna Sebastian, who believes support for women “does not happen everywhere”.
What it comes down to is “mutual respect,” between men and women, she said, while giving women confidence and support to reach leadership positions, by showing “the huge amount of support and sisterhood that we have with each other”.
The event comes at the end of a series of takeovers at The Artesian, which saw some of the world’s best bars and their bartenders including The Clumsies and Manhattan Bar, stopping by throughout October.
For last night’s finale, the bar buzzed with camaraderie, framed by an installation on the back bar that read “Celebrate her”, accompanied by a pink unicorn.
The symbol has particular significance for Sebastian, whose grandfather was part of a military intelligence unit which helped lead the Allies to victory in World War Two.
It has significance for Sebastian personally, too. As an army vet herself, it seems her training has put her in good stead to reach the top of her game.
“I was attracted to my original career in the army mainly because I wanted to make a change and allow women on the front line,” she said. “Hospitality is very different, but it has some similarities. Ten years ago it was a tough game. You had to be tough and prove yourself much more than men, at least that’s how I felt at the time.
“There was definitely no support network and men worked the bar and women the floor. Nowadays, it is very different. You still need to have an element of determination. However, there is much more support in place and many more females championing other females and growing and mentoring each other.”
The evening saw the male members of the team take a back seat, helping out in the cloakroom and back of house to let their co-workers take the stage.
The idea for the event came from a late-night conversation among the team about doing an all female takeover to encourage more women to become part of hospitality.
With the strides made in equal representation in industry over the years and the momentum of the #metoo movement, are events like this still important?
“I think they are,” Sebastian said. “If we want things to continue to change for the better. Working in the Langham, I am very lucky to have a platform and a voice to do something like this alongside our team. It’s about having an open conversation and showing what a fantastic industry hospitality is. Who knows, you may inspire someone else to join or speak out. Having a balance in a team and in business is really important.”
Several of the bartenders were in agreement that they had positive working relationships and support from their male co-workers, but that they were often either one of, or the only, senior female member of the bartending team.
This was a view echoed by Sexy Fish’s Nikolett Maczo.
“It’s unspoken that there isn’t enough appreciation for women in the industry. It’s still a man’s world. But we as women have rock solid support for each other and I’m lucky that my boss and team are really supportive. They call me [my nickname] is Mama Fish,” she said.
Other bartenders included American Bar alum, Pippa Guy.
Guy was the first female senior bartender to be appointed to the The Savoy’s celebrated bar in over 100 years.
The full list of guest bartenders at The Artesian all-female take-over was:
Pippa Guy, ex-American Bar
Sophie Bratt, Community Spirit
Veronica Di Pietrantonio, Lyaness
Claire Best, Amathus
Nicole Sykes, Lyaness
Megs Miller, FAM
Keila Urzaiz de Calignon, Satans Whiskers
Sara Moudoulaud, Divine Bar Paris
Kaitlin Wilkes Back, Blue Bar, Berkeley
Cami Vidal, La Maison Wellness
Nikolett Maczo, Sexy Fish
Alice Wakely, Balthazar
Zoe van den Grinton, FAM
Anna Sebastian, Artesian
Kitti Kiss, Artesian
Zsofia Vajda, Artesian
Giulia Cuccurullo, Artesian
Gabriele Sasnauskaite, Artesian
Ginevra Castagnoli, Artesian
Amber Blood, Artesian
Morgana Toro, Artesian
Cressi Sturridge Lawlor, LCC
Pam Wiznitzer, global drinks consultant / Bacardi / World Class judge, based in NYC
Jo Last, Beaufort Bar, The Savoy
Top photo shows Nikolett Maczo, Sexy Fish and Alice Wakely, Balthazar