We’ve launched our Crowdfunding campaign (running until 26th November) to raise £15,000 to turn our horse-box into a mobile bar for our weddings and events. You can support us and pledge to receive some amazing foodie rewards. View the Crowdfunder page here.
We’ve decided to run a Q&A with our wonderful Bar Manager Pete to explain it all to you…
How did you get working in Hospitality?
I’ve worked in the hospitality industry most of my life. I started out working in my local pub washing dishes during my summers. I worked my way through the kitchen there to run it on the chef’s day off. Nothing fancy just good pub food. When I turned 18 I was straight behind the bar. I love the interaction you get with customers working on a bar. Whether you’re just doing something simple like making a Gin and Tonic or pouring a beer or a slightly more complicated cocktail, there is always something to talk to customers about. I have worked in bars and clubs around the UK and spent a brief stint in France working in a hotel and nightclub during the ski season. I love good spirits and fine wines. I think I can thank my parents for that, to be honest. Mum being the big wine nut and Dad bringing me up on quality single malt whisky.
What’re your favourite parts of being a Bar Manager?
My favourite part is that it’s always different and there are always new challenges, we’ve had some fun bars this summer at the Weddings. It’s hard work… like getting 150 espresso martinis made and served with dessert in the space of 10 minutes. Challenges like this make it a fun job but also make you think about how it can be better and more unique for the client.
What do you see for the future of mixology?
It is an ever-changing discipline which is one of the reasons I love it so much. There is always someone innovating or tweaking something. There are some amazing things around like atomisation, that just makes it a really interesting industry to be in. I want to scale that up and offer it to wedding parties.
How will the new Bar change Ross & Ross Food’s offering?
We currently offer a bar service with a 3m wide wooden bar, that my father and I built. It is very much an indoors bar though. We want something that we can offer to brides and grooms that can be positioned anywhere; thus the idea to convert a horsebox was born this year.
Our Crowdfunding Campaign will aim to raise £15,000 for the conversion work and we’ve pulled together an impressive list of rewards (food hampers, personalised cocktails, dinner parties and even wedding catering) for our friends, customers and suppliers who can support us. We want it to reflect the care and effort we put into our food and also link to the Cotswolds, where most of our wedding catering business is based.
What is unique about your Bar?
One of the rewards for the Crowdfunder is a personalised cocktail created specifically to your taste and favourite spirit, sent to you in a bottle. This is something we offer to brides and grooms to have a truly personal touch to their wedding day as well as adapting our bar so they can have their favourite spirits behind the bar. We also offer a British menu option for our bars, so we can be as local as possible using Cotswolds Distillery Gin, Oxford Artisan Distillery Vodka as well as Laphroaig Whisky.
If you have any questions about our campaign or our bar services you can contact us on events@rossandrossfood.co.uk. Please help share the news of our Crowdfunding Campaign and if you can help support us, please do pledge for our foodie rewards. Wish us luck!